P.O. Box 554 / 180 Limerock

Street Rockland, ME

04841

Tel: (207)594-8656

www.rocklandcongregtionachurch.org

Member: NACCC & CCCME

1838-2015

Organist/Choir Director: Alan Wingard

Janitor

Rick Grimes rgrimes1@roadrunner.

com

Office Administrator

Liz Glover rccoffice@ne.twcbc.com

Tel: (207) 594-8656

Sunday Morning

Worship at

10am Communion 1st Sundays

Pastor

Rev. Seth D.

Jones Tel: (207) 594-5317

revsdjones@ne.twcbc.com

Communion Service at

Bartlett Woods

1st Sunday of the

month

Open Sanctuary

Wednesdays

3:30 ~ 8:30

Rockland Congregational

Church

November 2015 Newsletter

RCC Thanksgiving Harvest

Luncheon

This year’s Harvest Luncheon

will take place on Sunday,

November 22nd following the

morning worship service.

We’re continuing the tradition

of asking everyone to bring a

sweet pie or a savory pie of

your choice. The Fellowship

Council will provide the salads

and beverages. Please notify

the church office by Friday,

November 20th to make your

reservation (a call, e-mail, or

snail mail will work). Look for-

ward to a great time of food

and fellowship!

Up Coming Events

HARVEST FAIR Rockland

Congregational Church

180 Limerock Street Rockland

Saturday, November 14, 2015

9am-12pm

BAKED GOODS CANDIES, JAMS & RELISHES

COOKIE WALK GRANDMA’S ATTIC

CHRISTMAS CORNER JEWELRY

SELECT HOUSE PLANTS HOMEMADE TREASURES

MORNING COFFEE & BREADS RAFFLE

Sunday November 8th

Stewardship Luncheon This time of fellowship will give you

an opportunity to fill out your 2016

pledge card.

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November 2015 Newsletter

“Fall Back”

I wash my hands in innocence,

and go around your altar, O LORD,

singing aloud a song of thanksgiving,

and telling all your wondrous deeds.

O LORD, I love the house in which you dwell,

and the place where your glory abides.

…

But as for me, I walk in my integrity;

redeem me, and be gracious to me.

My foot stands on level ground;

in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.(from Psalm 26)

Dear Congregation of God,

Fall is here! Frost in the mornings, falling leaves, rainy days. It is a time of drawing in, of taking stock,

and preparing.

In the church season, especially for us Congregationalists, Thanksgiving takes on special meaning. Our

history claims the holiday and all the mythology that surrounds it. In our church, this coming month is filled

with luncheons and a fair and celebrations. This is very good and I am grateful, as your pastor, that our church

generates such activity and engagement.

As we gather ourselves in for the cooler days ahead and the coming winter, let us reflect on the source

of all that we are doing and all the Lord has provided for us. I believe one of the challenges for churches in

general in this day and age, and ours in particular, is to begin to really consider the reasons why we do things

and what is motivating our actions and decisions as a church. It means looking deeply within. We need to once

again find the source of our faith and actions in faith and learn, as the Psalmist says, to “walk in my integrity.”

I believe this means learning to live from the inside out. Living from the core of our covenant with one

another as a church - through the power of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit - expands outward so that all

our activities reflect our integrity as a gathered people of God. In saying this, I do not mean to suggest that we

are not doing this already. What I am suggesting, though, is that the season gives us the opportunity to reflect

upon that integrity and see where God is still blessing and extending the blessing.

During this season of reflection and gathering and drawing in, may we sing loud songs of thanksgiving

and tell of God’s wondrous deeds among us. For it is from here that we “stand on level ground” and find so

many ways this great congregation can continue to bless the Lord. Find blessings in your lives and in your

church and share them with others. Tell others what you have discovered by living outward from our inward

commitment to the Lord. This will fill our relationships, our homes and our church with thanksgiving to the

Lord!

Peace and grace of Christ to you and your families this Thanksgiving season!

Rev. Seth Jones

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Tai Chi Chuan Class

Tuesday at 7:30am

Rockland Congregational Church

(class in Fessenden Hall-Lower parking lot of church)

Articles of Faith

Thursday mornings at 9am there is a study group

open to all that talks about a given article that is

available in the back of the sanctuary on Sundays or

can be found online at

www.rocklandcongregationalchurch.org.

Come join in, the discussions are very exciting.

Get your tickets before they're all gone!!!

The Ladies Guild will be raffling off

basket filled with Jams, Jellies, Pickles

and Relishes

$1.00 each or $5.00 for 6

See any of the Ladies on the Guild to get yours!!

Good Luck

The Church has some found items: 2 pieces of jewelry, Keys and some other odds and ends.

If you are missing something please give the office a call at: 594-8656

The Perry Family, our missionaries in India, have sent us a wish list of items they would like to have for

Christmas.

Please see the cut out tree in the Sanctuary Gallery.

Pick an item or two and return to the box

marked

PERRY FAMILY No later than

NOVEMBER 30th

Thank you!!

"call to meeting" ROCKLAND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

NOTICE FOR 2016 ANNUAL BUDGET MEETING

December 6, 2015

The annual budget meeting for the Rockland Congregational Church will be held on Sunday Decem-ber 6th, after worship. This is an important meeting where we decide on the budget for our church in 2016. Please plan to attend this important meeting to support and direct our church for the coming year. A hearty “coffee hour” will be provided after worship immediately prior to the meeting. David Pier, Clerk

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Stewardship Report – 10/20/15

On Sunday, November 8, we will gather in

Kimball Hall as a Community of Faith to

dedicate our pledges in support of the

covenant of our church: “...to seek God's

will as taught in the Holy Scriptures, to

walk together in the ways of the Lord, to

proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all

people, and to depend upon the continued

guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us into

all truth.”

Each Sunday during October the congregation

heard from four of our members who offered

their feelings about pledging. It goes

without saying that people who pledge give

it a lot of thought. It is a show of their

fiscal responsibility to the church and also a

bond of commitment among those who

participate. Other members faithfully

contribute each Sunday to our covenant and

often financially support the special needs of

the church. Stewardship of the church takes

many forms, but it is always personal and

always valued.

The Stewardship Team, working within the

Function Council, will provide a delicious

luncheon on Nov. 8th as part of the

dedication service. If you have your pledge,

bring it with you. Regardless, you are invited

to join us for lunch and fellowship.

Judy Waterman

For Stewardship Committee

7 Darla McFarland

8 Richard Kaeyer

9 Katherine Kansa

12 Alice Dole

14 Marty Barksdale

20 Priscilla Barnes

23 Kelly Zeiner

24 Judy Tibbetts & George Marks

24 Lloyd Painter

26 Barbara Bibro & Connie Painter

27 Steve Johnson

29 Bob and Susan Baines

Reminder:

Hannaford, Shaw’s and any gas station gift cards

are a tremendous help for the

PASTORS DISCRETIONARY FUND

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SCRAPBOOKING

November 7th 8:30-5:30 is the next

meeting of the Scrappers

We encourage anyone and everyone to

come. We always have a GREAT time.

Not a Scrapper?

Remember you can do crafts of any sort

and you don't have to stay all day.

Thanksgiving Baskets for 25 Local

Families!

RCC Fellowship Council is in the

process of organizing our annual

church-wide project of preparing Thanksgiving Food

Baskets for 25 local families. Soon, we will have a

display in the back of the sanctuary. Included in the

display will be “paper turkeys.” Each paper turkey

will list the non-perishable items needed for each

food basket. If you would like to help provide

Thanksgiving Dinner for a local family, please take a

“paper turkey” with the listed items. Items should be

brought to the church by Sunday, November 22nd.

The Fellowship Council will purchase 25 turkeys, on

behalf of the congregation, and compile the baskets

with your donations and the turkeys. Fellowship

Council will deliver the baskets to The Salvation

Army, who in turn will deliver to the designated

families.

Come join the fun!! The annual Advent

workshop will be November 29th at 2pm.

Make a wreath, gingerbread house,

ornaments and much more.

180 Limerock Street Lower parking lot

I hope you can join me for a watercolor class!

MAKE WATER YOUR FAMILIAR

Lessons will be geared to help each student learn how to work with

water, brush, color, line and shape, light and shadow to advance

towards their own goals in this extraordinary medium.

When: For 6 Mondays from November 2nd - December 7th.

There are two times to choose from: ~2-5 PM class $228/course or $40/class ala carte

and

~ 6:30 - 9 PM class. $200/course or $35/class ala carte

Where: The Rockland Congregational Church, 180 Limerock St.

to register or make inquiries, reply here or call me at: 322-9147

I hope you can come! I'm excited!

Nancy Glassman

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RCC Christmas Sharing Tree

Our Sharing Tree will be dis-played in the Sanctuary Gallery starting December 1st. Each angel ornament on the tree will have a suggested non-food ne-

cessity to purchase for AIO to help our neighbors. These will be items such as sham-poo, soap, toothpaste, boxes of facial tis-sue, toilet paper, and so on. (You may wish to begin purchasing items as you see them on sale and while it is “on your mind”!) Your donations will be greatly appreciated.

We Thank You!

From The Fellowship Council

Candy Donations Harvest Fair

Looking forward to coming home, and

seeing my church family, at The

Harvest Fair! I am going to work at the candy

table, along with Marlene Groves. Please con-

sider making your favorite candy to donate to

our fair. Also jams, jellies, pickles, relishes and

etc. for our cupboard. All these donations will

be greatly appreciated.

Please bring your items to the church on Friday,

November 13th, 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. If you

have any questions, please call:

Marlene Groves: 594-4293

Sharon Sallinen: 222-2577

A husband and wife go to a coun-

selor after 15 years of marriage.

The counselor asks them

what the problem is and the wife goes into a

tirade listing every problem they have ever

had in the 15 years they've been married. She

goes on and on and on.

Finally, the counselor gets up, walks

around the desk, embraces the wife and kisses

her passionately. The woman shuts up and sits

quietly in a daze.

The counselor turns to the husband and

says, "This is what your wife needs at least

three times a week. Can you do this?"

The husband thinks for a moment and

replies, "Well, I can drop her off here on Mon-

days and Wednesdays, but on Fridays, I fish."

Ladies Guild

The Next Ladies Guild

Meeting will be

November 18th at 1:00.

There will be a bingo with

prizes. Please join the fun in Kimball

Hall the lower level of the church.

The hostesses for the meeting are,

Mary Ellen W., Elane S. and Signe G.

Thank you to the Ladies Guild for all

the fine work for the

2015 Harvest Fair.

All women of the church are invited to join in and

help as the Ladies Guild work in fellowship to

enrich our church life.