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The Pilgrimage Herald November 2012
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Volume LXXXII, No. 11 Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:00pm November 2012
The Pilgrimage
HeraldThe Church of the Pilgrimage
Congregational – United Church of Christ8 Town Square, Plymouth
Massachusetts 02360
The Reverend Dr. Helen NabloPastor
[email protected]@8townsquare.org
www.8townsquare.org
Rev. Gary L. Marks, Pastor Emeritus
Church OfficePhone: 508-746-3026FAX: 508-746-4362
The Church of the Pilgrimage, UCC is an Open and Af:irming ChurchWorld Mission Emphasis-Heifer Project International
Moderator – Bob Taylor Clerk – Lois Post
Music Director-Kelley DePasqua Organist – Michael Eaton
Treasurer - Verna Ross-HoytOfIice Manager-Shellie Souza
Stewardship NewsAnyone who doubts the existence of God missed a golden opportunity to see him in action on a clear and sunny autumn day at The Church of the Pilgrimage. The Chest of Joash Service and Pastor Helen’s Installation Service provided a fitting end to our latest Stewardship Campaign. The commitment, energy and fellowship, so beautifully displayed at both services, provided a vision of untold possibilities for our beloved Church. Our “New Beginnings” theme seemed to echo the promise of a bright future. The new faces at the morning service provided a glimpse of renewed energy. The overflowing pews at the Installation Service were a testament to the qualities of our new Pastor. The afternoon sun shining on her as she gave the final blessing left no doubt in my mind. The smiles and laughter in Allerton Hall reminded us all of how far we’ve come in the past two years. With the prayerful and reverent foundation provided by Gary, the insight and organization of Doug, the enthusiastic energy of Helen and a renewed spiritual understanding of Stewardship, we are ready to explore the many opportunities open to us. Hopefully, by the time you read this message, most of our pledge cards will have been returned and we will be on track to reach the pledge goal needed to complete a fully funded 2013 operating budget. Pledge cards are available year round and can be dropped in the collection plate or mailed to the Church office at any time. If you have any questions or concerns about Stewardship, pledging or other forms of giving, please be sure to call the Church office or speak to Pastor Helen or a member of the Stewardship Committee. We are truly at a “New Beginning” and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing the physical and spiritual growth of our historic Church of the Pilgrimage.Nancy E ReedStewardship Chair
The RevSays:
Thank you, dear congregation, for a most wonderful installation celebration!There were so many things you helped take care of, so beautifully and so well. Thank you to the ushers and greeters, the nursery care workers, the reception planners, the bakers, the table setters and ;lower arrangers. Thank you to all the worship participants – speakers, singers, and musicians. Thank you to everyone who attended and joined in the celebration.In the end it was all so powerful. Wasn’t Mike’s sermon a hoot -‐-‐ and so encouraging? Wasn’t the music transporting? It is a wonderful thing when people do their parts so well. The Holy Spirit was truly with us.When we got to the end, I was so excited I mixed up the order of the oldest, most ancient benediction. No problem, though -‐-‐ because the choir, circled round, then sang pretty much the same words. It reminded me of when Mike and I got married. The two ministers mixed up the words of their own wedding vows! I guess God understands. These moments are pretty overwhelming. I am ;illed with gratitude -‐-‐and wonder and excitement for where God will lead us.May the days ahead be a Blessing – even, we might say, a Pilgrimage.
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The fourth and fifth graders were busy as bees this month. Following along with the Stewardship campaign we talked about ways that we could be stewards of the church. One way we did that was making items to sell at our Harvest Fair-luminaries, bird seed wreaths, Christmas cards. Be sure to look for these at the kids table! Additionally, we were excited to make gluten free brownies and cards for Pastor Helen for her installation. This month our class will be making pumpkin pies and corn bread to be shared at the Monday Meal before Thanksgiving. So parents keep your eyes open for a note about what you can contribute.LOOKING FORWARD...Two notes for November:1. Thanksgiving Food Drive: Bags to fill will be
available the first Sunday of November, to be returned Thanksgiving Sunday, November 18 for our Ingathering.
2. Parents Meeting Nov. 11 after worship: The Board of Christian Education and Pastor Helen invite all parents to be a part of a conversation about children in worship, communion and other matters related to Sunday School. If you are unable to attend but want to put in your two cents, you can submit some ideas or concerns in writing to Pastor Helen, Susan Coombs or Deb Cheney.
Church School News
Thanksgiving Open House
As usual, we will be opening the Church for our visitors on Thanksgiving Day. If you can help with goodies for that day we would appreciate it. They can be dropped off Thanksgiving morning as we will be there as early as 8:30am. If you need them picked up, please call Diana Budge at 508-746-4514. If you’re available on Thanksgiving morning for an hour or two to help serve or clean up, we can use the help. This is a good opportunity to showcase our beloved church and we look forward to it.Liisa Budge-JohnsonDiana Budge
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At this writing we are 5 days away from the biggest fundraiser of the year for The Church of the Pilgrimage - our annual Harvest Fair. As we often like to say, many hands make light work - and we are so thankful for YOUR hands: those who have donated items, donated time this week to help set up, donated time on Saturday to work at the fair and donated time on Sunday to help clean up. We are looking forward to another fabulous Harvest Fair weekend. If you haven't already, become a fan of the Harvest Fair on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HarvestFairChurchofthePilgrimage). We have lots of fair info posted, and will post some exciting pictures from this weekend. We will announce the total raised in the December Herald. Thank you again!
Here are some highlights from the October 9 Council Meeting:Al Hoyt was unanimously endorsed as a "Member in Discernment for Ministry." This allows him to pursue his goal of ordination. I'm sure he can count on all our support as he moves through this process.Dave Coutts will be leading a "God and Country" merit badge program for any scout that is interested. The Council endorsed this.The Council felt that the preferred way to produce a new directory was by self-publishing. Doug Post has secured an estimate of the printing costs. If most people can contribute $10 for their new directory, we will be able to defray most of this cost with little impact to the budget.The damaged Wayside Pulpit (the announcement board outside the front of the church) will soon be fixed by the scouts.There are two small amendments to the church bylaws that will be voted on at the budget meeting in December. The current bylaws do not require the Chair(s) of the Board of Trustees to be an Active Member. Also, a Collector is currently not required to be an Active Member or Associate Member. The Council deemed both of these amendments to be in the church's best interest.We expect soon to ask for volunteers to meet on a Saturday morning to make suggestions on how we can improve our church web site. If you are interested in participating, please let Shellie know. If you are skilled in web site authoring, we especially hope you'll volunteer.We will be working on a plan to have a portrait of Rev. Helen at the church.You'll see activity reports from the Boards and Committees elsewhere in this Herald. Overall, it's clear that there's lots going on and that people are excited about our new beginnings.
Bob Taylor
From the Moderator
NotesMany thanks to Diana Budge, Chip Stevens, Bob & Carol Taylor, Geoff & Elizabeth Campbell and Neil Bottomley for painting Shellie’s office. There is a fresh new look in both offices now, and it is so nice!Judy and Norm Fortini are grandparents again. Gabriella Victoria Fortini, daughter of Rob and Nelcimar Fortini was born on September 28, 2012. Welcome to the world Gabriella!We extend our sympathies to Dave Moreland on the passing of his brother, Wally, who lived in Syracuse, New York and to Paul Sinn on the passing of his sister, Viola Mae Deckard, who lived in Hendersonville, NC.
Harvest Fair
Church RecordRev. Dr. Helen Nablo performed a memorial service for James Clapp on October 3, 2012 in our sanctuary.Rev. Dr. Helen Nablo performed a wedding ceremony for Katheryn (Kaytee) Runnels and Ryan McLean on Friday, October 12, 2012 in our sanctuary.Richard Blanchard passed away on September 23, 2012 after a short illness. Richard was a member of Kingston Baptist Church as well as The Church of the Pilgrimage. He was remembered in a memorial service on Sunday, October 7, 2012 at the Kingston church.
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In October the board remained focused on building maintenance. At the top of the list was the leaking roof that raised concerns among all of us as the drips fell during one of our services. We have contracted with Burgess & Company - Steeplejacks to do the needed repairs. Numerous cracked and missing slates were found on the roof and these will be replaced with matching slates. The challenge is to pay for this project while still funding the replacement of three windows in the front of the church which we had planned for this fall. On the brighter side, Larry Foster presented a picture of the parsonage that had been restored by the current owners. It shows an interesting snap shot of what the landscape looked like back in 1847 when it was painted. Swing by Shellie’s office for a look. We are looking for a place to hang it. One suggestion is the Marks Conference Room. In November we will be working on the budget in preparation for the congregational meeting on December 9th.
News from the Board of TrusteesJoin us in Allerton Hall on Friday, November 9,2012 at 1:00pm for an interesting program entitled "The Elephant Sanctuary" which will be given by Liisa Budge-Johnson. This is one of Liisa's favorite charities and she has a very interesting program designed to educate us about the fate of circus elephants after they have come to the end of their performing days. All are welcome for the program and the usual wonderful tea following. If you are new to the church and are not yet a member, please join us and take advantage of the opportunity to meet your fellow congregants in an informal setting. We would like to get to know you.If you have not paid your annual dues ($5), we will collect it at this meeting. There will be an opportunity to sign up for the Island Terrace Christmas Tree and tea trip which is scheduled for December 4, 2012. Car pooling will be arranged. Sign ups will also be collected for the annual fall Bake Sale which helps to fund our activities. Please consider baking for us. Pies are especially popular but we are happy to receive anything made by our wonderful bakers.Robinson Kitchen NewsThe piggy collected $177 for the month of September. We have had $130 contributed for the matching challenge so far and $800 from the golf tournaments which has been donated as well. Our total to date is $8264.94.I believe that we will be halfway to our goal by the end of the year . Considering the fact that we began with a little over $1000 one year ago, I feel that we have every reason to celebrate our success. The Guild would like to thank all who have made contributions both large and small. We are so grateful for the enthusiasm with which this project has been met. Keep up the good work. It just goes to prove, nothing happens if you don't begin even when the goals seem beyond reach. Hooray for us. A little bird told me to expect a sizable donation in the near future.Diana Budge, President
Guild News
Pilgrim Association NewsSoutheast Fall Fellowship 2012
Pilgrim Church, Duxbury / 2:00pm-4:00pmWho is your neighbor? Discovering and Discerning God’s Ministry for you in your community. We now live in a time when we can assume that over 3/4 of our neighbors belong to no church or any religious faith or organization. They still believe in God, many pray regularly, but they have little or no interest in religious institutions. Don’t miss this presentation focusing on new approaches and experiences of other pastors who are reaching out to their neighbors in this new age.
Ecclesiastical Council for Philomena HareWednesday, December 5, 2012 -7:30pm
UCC Norwell, 460 Main Street, Norwell, MAThe evening will begin at 7:30pm with an Ecclesiastical Council to meet and review, the credentials of, and hear the reflections of Philomena Hare and examine her fitness to be ordained to Christian Ministry. Reception to follow.
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FlowersNov 4 In memory of Linda Prentice Cadorette.
Given by her family.
Nov 11 In loving memory of Danielle McNeely. Given by Mom, Darryl, Holly and Kevin.
Nov 18 Thanksgiving Harvest Table
Nov 25Please contact Ruth Fry (508-746-5377) if you would like to honor or memorialize someone on this date with beautiful flowers in the sanctuary.
Nominating Committee NotesThe Nominating Committee met on October 10. Vacancies on various committees are being filled. At this time we would like to thank all who have agreed to serve on a committee. Alice Hyslop will speak at the New Members Gathering on Sunday, November 4. She will speak about the positive outcomes that can result from serving on a committee. It is one way to become acquainted with the church family and activities. We need people to serve on the Membership and Evangelism Committee, the Music Committee, and the Stewardship Committee. The Nominating Committee will meet at 8:30am on Wednesday, November 7th at the office of Steve Triffletti.
All newcomers to the church are invited to attend a short meeting on Sunday, November 4th after worship. We’ll meet from 11:45-12:45 in the Marks Room of the JRC. (This is also the day of our Fall Clean-up so if you are able, bring your jeans and stay to help).This will be a time to meet other newcomers, to receive printed material about The Church of the Pilgrimage, and to ask questions. There are some people ready to join the church now, but others may need more time. No pressure on “official membership,” but do plan to join us!
Recently someone was sharing how when they were little, they were bouncing around one Christmas season, going on and on about how wonderful Christmas is. This person’s parents paused, and said “No, you need to understand Christmas is not always such a happy season – not for everyone. There are people who have lost children, or lost their jobs or their homes. The holidays can be a tough time for lots of people.”This childhood recollection, recently shared by a member of our congregation, helps me explain what a Service of Comfort and Peace is. It is a moment set apart in a season that often demands celebration, a space to acknowledge that loss and other life challenges may have us in a different place. It is a worship service that helps us find the deeper comfort of scripture and the promise that God is with us.It is also a service that we hope can be an extension of care and compassion to the wider Plymouth community.This new service is scheduled on Wednesday night, December 5th at 7 pm in our sanctuary. It will likely be around 35-40 minutes in length. We hope you will attend – and think about inviting neighbors and friends!
Service of Comfort & Peace December 5th
Newcomer’s GatheringAt this point, there are two different time slots for discussion of Kate Braestrups book Beginner’s Grace: Bringing Prayer to Life. The evening time is 7 pm on Thursday, November 29th at Dawn Durmis’s home, 14 Thoreau Rd. The morning time is Monday, December 3rd at 10:30 a.m. at Diana Budge’s home, 15 Oak St.Right now we have a book order in for many of you. The books are backordered and may not be in until November 7th. But rest assured, this is a quick read.In preparation for the meeting, you might think about how your sense of what prayer is has changed over the years. Also, if you have a favorite prayer in print, feel free to bring it along to share.
Book Discussion Dates
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Food DonationsThe Greater Plymouth Food Warehouse recently thanked The Church of the Pilgrimage for donating 91 lbs of food! That means 68 meals became available to hungry people. The Warehouse provides non-perishable food items to over 33 local food assistance programs, food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency food providers, Head Start Programs and the Boys & Girls Clubs. A shopping list of the items most needed is in the box below. Bring your donation to church, put it in the basket on your way up the stairs, and your Missions Committee will take care of the rest! Or drop off donations directly at 14 Apollo 11 Road in the Plymouth Industrial Park: Monday 9-11am and Wednesday 9am-12pm.
Food WarehouseShopping List
canned fruitcerealjuice
peanut butter and jellybaked beans
spaghetti saucecondiments
mac & cheesesoup
canned tuna and chickencanned vegetables
diapersbaby wipestoilet paper
Missions & Outreach Committee Update
Golf Tournament Donation to Monday Meals Missions and Outreach would like to thank the participants, workers, and organizers of this year’s golf tournaments for the $840 donation to our Monday Meals Program. Special thanks go to those who are not on our committee, but generously volunteered their time.SERRV ShoppingThis year the annual SERRV sale will have a different format. We will now be ordering directly form the SERRV catalog and sales will begin on Sunday, November 4th. Copies of the SERRV catalog will be placed in several strategic locations including Allerton Hall, the upper vestibule, and the church office. Please shop early and spend generously because this activity supports our church’s Mission and Outreach Committee and worldwide economic development. To ensure delivery by Christmas, orders will be accepted until Sunday, December 9th.What is SERRV? SERRV is dedicated to eradicating poverty through working with thousands of small-scale artisans in Africa, Asia, Latin America and other developing regions of the world by marketing their handicrafts. Through working with community-based organizations in more than 30 countries, they create economic opportunity so artisans can support their families and themselves. SERRV is a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (formerly IFAT) and a founding member of the Fair Trade Federation.
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The Pilgrimage Calendar◄ October ~ November 2012 ~~ November 2012 ~~ November 2012 ~~ November 2012 ~~ November 2012 ~ December ►
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat1 All Saints DayBoard of Christian Ed Mtg 7pm @Jenny’s house
2 Confirmation Retreat in CraigvilleMemorial Service 3pm in SanctuaryShellie Vacation Day
3 Confirmation Retreat in Craigville
4 Worship with Communion10amChildren’s Communion JRC 10amFall Clean-UpNewcomer’s Gathering 11:45-12:45 Marks RmFood Drive BeginsCherub Choir and Junior Choir will rehearseSE Fall Fellowship 2-5 in Duxbury
5 Monday Meals of Hospitality 11am Allerton Hall
6 Election Day 7 Nominating Committee Mtg 8:30am @ Triffletti’s OfficeSanctuary Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm
8 Shellie Vacation Day
9 Guild Meeting 1:00pmShellie Vacation Day
10 Eagle Scout Ceremony in Sanctuary and Allerton Hall 9-1
11 Worship 10am Children in Worship Parents’ Meeting after Worship Cherub Choir and Junior Choir will rehearse
12 Veteran’s Day Observed Church Office ClosedMonday Meals of Hospitality 11am Allerton Hall
13 Church Council Mtg 7pm Marks Rm
14 Board of Trustees Mtg Marks Rm 7pmSanctuary Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm
15 16 17
18 Thanksgiving Sunday Worship 10amGuild Bake Sale during coffee hourFood Drive bags collectedCherub Choir and Junior Choir RehearseConfirmation Class 11:30-1 Stewart Rm
19 Monday Meals of Hospitality 11am Allerton Hall
20 Deadline for the December issue of the HeraldTransition Team Mtg 7pm Marks Rm
21 Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm
22 Thanksgiving DayChurch Office Closed
23 Church Office Closed
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25 Worship 10am Junior Choir Rehearsal
26 Monday Meals of Hospitality 11am Allerton Hall
27 Board of Deacons 7pm Marks RmMissions & Outreach Mtg 7pm Stewart Rm
28 Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm
29 Book Discussion 7pm Durmis Home
30 Notes:
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!
Please join us as we carol around the Newfield House for the residents! We will sing on Sunday, December 9th from 2-3pm. For those who would like to bring a bag lunch, we will meet downstairs in Allerton Hall following the church’s budget meeting and join in fellowship together before we head over. Or...if you would prefer to meet there, that’s fine too! This is a joyous experience and will brighten not only the faces of the residents but will leave your heart feeling happy! If you have any questions, please call Marna Blomberg (781-826-2543) or Barbara Northrop (781-582-2050). We hope to see you there!
