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The Church Caller
A monthly publication of Ellington Congregational Church September 2018
WORSHIP SERVICE
8:45 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, SEPTEMBER 2ND COMMUNION SUNDAY
FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER
PENTECOST - LAST 9:30 A.M.
Amie Giguere, Associate Pastor,
preaching
Sunday, SEPTEMBER 9TH >RETURN OF 8:45 & 10:30 AM<
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER
PENTECOST
ALL CHURCH WORSHIP
Dr. Jay M. Terbush,
Designated Pastor, preaching
Sunday, SEPTEMBER 16TH SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER
PENTECOST
HOMECOMING SUNDAY
SUNDAY SCHOOL RESUMES
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
Dr. Jay M. Terbush,
Designated Pastor, preaching
Sunday, SEPTEMBER 23RD EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER
PENTECOST
Amie Giguere, Associate Pastor,
preaching
Sunday, SEPTEMBER 30TH NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER
PENTECOST Dr. Jay M. Terbush,
Designated Pastor, preaching
From the moderator…
It is hard to believe, but it’s been just over a year since I wrote an
article for The Caller defining and explaining the position of
Designated Pastor, the discernment period and what that all
means to ECC. At that time, Dr. Jay Terbush had entered into a
covenant with ECC to be our Designated Pastor and it was
understood that over the course of the next year both he and we
would prayerfully consider whether, or not, to make our
arrangement permanent with Dr. Jay as our Settled Senior
Pastor. A lot to think about, but really a one question
discernment. But as so often is the case…life happened.
We’ve had to process not just Pastor Don leaving, but Pastor
Karen also leaving several months later. At that time Dr. Jay
took on the additional responsibilities of the Associate Pastor
until just a few months ago when Amie Giguere joined us. And
there have been other changes and activities along the way that
took us off course. In the time that Dr. Jay has been with us, we
haven’t had much time for him to minister to us in a ‘normal’
environment.
One of those activities was our participation in the CAT
Survey. So many voices were heard and thoughts expressed!
The results of the survey gave us great deal of information to
digest and a lot to consider regarding our future. So much so
that the ‘one question discernment’ scenario no longer exists.
continued on page 2
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Continued from page 1
Before we (ECC and Dr. Jay) can make a decision
on the Settled Senior Pastor position, we need to
first discern ‘What does the church want to be?’ Or
more specifically, ‘What does God want us to be?’
Where is God’s spirit leading us? What do we want
or need in regard to our pastoral staff? Can one
pastor meet our needs, or are two pastors needed to
get us where God wants us to be? And what does
the Associate Pastor position look like? Full time?
Half time? What are our visions for our church in 3
years, 5 years and beyond? So many questions…
and at this time, no clear answers.
Please be assured that your Moderators, Pastors and
other church leaders are prayerfully considering
additional means for your voices to be heard and
what our next steps in this process will be. You will
be hearing more in the next few months. Please
pray for ECC and for Dr. Jay as we all go through
this process together.
Peace, Love and Glory to God!
Marsha Andzans, Moderator
From the Designated Pastor…
The beginning of a new church year! A time of
planning and preparing, a time for a change of pace,
a time for new and or renewed activities with your
church family.
This year ahead is shaping up to be an important
year in the life of this church.
We have taken the time over the past year to reckon
with the losses and grief associated with the
changes in the pastoral staff. In the process, we
have acknowledged the difficulty for some of us,
held one another’s hands and prayed for each other.
These have been important aspects of the life of this
church.
But now we are ready to move forward. Now we
are ready to pray and worship, study and serve in
the name of Jesus Christ, as we sense the Spirit of
God leading us toward the future. The past is the
past; it is what it was. But the present is where God
is and where we now are. And God is traveling with
us taking us into the next era in the life of this our
beloved family of God’s people.
We have a new pastoral staff team. We have
dedicated lay leaders. We have a wonderful church
family. We have the blessing and presence of God.
This is a great time to be part of this special faith
community!
Together during the next 6 months and more we are
going to be collectively prayerfully seeking answers
to the following question:
What is God calling us and our church
to be and to do?
As I write this, I am developing some plans for
engaging the whole congregation in a process of
visioning and goal setting. We are continuing to
discuss the results of the CAT survey that we
completed in May. We are going to be considering
what are we doing well, and considering what might
we do differently? And we will be asking what new
things might we be involved in (adult classes?
mission trip? community involvement?
intergenerational and family activities? Or???)
Amie and I will be sharing in a sermon series this
fall beginning on September 9th. We will use the
story of the Exodus from Egyptian captivity and
traveling to the promised land, to guide our own
spiritual journey as individuals and as a church. We
are excited to have us all consider lessons for our
personal lives and for our life together in this
church.
Please be praying for your church leadership as we
seek to discover God’s dreams for this church and
for our lives as God’s people. Please pray about
how you can be involved in shaping the future of
this church. I can’t wait to see what we learn as we
seek God’s wisdom together!
Dr. Jay
3
CHURCH EMAIL
Thank You Ellington Congregational Church
Dear Brian, Doug and Leigh 😊
On behalf of the American Red Cross and the
hospital patients we serve, thank you for
coordinating our recent blood drive at Ellington
Congregational Church. We were very pleased with
the drive overall, and the willingness of the donors
to share this life saving gift. Your support of the
community blood program will go a long way
toward replenishing blood supplies and ultimately
saving lives.
I am happy to present the following results: At the
drive we had 35 people register to donate resulting
in the collection of 29 units of blood. Therefore, I
am delighted to announce that we met out blood
drive goal. Excellent WORK! These units of blood
will help save up to 87 lives and ensure a readily
available supply of blood for CT hospital patients.
You and your donors are real heroes.
Please share the results above with the rest of your
team at the Ellington Congregational Church. We
are looking forward to our next drive on Saturday
October 13th.
Once again, thank-you for your continued support
of the Red Cross’ life saving mission.
Alissa
Alissa Haight Aguda Account Manager, Donor Recruitment [email protected] | (860) 406-0346
American Red Cross | Connecticut Blood Services 209 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06032
BLOOD DRIVE
Ellington
Congregational Church
Held in the Social Hall
72 Main Street
Ellington, CT
Saturday, October 13, 2018
8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
SCHEDULING IS NOW OPEN!
Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)
to schedule an appointment. Or visit us online at
REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG
Streamline your donation experience and save up to
15 minutes by visiting
RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to complete your
pre-donation reading and health history questions
on the day of your appointment.
Without A, B & O, we can’t save anybody. You
are the #MissingType we need.
The last 9:30 a.m.
Summer Worship Service
Will be Sunday, September 2nd
The regular worship schedule
8:45 am & 10:30 am
will resume on
Sunday, September 9th
Sunday, September 16th
Homecoming Sunday
Sunday School & Cradle Roll
Resumes
4
Save Money on
Home Heating Oil
As you may know, back around 1998, the ECC
Trustees organized a small group of our members
to buy heating oil at below market prices. Our
supplier at the time, Andrews Oil of South
Windsor, also agreed to a rebate for the church’s
fuel account. The program became very popular
and has grown steadily to the point, where this past
heating season about 43 families participated and
the church earned rebates of approximately $1,700.
This is truly a win – win program. You save
money on your heating oil and help our church at
the same time. We are trying to expand our group
further and would like to have you, your extended
family, friends, and neighbors join us. If you know
of anyone who heats their home or business with oil
and resides within the greater Vernon-Ellington-
Manchester area, please let them know about this
great, money saving program.
This year, we made some minor changes in our
program so as to continue to offer our participants
good value for their heating oil dollars. In addition
to Andrews Oil and Gas Services, we will continue
with a second, full service dealer, Automatic TLC
Energy of East Hartford. I have outlined the
programs for each company below and encourage
you look them over and decide which you feel will
best meet your needs. You must act fairly quickly
as there are some deadlines in place.
Andrews Oil and Gas Services will offer the very
same program as last year. No changes. They will
offer members of our buying group their “cash/
market price at time of delivery” pricing. With this
program, the prices will vary from delivery to
delivery and a participant will be asked to pay for
their delivery within 3 business days. (Payment
options would be: #1) pay the driver, #2) have a
credit card number on file with Andrew’s office,
#3) mail a check to the office, or #4) pay by phone
using your credit card. If prompt payment is not
received, a higher price per gallon would be
charged. Automatic delivery and equipment
service contracts ($260/annually) are also available.
Andrews will also continue their rebate program to
the church oil fund. Please call Colleen at Andrews
Oil (860-528-0766) to enroll, cancel, or renew your
participation in this program.
Automatic TLC Energy. In this, their fifth year,
TLC has modified their program slightly.
Participants must be on the “Automatic Delivery”
program. They will be charged at a “commercial
market price”, which will vary from delivery to
delivery, but participants would be protected by a
cap at $2.799/gallon for one full year. (You will
never pay higher than $2.799). The cap price will
be offered to existing customers who renew their
agreements before 9-30-18 and any new families
who sign up before 9-30-18. In either case you
should call Customer Care Department at
Automatic TLC/ 860-528-4328 to participate.
Please note that 12 months or shorter budget
programs may also be arranged.
TLC also offers equipment service contracts at a
discounted price for customers in the ECC buyers
group. Hot air furnace plan would run $239 plus
tax/annually. A hot- water boiler plan would run
$309plus tax/annually. Both of these plans cover
most parts and labor.
Call Customer Care Department @ 860-528-4328
with questions or to register prior to September 30,
2018. TLC also rebates to the ECC Oil program.
In closing, I would offer that, in my opinion, both
companies are older, well established, reputable
organizations with good history. I think it comes
down to where you feel oil prices will go this
season.
Both companies reserve the right to reject a
prospective member who resides outside of their
normal delivery areas or who they feel does not
meet their respective credit criteria. Remember to
respond quickly and observe the deadlines. Feel
free to call me with any questions you might have
about the respective companies, their programs, and
enrollment.
Thanks for your attention,
Jack Hagopian, (C)860-817-3466
5
TRUSTEES
CORNER
It has been a busy summer!
Completed projects
Sale of the Parsonage – closed August 7th o Various plumbing & electrical items
that had to be fixed based on the
inspection report.
o Septic tank repair based on
inspection report
Roof repaired over the Church offices.
Worked with Prichard Family to have tree
removed on their property hanging over the
Labyrinth.
Front Steps of the Church repaired. This
will eliminate the leaking into the basement.
Projects in process
Technology and phone upgrade – led by Brian
Cocuzzo and the technology team.
HELP WANTED!
Did you ever wonder who puts up the manger scene
at Christmas? How the fallen curtain in the social
room was fixed or how the plants get watered when
there is no rain for weeks?
These are a few examples of chores that need to be
done around our beautiful church. Trustees are
looking for some additional “Helping Hands”.
Some of our “Helping Hands” are moving or are
not able to continue to help. We would like to
update our list of volunteers so when we have a list
of chores that need to be done we can give you a
call to see if you are willing and able.
These small jobs are HUGE impacts in keeping our
church beautiful. If you are interested in being on
the list please contact Dave Feindel,
[email protected] or Duane Van Deventer,
FALL 2018
MUSIC PROGRAMS
THE SENIOR CHOIR will resume rehearsals on
Thursday, Sept. 6th at
7:00 p.m. We would love
to have you join us this
year. Lift your spirits and
join the choir!
THE SENIOR HANDBELL CHOIR will resume
rehearsals on Sunday, Sept. 9th following the late
service. If you read music and would like to join,
please contact Esther Pezzella or any handbell
member. The annual cleaning of the bells will take
place on Sunday, Sept. 2nd!
Children’s Programs will
begin on Sept. 30th as
follows:
4:00-4:30 CHIME CHOIR (Grades 2-6) is a beginner
group that works on music
reading. With the high price of music lessons why
not take advantage of this free music opportunity?
4:30-5:00 Junior CHOIR (Grades 2-6) Events
planned for this year are the Christmas play and
more.
5:00-5:45 JUNIOR HANDBELL CHOIR requires music reading and is targeted for middle
school age. Come to the first rehearsal and get
early choice on bell assignments. We will also be
planning the year and would love your input!
**SACRED DANCE will continue this fall under
the continuing leadership of Kayla Panagrosso. A
Sacred Dance selection has already been selected,
see Kayla for more information.
6
Calling all crafters and vendors!
ECC will be hosting a craft fair during Ellington’s
Winterfest on Saturday, December 1st from 10am to
3pm. The cost for a six-foot space is $25 and all
proceeds will be donated back to the church.
Crafters and Vendors are responsible for providing
their own six-foot table. Chairs will be provided. To
inquire about an application please email Alexis
Leonard at [email protected] or call 860-
803-0203. Please make sure to provide your name,
what you sell and any further questions! Deadline is
November 1st, but we are filling up fast!
T.E.L.O.S. Kick-Off Meeting Sunday, September 23rd
for all current, new or potential TELOS members and parents. Details forthcoming.
Please remember to review the ECC
Media Policy that is located on the website
and various locations within the church and
complete the Opt Out form if you don't want
pictures on the website of yourself (adults).
Parents, please complete either the Release
Form or Opt Out form for your child(ren).
Thank you!
OCTOBER CALLER
DEADLINE
SEPTEMBER 15, 2018
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Please join us as we begin our fall
season. We meet on the fourth
Thursday of the month at 9:30 a.m. in
the social room. We enjoy coffee and
fellowship as we share patterns and knit/crochet
prayer shawls, pocket prayers and lap robes for both
men and women. The meetings will be September
27, October 25, and November 15 (this is the third
Thursday due to Thanksgiving). We do not meet in
December.
If you would like the basic pattern before the
meeting, please call Jan Starkweather at 860-875-
1543.
We all enjoyed the performance by the Hope
Haitian Choir and Kelly Jackson gave a pocket
prayer to each of the members. Pocket prayers are
available in several baskets throughout the church.
Please take one for yourself and perhaps one for a
friend.
Shawls and lap robes are available in the room off
of the Narthex. Please help yourself at any time.
Sacred Stitches
Ministry meets on the
second Monday of every month
to cut out and sew baby quilts
for the NICU at Hartford
Hospital and mid-size quilts for Covenant to Care
children. Come and sew in the comfortable air
conditioned social room where the only thing you
need to bring is a sewing machine (optional) and
your sewing kit and a bag lunch and we’ll furnish
patterns, ideas, fabric, coffee and fellowship. If you
think you might be interested in sewing with us or
just have a question or two, call Peg Doffek, 860-
454-7360 or Judy White, 860-875-6642. We meet in
the Social Room from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the
second Monday of the month. See you then!
7
Friendship Class
Friendship Class will resume on Sept. 4 at 1PM for a
book discussion on "Change of Heart" by Jodi
Picoult. Picoult is New England's favorite author.
All her stories deal with hot button topics, big
questions about life and death, and moral issues. We
will discuss the theme of belief. Would you give up
your hatred and vengeance against someone you hate
if it meant saving someone you love? Would you
want your dreams to come true if it meant granting
your enemy's dying wish? Why are all controversial
issues like abortion, gay rights, and capital
punishment judged along religious lines?
Why has religion which is supposed to unite people
become so divisive? Why do we believe what we
do? This is a provocative novel and should spark
controversial discussion about religion and capital
punishment. Please join this enthusiastic group and
share your beliefs. Virginia Dzen will facilitate.
On October 2nd "Ginny Moon" by Benjamin Ludwig
will be discussed.
November 6th we will discuss "In this Moment" by
Karen Kingsbury, a very popular Christian author,
and an inspirational storyteller. Happy reading!!!!
Bringing Peace to Our Lives by Going Counter-Cultural
It sounds radical, and trust me, I am not radical. But
I have found that there are many cultural norms that
do not work for me. One is clutter in every form. I
want my house uncluttered and my mind uncluttered
as well. I work at it on a daily basis, because I tend
to take on too many activities. Thankfully, I am not
a collector, and I keep working at letting go of the
material things I am not using. Fifteen minutes a
day, done regularly does wonders to keep material
clutter away. Here are two ways to cut back on
home clutter – Do not shop for entertainment, and
make decluttering part of a routine.
One great way to cut back on mind clutter is to take
time for meditation. ECC has the perfect place for
that – our labyrinth! Over the next few months you
will see more information about using our labyrinth,
including how to and even some planned times to
use the labyrinth together. This is truly a way to
bring peace into our minds, to slow down, and to
bring some healing to our bodies as well as our
spirits. According to WebMD, “More than 30 years
of research shows that the relaxation response brings
slower breathing, a slower heart rate, and lower
blood pressure.” Walking the labyrinth can help
bring the relaxation response to your body. The best
way to make time for meditation and labyrinth walks
is to let go of other time gobblers that are not serving
you as well.
Making a labyrinth walk part of your regular routine
does take a little effort, until it becomes a beneficial
habit. It means choosing to pass on the television or
other diversions, and choosing to give yourself the
gift of peace. ECC has a beautiful labyrinth and
Memorial Garden with easy access. It is one of the
many blessings of our church. As Voltaire wrote,
“God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give
ourselves the gift of living well.” Stay tuned for
upcoming events with our labyrinth. In the
meantime, it is available for your use, even when the
church is closed.
Blessings,
Sharon McLaughlin
Some Lite House Keeping
When mailing items through the United States
Postal Service to Ellington Congregational
Church, please be sure to use the mailing
address:
P.O. Box 216
If you should need to ship an item to Ellington
Congregational Church, please use the shipping
address:
72 Main Street
Thank you!
8
NOTES FROM GROWTH AND NURTURE
FALL IS A WONDERFUL SEASON TO
REMEMBER TO wear your church name tag.
The name tags we wear each Sunday help make
our church more welcoming and are a small
offering of Christian hospitality. If you
need a new one, there is a form to
request a name tag in the Narthex or
call or email the Church Office.
Thanks!
Stewardship Reminders
PLEASE remember when paying your offering by
check to write your envelope/giving number on the
memo line. Thank you.
The Stewardship Committee has placed generic
offering envelopes in the pew racks. These generic
offering envelopes can be used by visitors or if you
are presently placing cash in the offering plate and
would like to begin to receive a giving statement for
tax purposes. These are not to replace your
numbered giving envelope. If you would like to
start using numbered envelopes to receive a
giving statement, you can request a box of
envelopes by completing the pink form in the
Narthex. If you currently are using checks with a
giving number, you may continue to do so.
Thank you for your financial support of the mission
and ministries of the Ellington Congregational
Church.
STEWARDSHIP FLASH
Months of June & July 2018
Income from Giving: $27,284.00
Expenses: $28,134.00
Year to Date (07/2018) Giving Income: $193,890.00
Expenses: $212,207.00
Tell Your Money Where to Go – Rescheduled!!!
Are you tired of wondering where all your money
went at the end of the month? Start to break that
cycle as you learn how to tell your money where to
go. We will be sponsoring a seminar entitled
“Making a Difference” on Sunday,
September 23rd following the 10:30
a.m. service.
We will be welcoming Sam Chang, Financial
Consultant with Thrivent Financial as our guest
presenter. The workshop is designed to help you
share your resources (time, talent and treasures)
thoughtfully and intentionally and in ways that align
with your values. You will also explore ways to
make the most of your resources. The Stewardship
Committee will be sponsoring a “hearty” coffee
hour following the service and there will supervised
activities for youth. The seminar will begin at
Noon.
If you aren’t a member or would like more
information about Thrivent Financial, contact Sam
Chang at 860-474-9601 or visit www.thrivent.com.
9
Missions Mail WHAT A WONDERFUL
SUMMER OF
GIVING AT ECC!!
As the result of the congregation’s amazing
generosity, the Board of Missions was able to reach
out and lend a helping hand to many families with
children. First of all, the grocery cart was filled
every Sunday during our offering time. I had the
pleasure of delivering food to the Cornerstone
Pantry at the end of July. I watched a preschool
child walking beside the shelves of food,
exclaiming to his mother, “Look, Mommy!” as he
pointed to all the food and paper goods in front of
him. He was as excited as a child on Christmas
morning, and my heart was filled with happiness for
him and the many families who were filling their
bags with much needed food.
Next, I counted and sorted the numerous packages
of undies you donated. On Tuesday, July 31st, I
delivered 296 pairs of undies for the children at
Maple St. School in Rockville, CT. The principal
was extremely appreciative for the clothing and
assured me that it would definitely be used. She
even came out to the car to help me carry it all
inside. I wished her a great school year with her
faculty and students.
Then on August 3rd and 4th, Gene, Karen and I
worked on sorting, shopping, and packing 24
backpacks for the teens in foster care with DCF in
Manchester. Our designated social worker, Barbara
O’Brien, was thrilled to receive the backpacks in
plenty of time to match them up with the most
appropriate students. She also extended her
appreciation for our commitment to Covenant to
Care.
After church on August 5th, Claudia informed me
that the Wallingford Church had canceled their
invitation to Hope Haitian Choir for Tuesday night,
August 7th. The choir and chaperones had no place
to sleep on Tuesday night. We locked eyes and we
both knew we needed to extend an invitation to
come and spend two nights with us in Ellington.
After speaking with Pastor Jay, and receiving his
kind offer to sleep over Tuesday night with the
choir, I told Claudia she could extend our invitation
for the 7th. Thus, Claudia and I welcomed Barbara
House, her daughter, Jamie, and the bus load of
Haitian children at 7:00 pm.
Our guests were very polite and considerate during
their entire stay. They slept in the classrooms on
the ground level. Their two breakfasts and Wed.
lunch were prepared by Claudia and Richard. The
potluck was organized by Women’s Fellowship,
food was brought by many church folks, and
Christian Ed. provided the ice cream and goodies
for making our own sundaes after the performance.
Thursday’s lunch was provided by Missions. Tech
support was given by Scott Noble. The students had
time for fun playing football (soccer), swimming at
the YMCA, taking showers at the Y, and then
performing for us Wednesday evening.
With a grateful heart, I say thank you to each and
every person who helped make this event such a
success. It was definitely an awesome church
community effort! Together we donated $1,161.00
to the school that Barbara House has sponsored. Her
hope is to raise enough money to add more
classrooms to the school that was built for the
Haitian children.
THANK YOU FOR OPENING
YOUR HEARTS AND WALLETS
TO MINISTER TO THOSE IN
NEED, BOARD OF MISSIONS
10
NEIGHBORS in NEED October 7, 2018 Offering
This offering supports ministries of justice and
compassion throughout the United States.
It includes the Council for American Indian
Ministries (CAIM) and direct service projects
supported by Justice and Witness Ministries. It
brings hope to people in the U.S. and around the
world. Many denominations participate in this
yearly project. Collection envelopes will be
available in the pews on October 7th.
Thank you, Board of Missions
FOOD BANK --
SHOPPING CART
REQUEST
FOR THE MONTH OF
September
CANNED TUNA CANNED CHICKEN CANNED SALMON
CANNED FRUIT JUICE BOXES
BOTTLES OF JUICE PEANUT BUTTER
JELLY
ON-GOING
Canned Tuna Canned Soup
Boxed Macaroni & Cheese
THANK YOU!
Service People on Active Duty
The following list contains people called to
active duty. Please keep them and their families
in your prayers. If you know of someone who
should be on this list (or have a correction),
please contact the church office at 860-871-6606
or [email protected]. Thank you.
Full Name Submitted by 143rd Regional Support Group CT Army Nat’l
Guard
250th Engineering Battalion Army National Guard
Alex Fitzgerald Lucie Parisi
Allysson Belval
Bill McDonald
Chelsea Hinton Jay Walpole
Chris Perrett Moriah Nutt
Chris Saucier
Damon Matus
Danielle Hanson
David William Chokas Andrie Bellezza
David Nutt
Del Plato
Eric
Evan Peterson
Frankie Valentin Lucie Parisi
Gary Feldman, Jr.
Greg Fearnley
Ian Rivers
Jay O’Connor Dianne & Bob Durgan
Jessica Lannan
Jim
Jon Sanchez Dawn Stone
Josh Smidge
Justyn Manning Dawn Stone
Kyle Ciesco Melissa Ciesco-Rolland
Larry Oliver
Lewis Hursh
Nicole Walsh
Rachel Korzub
Sean Belmont George & Marty Nickerson
Thomas Allen Lucie Parisi
Tom Kutscher
Troy Ciesco Melissa Ciesco-Rolland
Zach Hazzard Jon Allen
Basic Training
Curtis Hany Patti & Mark Hany
11
The Women’s Fellowship of the Ellington Congregational Church is open to all members and friends of the church. We encourage you to participate in our organization.
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
From The Message, 1 Peter 4:10
Hello,
Fall is upon us and I hope your summer was
filled with fun, family and friends. It went by so
fast, didn’t it. The leaves will be changing soon
and a whole new rhythm will start and we will get
into our usual schedules.
In August, the church hosted the Hope Haitian
Choir concert. It was a celebration. It took many
folks to make it happen and it was so spectacular.
Thanks go out to Women’s Fellowship for the pot
luck, Missions for breakfasts and lunches and
BCE for the ice cream social. A special thanks to
Claudia and Richard Steele, Dottie Marshall, Sue
Hannigan, Joan McCarthy and Sharon
McLaughlin. These are the folks that made it
happen and run so smoothly!
We are looking forward to a field trip to the
original The Vermont Country Store in Weston,
Vermont on October 11th. We will travel there
and will stop for lunch at the Bryant House
Restaurant after shopping and browsing. It will be
a good time to leaf peek in Vermont as well. So
put that on your calendar. Sign-ups will begin the
end of September.
The church members are going to be asked to
donate new gloves, not mittens, for the Lakota
Tribe. More information will be coming.
Donations can be placed in the Lakota box
located in the Narthex. Thanks!
And of course, the Farmhouse Fair will be
happening in November. I am sure it will be as
good as ever! This also takes the talents and
energy of so many. Thank you ahead of time.
Happy Fall and blessings, Susan Mason
Our next W.F. Executive
Board meeting will be held on
Tuesday, September 11th at
4:30 p.m. in room 201.
hawkwing REMINDER – THE
BOX IS BACK ~ Women’s Fellowship
collects gently used coats and new items
for the Lakota people in South Dakota
and the items are distributed through the efforts of
hawkwing, a non-profit organization. There is a box in
the narthex for depositing clean coats in good
condition, and Jan Danforth faithfully collects and
stores them each week. (Thank you Jan D.) Our
congregation has been extremely generous in their
donations and every donation makes a difference, so
thanks! For additional information about this mission,
the website is www.hawkwing.org. You may also see
Janet W. or Peg D. at church as they coordinate the
hawkwing missions for our church.
MEN’S FELLOWSHIP NEWS Next Meeting: September 8 @ 8:30 am
Any questions please Contact:
John Bellezza (860-875-1434)
Scott Noble (860-749-7005)
Richard Steele (860-649-4732)
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The Church Family News
SEPTEMBER
BIRTHDAYS
Sept 1 Kate Savage
Sept 2 Celeste Forst
Sept 3 Julia Meyer
Sept 4 Colette Aldrich
Sept 4 Terri Lackouskas
Sept 4 Marty Nickerson
Sept 4 Bethany Crocker
Sept 4 Chas Gross
Sept 5 Dean Rasmussen
Sept 5 Jordan Terry
Sept 5 Nathan Wright
Sept 6 Alexa Bellezza
Sept 6 Jay M. Terbush
Sept 8 Curtis McKeegan
Sept 8 Megan Beebe
Sept 8 Morgan Beebe
Sept 9 Bethany Parisi
Sept 11 Courtney Conley
Sept 15 BJ Aldrich
Sept 15 Stacy Fox
Sept 15 Elaine Duckett
Sept 16 Cole Winslow
Sept 18 Norah Wright
Sept 19 Donna McKiernan
Sept 19 Amanda Bellezza
Sept 19 Preston Aldrich
Sept 20 Jon Allen
Sept 25 Kyle Ciesco
Sept 26 Maggie Russell
Sept 28 Lyn Allen
Sept 28 Owen Feindel
Sept 28 Mackenzie Holden
Sept 29 Christopher Charest
Sept 29 Logan Firetto
Sept 30 Mark Sternat
SEPTEMBER
Anniversaries Sept 1 Lisa & David Sirag Jr.
Sept 6 Johnett & Jeff Simonson
Congratulations ~ 15 years! Sept 9 Dianne & Robert Durgan
Sept 10 Emily & Kevin Byam
Sept 12 Cheryl & Paul Dinse
Sept 17 Joanne & Bill Raulukaitis
Sept 21 Jennifer & Drew Boynton
Sept 21 Ellen & David Panagrosso
Sept 24 Caren & Dean Rasmussen
Sept 26 Jill & Bill McAllister
Sept 28 Marty & George Nickerson
Sept 28 Melissa & Todd Rolland
PRAYER GROUP
& PRAYER CIRCLE
The Prayer Group
meets at the church
for one hour every
Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.
to pray for people in need. If you need
prayers for someone or would like to be
included in the Prayer Circle, please let
Carolyn Ladd or the church office know.
13
Hospitalized
since the last Caller
Phyllis Potter
If you go to the hospital and
would like a visit by a Pastor…
Please CALL our office as soon as you know you
will be admitted.
In your admitting process, you will be asked if
you are part of a local faith community
(church). If so, please answer YES, and give
the name and town of your church.
You will also be asked if you want your name
released to representatives of your church. If
so, please answer YES.
If you say no, or if you do not give the name of
your church, the hospital will not be able to
release your name to us.
SANCTUARY FLOWERS
We thank the following for
providing sanctuary flowers in
July and August: The Memorial
Committee in loving memory of
Dorothy Gessay; Peg Doffek in
loving memory of her husband
John, who married her 57 years
ago today (July 8); in celebration of
Ellington Congregational Church; in celebration of
Nancy and Richard Parker’s 50th Wedding Anniversary
on August 3rd; by Vivian, Robin and Gretchen Hary in
loving memory of Henry A. Hary, Robert and Evelyn
Gross; by Vickie, John and Sam Oravits in loving
memory of Jerry and Sylvia Mahrt; with love from
Mom and Dad in celebration of Kayla Christine
Panagrosso’s 16th Birthday on August 3rd; by Ellington
Congregational Church in honor of Dedication Sunday;
by Janice M. Schaeffer in loving memory of Charles W.
Schaeffer.
There are some dates still available for flowers if you
wish to place an order or if you wish to have a second
arrangement for a particular Sunday. Please see the
Flower Chart in the Narthex.
To announce your special happenings, i.e., birth,
engagement, wedding, graduation, or if you see
that we don’t have you acknowledged in the
Birthday and/or Anniversary announcements,
please call the church office or send an email.
Thank you!
Baptized by Water & the Holy Spirit
July 22nd ~ Elliott Nicholas
Skowronek, son of Jessica and Elliott
Skowronek. Godparent is Mark Viscuso.
July 29th ~ Isabella Caroline Marie Pellegriti,
daughter of Rachel and Christopher Pellegriti.
Godparents are Krissy Pellegriti and Christopher
Skowronek.
August 12th ~ Alexander Robert Greenberg, son
of Lara Ann and Joczan Greenberg. Godparents are
Kyle Sandberg and Alyssa Skewes.
We wish Elliot, Isabella and Alexander and their
families all God’s blessings!
We give God thanks for the life of
Margaret Russell
Our sympathy is expressed to all the families and friends of Margaret.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
(Matthew 5:4)
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Christian Education News (Sunday School, Youth Groups, Confirmation, Adult Education)
SUNDAY SCHOOL
September Sundays
2ND 9:30 All Church Worship
9TH 10:30 > Return to two worship services
All Church Worship
16TH 10:30 Homecoming Sunday
Sunday School – Class #1
First day of Sunday School!
Children will begin in Worship
Ice Cream Social
23RD 10:30 Sunday School ~ Class #2
Children will begin in class
30TH 10:30 Sunday School ~ Class #3
Children will begin in worship
Sunday School Begins at 10:30 AM
with Classroom Dismissal/Pick-Up
at 11:45 AM
SAVE THE DATE!!!
September 16th is the
first day of Sunday School AND BCE’s Ice Cream Social.
Children will begin in worship
then dismissed to the Social
Room. Come meet your teacher &
have an ice cream sundae on us! See you there!
YOUTH NEWS
Confirmation &
T.E.L.O.S. Teens Experience Living Out the Story
A mission-based program for students in
Senior High School
September Sunday (unless otherwise noted)
9/09 6-8p TELOS Leaders Mtg.
9/16 6-8p TELOS Leaders Mtg.
9/23 TELOS Orientation for
Students & Parents
9/30 TBD
Please check the weekly bulletin
announcements and emails for updates and
changes. www.eccucc.org
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GATEKEEPERS – SEPTEMBER 2018
Sunday
Worship
Service
SEPTEMBER 2ND
Communion
Fifteenth Sunday
After Pentecost
LAST 9:30 AM
SEPTEMBER 9TH
Sixteenth Sunday
after Pentecost
Return 8:45 & 10:30
SEPTEMBER 16TH
Homecoming
Sunday
Sunday School
Resumes
SEPTEMBER 23RD
Eighteenth Sunday
after Pentecost
SEPTEMBER 30TH
Nineteenth Sunday
after Pentecost
Greeters: Robin Miller Joanne Raulukaitis Laurie Hazleton Barbara Peck Elaine and Gary
Duckett
Welcomers:
Lay Reader:
8:45
9:30
George Nickerson
Claudia Steele Lee Carman
10:30 Lyn Allen Wade Overgaard Anna Carroll Chas Gross
Deacons on
Duty: 8:45
9:30
Laurie Hazleton
Peter McKiernan
Beth Cocuzzo
Marcia Hesse
Beth Tautkus Brian Cocuzzo Sharon Gluhosky Richard Parker
10:30 Andrew Koehnke Dave Redekas Dawn Stone Basil Stone
Ushers: 8:45
9:30
Charlie Cella
Amy Zander
Dave Danforth
Cassie Soucy
Peggy Falcetta
Dottie Marshall
Dottie Marshall
Dave Danforth
Peggy Falcetta
Duane Van
Deventer
10:30 Charlie Cella
Bryan Forst
Jeremy and Robin
Galeota
Jeremy and Robin
Galeota
Charlie Cella
Bryan Forst
Food Bank
Deliveries:
Cornerstone Food
Cupboard
Dylan Ciesco
HVCC Food Pantry
Cheryl Dinse
Crystal Lake
Community Food
Pantry
Laurie Hazleton
Ellington
Food Bank
Debby & Rob
Wallace
Board of Missions
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From the Historian
What makes a person a good candidate to be a church clerk? We’ve had
many such clerks who diligently recorded the activities of Ellington
Congregational Church over the past 285 years. These notes clarified what
past congregants found essential in their worship, and what unique issues
challenged each generation. It is fascinating to look at our old clerk
notebooks, with long pages of curly Palmer script handwriting (in ink!)
carefully recorded in beautiful leather ledgers. In those ledgers, the pages
were bound like a book, so a clerk couldn’t tear up mistakes and start over.
For our first 200 years of church notetaking, it would have been essential that our church clerk have wonderful
penmanship with which to record carefully, allowing little room for messy errors.
A clerk with blue-ribbon quality handwriting was Nellie McKnight’s uncle, John Thompson
(JT) McKnight (1860-1932). A farmer by trade, JT and his brothers Everett and HH (Nellie’s
father) were among the most active ECC congregants at the turn of the 20th century. JT was
Sunday school superintendent for 25 years, church treasurer from 1901 to 1915, and
Prudential clerk from 1897 to 1915. JT McKnight, along with Charles Thompson, Francis
Pinney, and Claude Pease, drew up by-laws to create the Ellington cemetery committee. JT
was the first in Tolland County to grow alfalfa, and yet his real gift may not have been with a
pitchfork but rather, an ink pen. JT’s ability to write beautifully about an event was rivaled
only by his beautiful handwriting, as proven by his eyewitness accounts of the great church
fire of 1914, written into our permanent church history (in a leather
binder in our vault).
I thought about these impressive leather notebooks in our ECC vault when I read
an article in the March 6, 2017 Hartford Courant, suggesting that good
penmanship might be returning to the classrooms. The article noted that New
York City third graders were learning cursive: an old time skill come round
again! As a longtime sub at Windermere, I knew that Ellington schools hadn’t
completely abandoned practicing that traditional skill. I spoke to Miss Nancy
Pagani, who spent 18 years as an Ellington 3rd grade teacher. She explained that
many older teachers felt that the subject of penmanship went beyond the obvious, being able to read what one
wrote. Miss Pagani explained that practicing handwriting helped children with word recognition and spelling.
Kids were excited to learn how to write in cursive, and especially with the subtle art of joining letters together.
From the 1950’s onwards, Prudential minutes were placed in black notebooks,
not the sumptuous leather binders of the past. In the 50’s, those black notebooks
contained pages that fit the era in which they were created: onion skin pages,
typed on a machine. Our first “modern” clerk was Miss Alice Hyde, and her
typewriting must have seemed a marvelous improvement over the handwritten
entries by her predecessors, who had to hand copy each of the committees’
annual report submissions as well as regular meeting notes! Fast forward to
2018…. Today’s Prudential notebooks hold perfectly printed copies, mass
distributed on the internet and easily reprinted for use at each meeting. No handwriting required!! (Although
I’ve spied our current clerk Betsy Cottle taking notes with her left hand curled around her pen. I wonder if she
has good handwriting? Does that matter? Her typing is superb!)
17
I wonder what JT McKnight would think of the internet. What would he say if he saw
the perfectly printed documents we submit to Leigh as our end of the year committee
reports? Surely he’d be impressed we’ve come so far, as proven by our technological
innovations! Perhaps instead, if he saw how badly many of us sign our own names, he’d
suggest (as we begin this new school year) that we encourage children to practice their
best penmanship, and ask the board of education to keep handwriting in the curriculum!
Co-historian
ELLINGTON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
THE FARMHOUSE FAIR
CRAFTS and FOOD
Calling all donors of Layered soup mix ingredients: Please bring in the items you signed up to donate before Sept. 9th – and leave the items in
the RED Farmhouse Fair donation box next to the coat rack in the social room.
We’ll be assembling the jar-mixes for Grandma’s Shoppe at our September workshop.
Contact Lee Carman with questions at 644-7561.
Thank you for your support!
Join Us at the FARMHOUSE FAIR WORKSHOP!! SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 9:30am – 11:30am
Suggestions or questions please call Vivian at 860-508-0763 or Marcia at 860-214-5315
Farmhouse Fair – Cookies in a Can! ECC has some “Cookie Bees” looking for your help! We need to bake ~195 dozen cookies for the Farmhouse Fair weekend. We have 130 empty cans looking to be filled with deliciousness and sold! Here is how you can help:
Do you like to bake with others? o We will be scheduling some bake days in the ECC kitchen. We will provide the recipe and ingredients.
Do you like to bake on your own and donate some delicious cookies? o We will have a signup sheet for donations!
Would you like to donate ingredients so the Cookie Bees and friends can make cookies? o Be on the lookout for the donation board in September.
Please look for future announcements in Church, in the bulletin and in the Caller for more details. Any questions please see a Cookie Bee! Leslie Ledoux, Karen Johnson, Colette Aldrich, Lisa Crocker, Deanna Piotrowski, Cathy Leonard
18
The Board of Christian Education would like your feedback!
We are interested in bringing some family fun to the church. Could you let us know which of the following
activities you think you and your family would like see happen here in the future? We would like everyone to
participate, no matter if you have children in Sunday School.
Check all that apply.
✓
Activity Are you Interested in helping bring this to life? Contact info, please.
Bus trip to Boston or New York (circle which city you prefer)
Movie Night- PJ’s and Popcorn
Kids’ Night Out with pizza and crafts
Square Dance & Harvest Festival
Picnic on the Town Green
Game Night with Dessert Bar
Vacation Bible School- Summer
Pot Luck dinners with Entertainers (ie: Storyteller,
Mime, Juggler, Magician)
Bingo Night with raffle baskets
Holiday craft/activity at the start of Advent
Earth Day Program - ie: The Lorax movie and activities
Winterfest Program- such as decorating Gingerbread
people
Talent Show
Other:
Also, if you could suggest a time that would best fit your family’s schedule, please mark it below.
____Saturday afternoon
____Saturday evening
____Sunday afternoon
____ Friday evening
____ Other_______________________________________________________
______Sounds like fun, but our family schedule is too busy at this time.
Optional: Family Name _______________________
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Talents Project 2018 Join the fun! To enroll, please complete the form below and place it in the offering plate or in the Stewardship mailbox outside the church business office.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Name: _________________________________________Phone Number: ____________________________ e-mail: __________________________________________________ Brief Description of Project Idea (If you have one):
“Well done, good and faithful Servant…”.
TALENTS PROJECT WRAP-UP Sunday, October 21st
Thank you to all that are participating!
DIRECTORY OF PROJECTS Sharon McLaughlin – Talent Show June 2018 – Thank you Sharon for a wonderful evening!
Joan & Gene McCarthy - Craft sale – look for their Marketplace.
Joy Davis Flickenschild – Community Summer Dance – Thank you Joy for a fun dance!
Ellen Panagrosso (860-870-1118) - Arbonne International Products
Laurie Hazelton (860-878-9223) – Pie Making Lesson (Date TBD)
Laurie Hazelton (860-878-9223) – Greeting Cards
Allison McKeegan (860-874-5076) – Reading and Writing Tutor (up to 5 students – book now for the summer)
Richard Steele (860-649-4732) – Metal recycling (nearly any type)
Claudia Steele (860-649-4732) – Sticky buns (with/without raisins and nuts)
Dawn Stone (860-875-8003) – Gluten Free Baking from a dual flour kitchen - Available by pre-order ONLY.
Bread: $11.00 Cupcakes
Molasses (as used for communion)
Chocolate Regular size $1.50 each or 2/$2.75
Herbed Carrot Jumbo Size $2.50 each or 2/$4.50
Traditional White Cinnamon Pecan Sticky Buns 4/$6.00
Claudia Steele (860-649-4732) – Blessing jar
Penny Gates (860-749-5293) – Quilted Baby Blanket ~Silent Auction~
Jack Hagopian (860-872-2890) – Valet Service
Todd & Melissa Rolland (860-995-6104) – Help buying, selling or cleaning (no, they won’t come clean)
Cassie Soucy (860-819-1393) – Simple sewing repairs (prefer no chiffon or jacket zippers). Pricelist
Hemming: Repairs:
Jeans $10.00 Priced per job Slacks $10.00
Dresses/Skirts $15.00
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Homeowners, volunteers benefit from mission effort (Updated 7/3/18)
- By Marge Neal – East County Times
Many school students count down to the last day of school, looking forward to the carefree days of summer
vacation, with trips to the beach, mountain camping or just chilling at the neighborhood pool on the agenda.
But for the youth group TELOS of the Ellington Congregational Church in the Connecticut town of the same
name, the heralded countdown to the first week after school ends refers to a week of community service,
complete with the sweat, toil and occasional blood that comes from doing repair work on the homes of people
they do not know.
Thirty young church members - 23 high school students and seven youth leaders - spent the week of June 25 in
Dundalk, partnering with Rebuilding Together Baltimore to provide some much needed repairs to eight homes
in the community.
While the mission trip itself lasts just seven days, the project is a labor of love that plays out over most of a
year, according to the volunteers.
It costs the group about $15,000 each year to take the trip, according to group leader Eric Romeo. The group
pays for its travel, lodging, food and any other incidental expenses.
And while the volunteers do not directly buy building and renovation materials for the project, they do
contribute to projects, according to RTB Executive Director Bonnie Bessor.
“They made a very generous donation to Rebuilding Together Baltimore out of the money they raised,” Bessor
said.
Over the course of the week, the church volunteers installed cabinets and countertops, new flooring, insulation
and fire safety equipment; performed ceiling, wall and door repairs; painted home exteriors and fixed minor
plumbing and electrical problems, according to Bessor.
Several youth leaders spoke with the East County Times during a lunch break June 28. Seated at red, white and
blue picnic tables at Dundalk’s American Legion Post 38 - the work of a recent Rebuilding Together blitz - they
talked about looking forward to being old enough to join the mission trips and the benefits they get from
helping others.
“Many of the homeowners we’ve helped this week are veterans and they have interesting stories,” Jaimee
DelPiano, 16, said. “They’re so grateful that we’re doing this hard work for them and they’re very
appreciative.”
Even the daily crew assignments are made so that youth group members get to interact with as many different
people as possible.
“We switch up each day so kids can work with different kids and hang out with kids they don’t know as well,”
youth leader Leah Cawthorn said.
21
The Ellington congregation is a “relatively small congregation where we know everyone,” Ryan McKiernan,
18, said. “But still, we are encouraged to greet church members and encourage them to support our project, and
this trip allows us to get to know each other better.”
In story after story about the week’s work and unexpected challenges, the leaders bragged about how their
teams worked together, problem-solved, brainstormed and came up with creative approaches to get each task
done.
“In one of the houses we worked on, we were replacing some flooring and the kids kept cutting one last piece of
wood wrong,” Cawthorn said. “They were getting frustrated but they thought about it, and worked through it -
they worked as a team to figure it out.”
Courtney Binkowski told of a house where several people were living in the attic space, which was filled with
several beds, lots of toys and other personal effects, with little room to maneuver.
“We were painting and we tore up the carpet, and it was great to see everyone work together - three people
would lift up a bed while another would yank back the carpet,” she said. “It was great to see them work together
and figure it out.”
The attic project turned out to take more than one day, and the crew “begged” to return the second day because
the volunteers wanted to finish what they started, according to Binkowski.
If there was a down side to the trip, it was that there was not enough to do, according to McKiernan.
“There sometimes wasn’t enough for us to do, because we have a strong work ethic and marched through the
projects,” he said. “We work hard the entire day and we could have done more than was on the list. We’re only
here for a week and we just want to make the biggest impact we can make.”
The leaders said they are grateful to finally experience the mission trip that many heard older siblings talk
about.
“I had older sisters who always talked about this trip and how amazing it was, what a life-changing experience
it was,” DelPiano said. “And I thought she was exaggerating; how could something like that possibly be life-
changing? And then I went on my first trip and she was more than right - it is life-changing.”
While the church youth members consider the trip a privilege and a life-changing experience, Bessor sees the
altruistic event as just as life-changing for the beneficiaries of the volunteers’ hard work.
“These repairs help keep older residents in their homes as they age, and helps us meet our goal of having people
live in safe and healthy homes,” Bessor said. “And it’s very meaningful to us to have these kids who don’t
know us or Baltimore give of themselves in this manner - to provide community service while also getting a
learning experience.”
“And to have 30 energetic, strong, young people spending a week with us helps us leverage our dollars by using
volunteer help,” she said. “We get more out of our dollars and are able to provide more services.”
(ECC was granted permission to share this article.)
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THE CHURCH CALLER Ellington Congregational Church United Church of Christ P.O. Box 216 Ellington, CT 06029-0216
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
VERNON, CT
PERMIT NO 201
(TIME VALUE SEPTEMBER 1, 2018)
New home? Phone? E-mail? Please call or e-mail the Church Office so we can keep our
records up to date. Thank you. Phone: 860-871-6606 / [email protected]
HIGHLIGHTS From the Moderator p. 1-2 From the Designated Pastor p. 2 Red Cross Blood Drive Thank You & Date p. 3 Home Heating Oil Program p. 4 Music Programs p. 5
Stewardship p. 8 Missions p. 9 – 10 Women’s Fellowship p. 11 The Church Family News p. 12 – 13 Christian Education News p. 14 Gatekeepers p. 15 From the Historian p. 16 – 17
The Farmhouse Fair p. 17 CHURCH STAFF BCE Survey for All p. 18 The Rev. Dr. Jay M. Terbush, Designated Pastor Talents Project p. 19 Amie Giguere, Associate Pastor TELOS Article p. 20 – 21 Esther Pezzella, Director of Music
MISSION STATEMENT
We are a welcoming family of Christians dedicated to living and sharing Christ’s teachings through a faith continually renewed by God’s grace. We come together in worship, study, and mission, bringing a diversity of talents and offering opportunities for each member to express a personal faith through shared responsibility and service. We commit to provide a Christ-centered atmosphere for both individual and communal growth in which all can realize their full spiritual potential.
Adopted 9/11/94
Lisa Crocker, Associate in Christian Education Leigh Lezotte, Church Secretary
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
8:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. Monday – Friday
SUNDAY WORSHIP IS AT 8:45 A.M. & 10:30 A.M.
Communion is served the first Sunday of the month
HOW TO CONTACT THE CHURCH PHONE: 860-871-6606
EMAIL: [email protected] FAX: 860-871-5932
Web Page: http://www.eccucc.org
