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TRANSCRIPT
The Church Bell
Chiming in…
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I want to begin my expressing my heartfelt gratitude for the
wonderful celebration of my Installation on April 17th. It was a joy
to have so many of you there as I was officially installed as your
new Pastor. My heart was so full to have friends, family,
colleagues, and congregation all together for that special day.
Thank you to all of you for the many ways you participated,
attended, planned, rehearsed, sang, played, prayed, or celebrated
-- it was a perfect day.
Alex and I are beginning to feel at home here in Little Compton,
thanks to the warm welcome we have received from all of you. In
these short 8 months, I feel I have gotten to know so many of you-
- and had the privilege of walking with you through both joys and
sorrows. It is an honor to serve this church and it was a joy to
formally mark my new ministry here with you on April 17th. I look
forward to all the ministries we will do together and the
adventures we will have!
In Gratitude,
Rebecca
United
Congregational
Church The Commons
P.O. Box 506
Little Compton, RI 02837
Telephone 401-635-8472
Fax 401-635-8473
Office Hours:
Tues – Fri, 9 AM – 3 PM
Worship Service:
Sundays at 10 AM
Email:
Web Site: UCCLCRI.org
2016
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Chiming In…A message from
Rev. Rebecca
Committee News
Bells Are Ringing (Baptisms,
Weddings, Deaths)
Community Shred Day Photos
Summer Fair News
Letter of Thanks from the LC
Food Bank
Memorial Brick Order Form
What’s Happening?
● May/June Calendar
~IMPORTANT~
If you have a pastoral
emergency, please contact us so
we can be there for you! During
office hours (Tues-Friday, 9am-
3pm), please call the church
office at (401) 635-8472 to reach
Rev. Rebecca. If you have a
pastoral emergency outside of
office hours, please contact
Head Deacon Kate Schmitt at
774-264-1972.
BOARD AND
COMMITTEE NEWS
For more information on any of
the following committees, please
contact the church office at
635-8472 or email Dawn at
Kate Schmitt, Chair
The Deacons would like to
welcome three new members
this spring. Cheryl Tammaro, Bill
Ryan, and Norm Lofsky have
joined the Board of Deacons and
are already contributing in many
ways to the life of the church.
We also welcome back Sally Ann
Ledbetter, who stepped up last
summer to complete Christine
Merriman’s term when she
moved away. Sally Ann is now
serving a full term. You will see
them greeting at the front door,
helping at the elevator, reading
scripture and helping with
communion. We are also
fortunate to have their
thoughtful voices in discussions
at our meetings.
As we move forward with our
new members, we also want to
send a big “Thank you” to the
Deacons whose terms expired:
Tara Bradley, Debbie Kelchner,
Christine Merriman, and BG
Shanklin. We are grateful for all
their contributions to the life of
the Church.
**********
A note from Rev. Rebecca
and the Deacons
Several members of our
congregation brought to our
attention the following letter
sent out by the United Church of
Christ (our denomination) in
support of a statement made by
the Episcopal Church just before
Holy Week. This is an
unprecedented action in which
the two denominations joined
together in supporting a
common statement. The
statement is a response to the
disconcerting rise in hateful
rhetoric in our nation’s public
discourse. It calls all Christians
to remember the guiding
principles of our faith -- love of
neighbor, especially those on the
margins, and the dignity of all
people as God’s children. We
discussed the letters at the
Board of Deacons meeting and
voted to share them with the
congregation for your
consideration. It is for each of us
to decide prayerfully in our own
hearts what it means to live the
life of service and love to which
Christ calls us. We hope these
letters will be food for thought.
Please let Rev. Rebecca or Head
Deacon Kate Schmitt know if you
have interest in further
discussion about these letters;
we would be happy to set up a
time for group conversation if
there is interest.
3/17/2016
UCC Conference cover letter:
Jim Antal, Barbara Libby and
Kent Siladi, the Conference
Ministers from Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and Connecticut,
respectively, sent out the
following message to churches,
clergy and lay leaders across the
three Conferences today:
Grace and peace to you as we
approach Holy Week. Over the
decades, this time has been for
each of us an opportunity to
identify more and more deeply
with the passion of our Lord
Jesus and its claim on our lives
and our opportunities for
witness.
As all of us gather together in
worship on Palm-Passion
Sunday, it’s also a time to find
solidarity in community.
On March 16, we joined the 38
UCC Conference Ministers and
together, we joined our
counterparts in the Episcopal
Church (the House of Bishops) by
unanimously signing on to a
statement they released March
15, 2016. This unprecedented
action -- the leaders of our two
denominations joining together -
- is in response to the
unprecedented political climate
in our country as the presidential
primary season continues.
You can read our statement
below. You can also find it in this
story on UCC.org.
Some of you will be moved to
read it aloud as part of your
announcements on Sunday.
Board of
Deacons
Some of you will make room for
this in your bulletins. Some of
you will forward this email to the
members of your congregations.
However you are moved to share
this word to the church, we are
grateful for you, your ministry,
and the witness we are called to
bear together.
Faithfully,
Jim Antal, Minister and
President, Massachusetts
Conference United Church of
Christ
Barbara Libby, Conference
Minister, Rhode Island
Conference United Church of
Christ
Kent Siladi, Conference Minister,
Connecticut Conference United
Church of Christ
**********
Original Letter from the
Episcopal Bishops:
A Word to the Church
Holy Week 2016
From the House of Bishops of
The Episcopal Church and co-
signed by the Council of
Conference Ministers of the
United Church of Christ
We reject the idolatrous notion
that we can ensure the safety of
some by sacrificing the hopes of
others.
On Good Friday the ruling
political forces of the day
tortured and executed an
innocent man. They sacrificed
the weak and the blameless to
protect their own status and
power. On the third day Jesus
was raised from the dead,
revealing not only their
injustice but also unmasking
the lie that might makes right.
In a country still living under
the shadow of the lynching
tree, we are troubled by the
violent forces being released by
this season's political rhetoric.
Americans are turning against
their neighbors, particularly
those on the margins of
society. They seek to secure
their own safety and security
at the expense of others. There
is legitimate reason to fear
where this rhetoric and the
actions arising from it might
take us.
In this moment, we resemble
God's children wandering in
the wilderness. We, like they,
are struggling to find our way.
They turned from following
God and worshiped a golden
calf constructed from their own
wealth. The current rhetoric is
leading us to construct a
modern false idol out of power
and privilege. We reject the
idolatrous notion that we can
ensure the safety of some by
sacrificing the hopes of others.
No matter where we fall on the
political spectrum, we must
respect the dignity of every
human being and we must
seek the common good above
all else.
We call for prayer for our
country that a spirit of
reconciliation will prevail and
we will not betray our true
selves.
Jane Lorch, Chair
Shirley Hardison, Clerk,
United Congregational Church
Quarterly Meeting
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Following Worship Service
WARRANT
Members of the United
Congregational Church in Little
Compton are hereby warned of
the Quarterly Meeting of said
church to be held on Sunday,
May 1, 2016 in the sanctuary of
the church immediately
following the service. The
purpose of said meeting will be:
�Reports from Board &
Committees
�Quarterly Financial Reports
�Old Business
�New Business
Peter Derbyshire, Chair
In November of 2015 we
contracted to have the insulation
of the sanctuary attic upgraded.
This was a long overdue project
which we hoped to help us save
money on our growing electric
bills.
Board of
Trustees
Buildings &
Grounds
The first step was to remove all
the existing fiberglass insulation
and generally clean up the space.
Then the roof was sprayed with
.8 lb. foam to a thickness of 8
1/2” resulting in R-38. The gable
end and belfry were sprayed to
achieve R-20. All this was
completed by early December.
At the end of January, we
compared our electrical use to
the previous January.
Jan 2015 we used 11,120 KwH.
Total cost of $2,070.72. Billed at
.187 cents per KwH.
Jan 2016 we used 5,520 KwH.
Total cost of $957.88. Billed at
.173 cents per KwH.
There were 1180 heating degree
days in Jan 2015. We used
9.4237 KwH per degree day.
There were 1011 heating degree
days in Jan 2016. We used
5.4599 KwH per degree day.
By doing some not so fancy
math, it appears that we
achieved a whopping 42.5%
savings when adjusted by
heating degree days! If this
savings holds thru the year (and I
do not see why it would not) we
will recover our investment in
less than 6 years. Yahoo!!!
Wi-Fi was installed in the Church
in January. There is one secured
and one open channel. Amongst
other possibilities, it allowed us
to install NEST thermostats to
control temperatures. Dawn has
control of the schedule from her
computer. When an event is
booked, she sets the temp in the
program for start and finish
times. The actual thermostats in
the building are soon to be
“locked”. (At present, I can
override from my cell phone
should the need arise. We are
still figuring out how best to
handle this day to day.)
This is just the beginning of our
effort to reduce our operating
expenses. We will look for other
projects as finances allow. Saving
energy is expensive in older
buildings!
While crawling down from the
steeple, during the insulation
process, it was noticed that
shingles were missing from the
belfry roof. We could see bare
wood. A quick call to the roofer
(Daignault Construction) and we
now have a new belfry roof! A
lot of sheathing had to be
replaced as it appears that it had
been leaking for some time. I
had to go up there to discuss
flashing details, sure glad I do
not spend too much time on
roofs anymore! It’s a long way to
the top of a 40 foot ladder!!!
A plea to all! The Church and
office have been found unlocked
after hours on numerous
occasions. If you are the last one
out, please check that the doors
are securely shut and locked!
Bob Hartnett, Chair
With the increase in people
attending on Sundays to see and
learn more about our lovely
Church we are beginning to see
positive changes in pledges and
giving on a weekly basis. Thank
you everyone for your
generosity, it is a vital part of
having a healthy place of
worship.
B&G took the time last month to
join our meeting to keep both
committees updated and plan
for future building needs and
costs associated with
maintaining our properties.
Throughout the year Finance will
be inviting other committees to
discuss ideas and any possible
changes that make sense.
We are grateful to have such a
dedicated Congregation. Keep up
the good work everyone! It does
make a difference.
Karen Corrigan
May is
Mental Health Month
Below is a small piece of an
article from Psychology Today.
Mental Health & Stigma
There are still attitudes within
most societies that view
symptoms of psychopathology as
threatening and uncomfortable,
and these attitudes frequently
foster stigma and discrimination
towards people with mental
health problems. Such reactions
are common when people are
brave enough to admit they have
a mental health problem, and
they can often lead on to various
forms of exclusion or
discrimination – either within
social circles or within the
workplace. What is mental
health stigma?: Mental health
Finance
Committee
Health &
Wellness
Ministry / Shawl
Ministry
stigma can be divided into two
distinct types: social stigma is
characterized by prejudicial
attitudes and discriminating
behavior directed towards
individuals with mental health
problems as a result of the
psychiatric label they have been
given. In contrast, perceived
stigma or self-stigma is the
internalizing by the mental
health sufferer of their
perceptions of discrimination
(Link, Cullen, Struening & Shrout,
1989), and perceived stigma can
significantly affect feelings of
shame and lead to poorer
treatment outcomes (Perlick,
Rosenheck, Clarkin, Sirey et al.,
2001). — Psychology Today
August 2013
If you or a loved one is suffering
from mental health issues, there
are many resources available to
you. Here are a few:
Newport County Community
Mental Health Center provides
trauma informed evidence-
based services to children,
adolescents, families, and adults
who are experiencing problems
with mental illness, substance
abuse or stress in their lives that
would benefit from counseling
and other behavioral health
services and supports. — 127
Johnny Cake Hill Road
Middletown, RI 02842
www.nccmhc.org
NAMI, National Alliance of
Mental Illness is the nation’s
largest grassroots mental health
organization dedicated to
building better lives for the
millions of Americans affected by
mental illness. www.nami.org
Mental Health Association of
Rhode Island, The mission of the
Mental Health Association of
Rhode Island is to promote
mental health, prevent mental
illness, and to improve the
system of care for mental health
through advocacy, education,
service, and the dissemination of
research. www.mhari.org
The Health & Wellness
Committee is available to assist
you in any of your health &
wellness needs and we would be
happy to point you in the right
direction.
Judith Anderson, Pam Church,
Wendy Merriman, Sue Chase,
Elizabeth Derbyshire, Holly
Billings, B.G. Shanklin, Karen
Corrigan
Bells are ringing…
Baptisms A warm welcome from our church
family to:
Timothy Taber Spooner
Son of Jonathan & Shannah
Spooner. Baptized on April 24,
2016.
Devin Gregory Oliveira
Son of Gregory & Cara Oliveira.
Baptized on April 24, 2016.
Kayla Mae Oliveira
Daughter of Gregory & Cara
Oliveira.
Baptized on April 24, 2016.
Mya Aliza Oliveira
Daughter of Gregory & Cara
Oliveira.
Baptized on April 24, 2016.
Passings – Members & Friends Our sympathies to the families of:
Ann Chase Hendrie
October 24, 2015 (F)
Pamela M. Mitchell
January 12, 2016 (M)
David Allen Harlow
March 5, 2016 (F)
Inger K. Ormston
March 17, 2016 (M)
Elinor S. Hough
March 21, 2016 (M)
Shirley Hardison
COMMUNITY SHRED DAY
THANK YOU to all who
participated!!
Outreach
Committee
SAVE THE DATE!!
Each year our church hosts an
annual Summer Fair, the largest
fundraiser for our church’s
annual budget and a much
anticipated community wide
event. There is a 4.8 mile Road
Race and a race for the kids as
well as activities of all types:
Arts & Crafts Vendors * White
Elephant * Used Book Sale *
Food Court featuring Little
Compton Restaurants and
Caterers * Bake Sale * Lobster
Luncheon * Ice Cream Sundaes *
Children's Game Tent * Dunk
Tank * Rock Climbing Wall * Jazz
Music * Jewelry * Silent Auction
* Dog Show. A Friday night
concert is being planned.
We will begin
accepting books
and White Elephant
items after church on Sunday,
June 5th! We would like to
encourage folks who are able to
please drop off on Tuesdays and
Thursdays between 10am and
noon or Sundays after church. If
you need to make special
arrangements for other drop off
times, please contact the church
office.
Sponsors and
volunteers are
needed for the
children’s games.
Sign-up sheets are located on
the Sunday School bulletin board
in the church vestry. Please
make checks payable to the
church and in the memo indicate
Fair -Children’s Games
Sponsorship. Thanks for your
support!
Summer Fair Silent Auction: It’s
never too early to think of the
Fair! Please consider donating
generously to the Silent Auction.
We are looking for items and/or
experiences that are fabulously
unique and wonderful. If you
are interested in donating
something, please contact the
church office.
Jewelry Table! We
have a wonderful
used jewelry table at
the fair. We
appreciate donations of any
jewelry in good condition that
you no longer wear. Items can
be brought into the church office
during office hours (Tues. – Fri.
9a.m. – 3p.m.). We also accept
buttons!
Questions about the Fair can be
directed to this year’s team of
Captains or to a specific
Committee Chair:
• Rev. Rebecca – Minister
• Russell Bodington –
Facilities, Set-up/Take
Down, Security & Race
Captain
• Debbie Kelchner – In-
house (Church)
Committees & Lobster
Luncheon Captain
• Sue Hutson – Finance,
Publicity/Sponsors, Raffle,
Silent Auction Captain
• Jane Lorch – Vendor &
Friday Night Special Event
Captain
Heather Helger
Director of Children & Youth
S.S. Faithful
May Sunday School
Workshops will
cover the Kingdom
of God (Heaven) Parable of the
Pearl.
Children & Youth Sunday will
take place on May 22nd. Any
child or youth who wishes to
lead a part of this special
worship service or play music,
should contact Heather as soon
as possible. A reminder that
Children’s Sunday will be the last
official day of Sunday School for
the remainder of this academic
year.
As usual 3rd graders will receive a
bible, please let Heather know if
your child is in 3rd grade. Also,
we love to congratulate all
graduates and include their
names in the bulletin on this
Sunday. If you know of an 8th
grade, High School or College
Graduate who is associated with
the church (even if they do not
attend regularly), please let me
know who they are. If a High
School graduate, please include
a name of the college they will
be attending if applicable and if a
College Graduate, from where
and with what degree(s).
Summer Church Fair
Children’s Games
Before Sunday School is out we
are hoping that all parents and
Sunday School Summer Fair
Sat., July 9th!
youth over the age of 13, will
please sign-up on the Sunday
School bulletin board to
volunteer to run a Children’s
Game for one shift (1 ½-2 hrs.
only, leaving plenty of time to
enjoy the day with your family)
for our upcoming Summer Fair
to be held on July 9th this year. If
you cannot physically volunteer
for whatever reason, you are out
of town or have to work, then
we ask that you please consider
a financial donation to sponsor a
game instead. There is a bulletin
board for sign-ups located in the
vestry – you can’t miss it!
Youth Group
The Youth Group will host Coffee
Hour on Mother’s Day, May 8th.
Youth will bake the Saturday
night before May 7th at 6:30 p.m.
in the Sunday School kitchen. A
plan to go bowling on May 22nd
at 5:30 p.m. at Holiday Lanes in
Westport will be our closing
Youth Group event for the
academic year. The MA
Conference is hosting a Youth
Afire Eco-justice opportunity on
Saturday May 14th in
Framingham. It is open to High
School aged youth; please
contact Heather if a youth is
interested in attending. On June
11th, the Youth Group is
scheduled to host a Babysitting
Fundraiser for a local wedding,
youth who want to help out
should mark their calendars.
UCC Summer Camps
If you are looking for a
traditional church camp
experience for your child(ren)
going into grades 3 - 12 check
out the UCC New England
Outdoor Ministry Website for
great opportunities throughout
the region.
http://www.uccnecamps.org/.
If you decide to send your
child/youth please let me know.
It would be awesome if we can
start a new tradition of our
children and youth attending
UCC Summer camps. I have
heard many testimonials of how
great of an influence camp can
have on a child and youth's faith!
For 2016, The Rhode Island site,
Irons Homestead is offering
Church Camp. In place of the
traditional - send your children
off to camp - they invite us to
bring our children to camp.
Think overnight Vacation Bible
School. If your family might be
interested in attending with a
group from our church, please
let Heather know, so we can
gauge interest. We are moving
forward to gather more details
at this time and will share them
as they are ironed out (no pun
intended).
Marjorie Simmons
Church Historian
Junior Choir (date unknown)
Bottom left to right and then
up: Jennifer Romagnolo, Andrea
Domingos, Hilary Jansen, Sarah
Sheldon, Hope Jansen.
Row 2: Hannah Borden, Eric
Wildes, ?, John Faria.
Row 3: Tracy Bishop, Annette
DeSouza.
Row 4: Stacy Faria, Angela
Wildes
Our deadline for the
July/August
Newsletter is
Friday, June 17th.
Blast from the
Past
Letter of Thanks from the Little Compton Food Bank
Memorial Garden Memorial Garden Memorial Garden Memorial Garden Edith Borden, Chair
Our next brick order for our Memorial Garden will be placed around Memorial Day. If you would like to place an order, please fill out the order form below or call the church office at 635-8472.
The United Congregational Church invites its members and friends to be a part of the Memorial Garden located between the Parsonage and the Parish House. Each 4” x 8” brick will cost $100 and can be engraved with 1, 2, or 3 lines. All proceeds raised from this project will go directly to the United Congregational Church Endowment Fund. All donations are 100% tax deductible; IRS Code 501 (c) (3).
In addition, you are encouraged to write a one-page biography of your loved ones, which will be entered in our Memorial Garden Album. Please write clearly (type or print) on the Logo paper, which can be picked up at the church office.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -
There must be one order form for each brick ordered. On each brick, three lines are available with 15 units maximum each line (one letter or punctuation mark per square). Allow one square for a space between words. If only one line is used, the size of the print will be larger. All capital letters will be used. Make checks payable to the United Congregational Church.
Line #1: � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �
Line #2: � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �
Line #3: � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �
Purchaser’s name____________________________________Phone___________________________
Mailing Address_______________________________________________________________________ Street Town State Zip
You may duplicate this form to order more bricks. Please call the church office if you have more questions (401) 635-8472.
UNITED CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
The Commons
P.O. Box 506
Little Compton, RI 02837
Return Service Requested
SAVE THE DATE!
OUR SUMMER FAIR IS SATURDAY, JULY 9TH!!
UNITED CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH STAFF Tele: 401-635-8472 Fax: 401-635-8473
Website: www.ucclcri.org
Senior Minister Rev. Rebecca Floyd Marshall [email protected]
Church Secretary Dawn Ross [email protected]
Church Bookkeeper Maureen Cook [email protected]
Director of Children & Youth Heather Helger [email protected]
Music Director Michael Bahmann
Junior Choir Director Stephanie Derbyshire [email protected]
Service Coordinators Janet Lofsky [email protected]
Karen Carneal [email protected]
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
Communion Sunday 10:00 AM Worship Service 11:15 AM Shawl Ministry
2 3
7:00 PM Adult Choir
4 5
10:00 AM THRIFT SHOP OPENS!!
3:00 PM Junior Choir
6 7
11:00 AM Memorial Service "Hough"
8
10:00 AM Worship Service
9 7:00 PM Children & Youth Ministry Mtg.
10
7:00 PM Adult Choir
11 12
3:00 PM Junior Choir 6:00 PM Deacons Meeting
13 14
11:00 AM Memorial Service "Ormston"
15
QUARTERLY MEETING 10:00 AM Worship Service
16 17
9:30 AM Visiting Committee 6:30 PM Finance Committee 7:00 PM Adult Choir
18
6:30 PM Trustees Meeting
19
3:00 PM Junior Choir
20 5:30 PM Rehearsal "Lewis"
21
4:30 PM Wedding "Lewis"
22
10:00 AM Worship Service 11:15 AM Shawl Ministry
23 24
7:00 PM Adult Choir
25 26 27 28
29
10:00 AM Worship Service 11:15 AM Shawl Ministry
30 31
11:30 AM Staff Meeting 7:00 PM Adult Choir
1 2 11:30 AM Memorial Service "Hendrie"
3 4
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
29 10:00 AM Worship Service 11:15 AM Shawl Ministry
30 31 11:30 AM Staff Meeting 7:00 PM Adult Choir
1 2
11:30 AM Memorial Service "Hendrie"
3 4
5
OUTREACH SUNDAY 10:00 AM Worship Service 11:15 AM Shawl Ministry
6 7
7:00 PM Adult Choir
8 7:00 PM Fair Committee Meeting
9
6:00 PM Deacons Meeting
10 11
11:00 AM Memorial Service "Mitchell"
12
10:00 AM Worship Service 11:15 AM Shawl Ministry
13 14
7:00 PM Adult Choir
15
6:30 PM Trustees Meeting
16 17
18
19
10:00 AM Worship Service 11:15 AM Shawl Ministry
20 21
9:30 AM Visiting Committee 6:30 PM Finance Committee 7:00 PM Adult Choir
22 23 24 25
26
10:00 AM Worship Service 10:00 AM Worship Service
27 28
7:00 PM Adult Choir
29 30 1 2