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September 2016

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH “CENTER CHURCH”

United Church of Christ One Church Street

South Hadley, Massachusetts 01075 (413) 532-2262 email: centerchurch@verizon.net website: centerchurchsouthhadley.org

Welcome to Center Church where we roll up our sleeves to deepen our faith, extend God’s abundant love and justice, and where laughter and tears are sacred.

It was National Dog Day last week and I missed it. I look at my cheerful, loving Malcolm (see photo) and know what it means to be in someone’s corner. Mac’s got my back and if I forget it, he leans on me and rubs his head on my legs as if to say, “I’m here-don’t forget it Lori.”

God may not be so apparent, but God’s presence is so real. “I’m here for you, You, and EVEN YOU!

That’s a relief because I don’t know about you, but I need the Loving One’s presence these days as we respond to climate warming, floods, fires, racism, bullying, and even as some embark on a new school year.

As God’s presence is as close to us as our own breath so is our community of faith at Center Church. Join us as we return to more activities, resume Promise Land (Sunday School), Youth Group, Bible Studies, and outreach activities. Invite a friend!

So National Dog Day has come and gone, but not God’s everlasting love and hope. Joyfully, Lori

The 2016 CROP Walk will be held Sunday October 16th . More info will follow in the October newsletter and the Sunday bulletins. Mark the date on your calendar and plan to walk to support this worthy cause.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Coming in September – a LET’S FIND OUT ABOUT CENTER CHURCH info session….Interested in learning about membership at Center Church? This is the gathering for you. Exact date to be announced-but PLEASE let Lori know if you would be interested in attending. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONFIRMATION: Are you or you son or daughter interested in participating in Confirmation this year? Confirmation re-affirms one’s baptism by learning about the church and then becoming a member. Confirmation is for those in the 7th grade and older and will begin in October. More info to follow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FIRST TABLE FELLOWSHIP CLASS

Sept 21 from 4-5:30 If your son or daughter is in the third grade or is older and wants to learn more about Communion, we will meet on Sept 21 from 4-5:30 in the Chapel. At Center Church we welcome all to receive communion, however in third grade we explain the meaning, the symbols, and discuss what is a sacrament. On October 2 (World Wide Communion) the participants will receive communion, “formally.”

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During August, coffee hour hosts were: The Outreach team, the Trustees, CE, and Gayle Kenneson. Thank you so much for stepping in and volunteering to cover one of the August Sundays when we shared worship with our Granby friends. During September, the Membership Team and Adult Education Team will be the coffee hour hosts. The Membership Team is responsible for church membership, including existing membership and the development and assimilation of new members. Members of the team are: Bobbie Ayers, Carolyn Baston, Ruth

Thornton, and Nancy Towne. The Adult Education team sponsors programs relating to CE for the adult population. The very successful potluck suppers with speakers are developed by this team. Members are: Betsy Bergen, Randy Purinton and Karen Sabbs.

Our Bible Study resumes at Loomis Village beginning September 15 from 10:30-11:30 running for six weeks. We will acquaint ourselves with Men and Women from the New Testament. We will meet in a different apartment each week; the first on Sept 15 will be at Betty Kelsey’s, Apt. 225. Join us for all six studies or come to a few. Invite a friend! All are welcome, whether you live at Loomis or locally. Sept 15: Judas~ 26:14-16 and 47-50 Sept 22: Pilate ~Luke 23:13-24, John 19:1-22 Sept 29 Thomas~ John 20:24-28 Oct 6: Mary and Martha ~Luke 1:26-35, Matthew 2:18-21 Oct 13: Priscilla and Aquila ~Acts 18:1-3, 24-27a Oct 20: Philemon and Onesimus ~Philemon 8-19

The Children's Christian Education Team is delighted to announce that Martha Guild has graciously accepted the position of CE Director. Martha will support the Promised Land with many gifts, including expertise as an educator and Girl Scout leader, sensitivity toward and willingness to explore relevant issues in children's lives, familiarity with and commitment to the UCC faith, and most especially, she brings a parent's love and dedication to the Promised Land through her own children's journey and beyond. We are so very blessed to have Martha join us as we prepare for a new year in the Promised Land.

Sunday School Classes will resume in The Promised Land on September 11th. The new year will also be celebrated with our annual tradition of serving ice cream sundaes during coffee hour. Please join us!

THANK YOU for your continued generous support to Center Church! Thanks to so many who took such a Leap of Faith in 2016 and pledged what they could to help Center Church meet its many ambitious goals and crucial needs.

As of the end of August, the overall pledge status is…

2016 TOTAL PLEDGED ~ $169,516.00

2016 pledge fulfillment to date ~ $ 114,050.00

2016 pledge fulfillment expected to date ~ $ 113,010.00 Current year pledge fulfillment difference to date ~ + $ 1040

With Summer nearly at an end, and many of us having been away, our pledge fulfillment figures have been adversely impacted in recent months. Please do all that you can to become current once again with your pledge, if you are not. And, while these numbers above may still appear okay at this time, many in our community have already paid their total pledge for the year in advance, and our total dollars pledged come year-end will still be far short of what is required to fully balance the budget. Thank you for your help and attention to this critical matter.

We hope you all are enjoying these final days of summer, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon, and to a great fall and Stewardship season ahead!

Peace & Blessings, Your Stewardship Team

Children’s Christian Education

Stewardship Update

While we officially took the month of July off, the church’s work did continue and we got back to business in August. Special thanks to the staff who always keep things humming during that time frame. The July accounting told us that of the 58% of the budget that should be projected at that time, we had 56.29% in income and 62.12% in expenses. One good piece of news is that in early July, we were able to sell the choral risers which have been stored for a number of years in the choir room to our friends at MHC. Another piece of good news is that we received an anonymous undesignated gift from a friend of Center Church which we have put into operating expenses. We also heard that our endowment total for July was very good. If you have not been watching the progress on our income, we encourage you to check out the weekly bulletin which has been including a weekly account about it. The trustees are continuing to pursue creative ways in which we could possibly lower our elevator “costs.”

We are still working on a couple of small-ish projects, including the possible addition of another lavatory on the ground floor next to the current one, and redoing the ceiling in the Fellowship Hall kitchen area, but have nothing new to report on those. We also still have a couple of items noted by the building inspector which must be addressed. Our excellent woodworking contractor, Adam Suska, gave us a quote on the much-needed work on our west rose window which had been totally redone in 1995. He had discovered this as he finished the work on the bell tower windows in the spring. It was agreed that we would go ahead with the exterior work needed now and then have the interior work done later in the fall. It will be funded with part of the generous gift from the Carpenter family. The Trustees are excited about the progress on the application to the Massachusetts Historical Commission to get the church listed on the State’s Historic Register as an historic building. Once that application is approved by the State, then it will be forwarded to the national folks for the final part of the process and a national designation. Shannon Walsh, consultant, has been hard at work producing this document and we will have a copy of what she sends to the State later this month. When all is said and done, it will give us leverage for available grants as well as funds which would be available if the town votes to approve the Community Preservation Act (CPA) in November. We noted that several other churches in the area have already taken advantage of this option for work on their churches. Cindy Morrell for the Trustees **************************************************************************************** At the August Council Meeting, Lori gave us two articles to read ( “Eleven Ways to Improve Your Church’s Brand”, and “How People See Us”)and asked us to be ready to discuss them at the September meeting. A new banner has been purchased and will be affixed to the side of the building. We also received updates on the CE Director search, Columbus Day and Historical Preservation application. The second hand store continues to be discussed with a second meeting planned and a field trip to one or two successful church 2nd hand stores.

Church in Transition: Marriages: July 30th- Ashley Grant and Nicole Lewis Deaths: August 9th- Dorothea Ashworth

News from the Trustees for September 2016

NOTES FROM CHURCH COUNCIL

Members of Center’s outreach team visited the thirty year old Holyoke Care Center this summer and came away impressed by the dedication, professionalism, experience and expertise of its staff as well as its purpose and achievements. The Care center offers a comprehensive program designed to help teen mothers complete high school equivalency requirements and continue to college. Recognized “in 2011 as one of the best teen programs for youth in the country”, it has partnered with Bard College to offer the Clemente Course in the Humanities, which was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama in 2015. The Center serves around 140 students per year, all of whom are low income and most of whom are women of color whose family members have never attended college. The Center provides wrap around support (day care, transportation, counseling) and opportunities for enrichment. Its newly expanded partnership with Bard will now offer an AA degree for these students in Holyoke. Look for more information and ways to be supportive of this exemplary effort in the coming months.

Summer Music 2016 – Thank You Summer 2016 will be completed with our Labor Day service. Regular services will be back in full swing, along with the choir, Cheryl Cobb, and Larry Schipull on September 11. For two Sundays in June and all of August’s Sundays had music provided by a group of “summer singers/musicians” and myself. So it is with much gratitude that I thank the following for their “service:” Suzanne Cordes, John and Kate Hoffman, Betty Innocent, Randy Purinton, Karen Sabbs, and David. A very special thank you again this year as well to Ivy Tillman, former church member, who brought her special musical gifts on August 14 – it is always an honor for me and a joy to welcome her back. For two Sundays it was a treat to hear our resident diva and choir director, Cheryl Cobb, who provided anthems and offertories. Thanks to all of these folks for letting the rest of the choir have some well-deserved time off. But we’ll all be back on September 11! Last summer, Michael Sampson covered one July Sunday for me so that I could go to Ireland with the MHC Glee Club alums. This year it was my turn to play for the Granby church so that he could journey to Iceland. The music program is definitely one of our strengths here at Center Church and is mentioned often in listings of what draws in new members. I can assure you that Cheryl, Larry Schipull and I (and Linda Laderach too), along with the choir, will do all that we can to continue to lead our excellent music program forward, as we all come back for this new 2016-17 church year. I would be remiss if I did not mention how fortunate our congregation is that we have Mount Holyoke right next door and are so lucky to have Larry, Linda and Cheryl who share their considerable musical gifts with us on a continuing basis. Larry and Linda will be on sabbatical from MHC for the fall semester, but you will still see and hear them regularly at Center Church. I will be filling in at the organ in October for four Sundays and you will get to hear another organist for two Sundays in November (while the Morrells are also away) as well. Cindy Morrell, Associate in Music (45 y

Outreach Partners of the Month “Hearts to Hands to Hope”

Summer Music 2016 – Thank You

Now known as the Lancaster Education Building, our education and fellowship hall complete with a commercial-size kitchen was dedicated on April 29, 1956. The Lancaster name was added in 1995 honoring our former minister Reverend James Locke Lancaster 1953-69, who became the driving force behind its creation. Before Rev. Lancaster was installed in 1954, a committee was formed in April 1952 called the Development Committee, whose purpose was to delve into and study “the problems facing the Church because of inadequate physica

facilities, and to present to the Church a plan of actiTheir plans included a “Remodeling Plan” a “new Chu

School Plan” (there were over 250 church school children who needed proper classrooms) and “The New Church Plan”. By 1954, and many meetings, a building fund campaign was instituted and headed by Rev. Lancaster with seven very capable leaders form the congregation (James Long, Charles Kirkpatrick, Herbert Hano, Bissell Alderman, Robert Brainerd, Richard JohnsonDr. Carl Abbey). All were excited in sharing in the “building of a church home”. From those leaders, others joined in through the Building Committee (Donald Benson, Norman Cartmill, Charles Cohoon, Floyd Graham, Walter Mende, Rodger Smith, Carlton Stiles, Jay Uber, James White, and Hiram Chaffee as

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its chair). The enthusiasm engendered was considered a “labor of love” and the various tasks were taken on by the whole congregation. One of the biggest obstacles was getting a clear title to the property. Through the hard work of attorney Clarke Lyon of Holyoke, that problem was solved! After that, the land was surveyed by Arvo Solander (a member of our congregation). Because of his expertise, there was no problem getting the required Town approval called a “quitclaim deed”. The architects were Alderman and MacNeish (Mr. Alderman was a member of our congregation and the father of current member, Jean Hazen) and the general contractor was E.J. Pinney Company. It took two years through a church-wide canvass plan set forth by Rev. Lancaster to raise the necessary funds. A 150-week pledge drive was implemented. Members were encouraged to pledge $1,500 using the 150 week payment plan which meant using 150 weeks to fulfill the pledge. If successful, this would garner $125,000! It was discovered that an enormous spiritual impact was felt by our congregation which contributed to the giving of other talents and resources. A new sense of stewardship emerged which fortified future giving. The chosen bid for the construction came in at $134.900 by the Pinney Company. After all other expenses were added in, the total came to $150,000 which was the estimated amount the Building Fund Committee originally agreed upon. Any shortfall was made up through generous donations by various individuals. Through the past 60 years of use, the Lancaster Building has seen its share of Sunday Schoolers, Youth groups, all church gatherings/potlucks, Columbus Day Fairs, Food for Friends, after-school dances, Boy and Girl Scout meetings, memorial receptions, choir capers/shows, fellowship times, Annual Meetings and so many more events! We all owe a large debt of gratitude to those members who had the foresight and generosity to persevere and build for us such a useful “center of Christian education and Christian fellowship”!

David Morrell, Center Church historian

THE NEW CENTER OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP PARISH HOUSE 1956

Southeastern facing side and rear façade showing 1956 addition.

O Grant Us Light (NCH 469) was written as a poem of six stanzas back in the 1800s by Lawrence Tuttiett. An Englishman, he was originally studying medicine, but changed his mind and switched to Christian ministry. He was ordained in the Anglican Church, served three different parishes, and had two hymn collections. Only four of the stanzas were used in our hymnal. This hymn text was originally published in a booklet called Germs of Thought on the Sunday Services in 1864. The hymn tune “Hesperus” was composed by Henry Baker, another Englishman of the 1800s, who was educated at Trinity College and ordained in the Anglican Church. The tune was first composed for “Sun of My Soul,” but later came together with Tuttiett’s text. It was also used in two other NCH hymns - Jesus, the Joy of Loving Hearts and O God of Love, O God of Peace. Baker is best known, however, as the editor of Hymns Ancient and Modern, which is the hymnal most used by the Church of England and is considered “the most successful English hymnal ever published.” I’ve Got Peace Like a River (NCH 478) is one of the African-American spirituals in our hymnal. The text, which is based on Isaiah’s reference to peace being like a river, speaks of four of the nine “fruits of the spirit” (peace, joy, love, faith) from Galatians 5:22. It is also one of a very few hymns which link water images to aspects of faith. The spirituals often gave slaves the courage to deal with the poverty and captivity in which they lived. The tune is entitled “Peace Like a River.” Let Justice Flow Like Streams (NCH 588) has a text by Jane Parker Huber, who also has nine other hymns in the NCH. Although she was born in China where her parents were missionaries, she grew up at Hanover College, Indiana where her father was the president from 1929-1958. She wrote this hymn and another for “Women Moving Together for Justice,” a 1983 Presbyterian conference which was working to re-unite two Presbyterian denominations divided since the Civil War, and was sponsored by seven women’s groups of the two denominations. Based on words of the prophet Amos, it is a very short hymn text which showed the urgency of the need for justice. This text was written for the follow-up “consultation” to this conference which was started by “racial-ethnic women” who thought that economic justice connected with women and children was an ‘issue” round which these groups could come together. The tune “St. Thomas” is listed as anonymous, but was part of a longer tune called “Holborn,” which first appeared in The Universal Psalmist (1763) published by Aaron Williams. He was an English music engraver, publisher and teacher. Be Known to Us in Breaking Bread (PH 280. NCH 342) was written by James Montgomery and is considered to be “one of the finest Communion hymns.” Born in Ayrshire in the late 1770s, his Moravian minister father thought he should also study for the ministry. James was not very good at it though, but was much better at writing poetry, so he was dismissed from the school. He went to work at a newspaper and after the owner was forced out, he became editor and then owner. He was an advocate of missionary work, active in denouncing the slave trade, and pioneered in humanitarian enterprises. He did also manage to write over 400 hymns including “Angels From the Realms of Glory” and “Go To Dark Gethsemane.” The tune “St. Flavian” is anonymous and was also called “Redhead No. 29” or “Old 132 ND.” It first appeared in 1652 in Day’s Psalter. Cindy Morrell, Associate in Music Resources used: Jane Parker Huber’s A Singing Faith (1987); Robert Guy McCutchan’s Our Hymnody (1937); Kenneth W. Osbeck’s Amazing Grace (1990); Ronald W. Thomson’s Who’s Who of Hymn Writers (1967); and The New Century Hymnal Companion, ed. Kristen Forman

Tell Me the Stories – September 2016

Columbus Day Fair Come one, come all…there’s something for YOU!!! Maybe you can help by baking something for the homemade bake sale…or maybe you would like to work behind the scenes setting up or taking down the tag sale. Whether you want to help with the selling of the items…or whether you want to browse and purchase….please plan to join us the weekend of October 8-10 and again on Saturday, October 15th. Our annual Columbus Day Fair is here again! It’s a major fundraiser; but with the work there are lots of laughs and wonderful fellowship to be shared. Please sign up for one job or be with us throughout the time; but DO join in making this the best Columbus Day Fair ever!

Schedule of Times and Events

Sunday, September 25th - LAST DAY TO BRING IN ITEMS FOR THE TAG SALE Saturday, October 8th- Set-up emporium 8 A.M. until completed- Come for an hour or Come for the day Sunday, October 9th- After morning worship, Tag sale open for members of the Congregation ONLY UNTIL 1PM WHEN WE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL 5PM. Monday, October 10th- ALL DAY 9 A.M. to 3:30 P.M .

CAFÉ (GREAT FOOD)….BOOKS….TAG SALE JEWELRY …. COLLECTIBLES …. TOYS

BAKE SALE Saturday, October 15th- CLEAN UP DAY!! 8am - finished

Please help us with this very important and necessary task. Many hands will make light work.

SEE YOU AT THE FAIR!

Columbus Day Fair

We Need YOUR Help! Much of our success for the Columbus Day Fair is because so many hands help out before the fair, fair day, and after the fair!! PLEASE help……every person’s effort is needed and appreciated!

So…please fill out the form below….or just speak to Bobbie Ayers, Nancy Towne or Jean Hazen or leave your name with the church office and we’ll contact you.

Thank you ahead of time! Please sign up for MORE THAN ONE TIME – We need your support!!

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Name: _______________________________Telephone # ___________________ e-mail address: _________________________________ I will be able to help: (check ALL that apply)

_____ Help put boxes on tables during week before the fair (Tues – Friday @ office hours)

_______ Set up on Saturday, October 8th

_______ Provide baked goods and/or fudge to be sold at the fair

Help with the emporium (tag sale and books) (Check ALL that apply) ______Sun Oct 9th 12:30 – 3pm _______ 2:30 - 5pm ________ Lunch will be provided for volunteers

_____Mon. Oct. 10th AM 8:30 - 10:30 __________ 10:30 am – 12:30_____

PM 12 - 2 _________ 2 – 3:30 __________ _ALL DAY__________.

_____ Help pack things back into boxes during the week after Fair (Monday – Friday office hours) _____ Help with breakdown (clean up) Sat. Oct. 15th

8am - 10 am ____________ (Please consider helping with this VERY important task!!!)

Help with the café:

_________Preparation Mon. Oct 10th A.M. _________Selling Monday noon & afternoon

NOTE: THE HOURS OF THE COLUMBUS DAY FAIR ARE:

Sun. Oct. 9th 11am-1pm for members and those persons in the congregation that day; 1pm-5pm Open to the Public

Mon. Oct. 10th - 9A.M.- 3:30 P.M. Tues – Friday Honor system shopping

Sat. Oct. 15th - Breakdown and cleanup 8am

On the first Sunday of each month, please bring any of the following items to worship:

Canned vegetables Canned fruits Cereals Soups

Dried Pastas Rice Canned beans Tuna Fish

Peanut Butter Jam/Jelly Juices Crackers

Spaghetti sauce Meals in a can

The monthly offering is used for direct appeals to Center Church and for donation to local food pantries.

Our gifts are extended to the hungry and the poor - those who need them most! Food offerings may be left inside the Church Street entrance at other times.

Thank you for your compassionate response!

01 Katy Daniels Torri Daniels 04 Bob Russell 08 Chris Orsini 10 Corinne Chartrand 12 Patricia Correia (Keyes) Doug Smith 13 Nancy Towne 18 Lori Souder 19 Hal Harris 20 Phyllis Lacoste Ruth Thornton 21 Don Donihue

Matt Gage 22 Sallie Waite 23 Wayne Cordes 25 Ruby Carver Jonas Clarke 27 Bennett Anz 29 Lynne Bertram

centerchurchsouthhadley.org Your website for all things Center Church

Social Dance Lessons at Center Church

Thursdays Beginner/Intermediate Group

6:30 - 7:30pm $5/person/lesson

October 20 – December 8, 2016

Learn Swing, Rumba, & More! No Partner Needed

Social Dance Time 7:30 – 8 pm is included

Your Instructor: Jeannette LoPresti JLoPresti@Charter.net

Stop In –

Join In –

Have Fun!

Let us know if you think you will attend or if you have any questions(532-2262).

Those who participated in the Spring had a great time!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our prayers are with the family of Phyllis Webster, who passed away on July 29th. A Memorial service will be held here September 30th at 11am.with Reception to follow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FELLOWSHIP HALL STORE…

Open year round for your shopping convenience

Check out our gently used items for sale

We have an assortment of

Fall treasures

awaiting you NOW.

THE MINISTRY AT CENTER CHURCH

Ministers: All Church Members Senior Minister Rev. Lori J. Souder Minister Emeritus: Rev. Charles P. Blakney Christian Education Program Music Program Children: Martha Guild Organist: Larry Schipull Youth: Claire Houston Choir Director: Cheryl Cobb Adult: Randy Purinton and Associate in Music: Cynthia Morrell Betsy Bergen, Team Chairs Office Administrator: Cynthia H. Jubinville Sexton: Robert Farman

Welcome Baby Joey! Joseph Victor III, was born to Sarah

(Lovelace) and Joey Salvucci Monday July 18th at 9 pm.

Grandparents Susan and Rich are enjoying their new grandson too!

Please see Thia in the Church Office for a Registration packet