_____________________November 2015 PASTOR’S PAGE

It was dark and cool when I entered the little Catholic Church off the side of the road, a welcome respite from the day’s heat. I was walking the Cabot Trail up in Nova Scotia with Andrea Ayvazian, and the little white church with the green spires seemed the perfect place to take off our packs and rest a while. As I passed over the threshold I made my way straight to the baptismal font, where I dipped my finger into the clear cool water and made the sign of the cross on my forehead, remembering my baptism. I closed my eyes and let the peace of the place wash over me. Then I went and sat in a pew to rest and pray. 

I always wonder how churches out in these far-flung places survive. But this church, though humble, was obviously both well-kept and much loved. I wondered at this until I noticed a little bookmark in the pew. It read:

My Church is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is.

It will be friendly, if I am.

Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them.

It will do great work, if I work.

It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver.

It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship, if I invite and bring them.

It will be a church of loyalty and love, fearlessness and faith, and a church with a noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, am filled with

these same things.

Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of being all the things that I want my church to be.

Amen It’s amazing how something so obvious can still strike you as a revelation. 

I found out last week that my in-laws are losing their pastor. She was hired full-time two years ago with the understanding that her salary would be cut to half-time if the church didn’t grow.

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Important Dates 1st ~ All Saint’s Day 5th & 19th ~ Common Ground 17th ~ Prayer Shawl Ministry 18th ~ Talk with Anne Wright 20th ~ No Choir Practice 21st ~ Church Fair 26th~ Thanksgiving

Looking For…..

Missions ………..…….. pg 3 Join the Church?…….. pg 3 Prayer Shawl .……….… pg 4 Common Ground ……. pg 5 Christian Ed …..……….. pg 5 Church Fair ……...…... pg 6 Art & Soul …………….. pg 7 Calendar ………………. pg 8

Her two years are up, and she is leaving because she can’t live on a half-time salary. That lovely little church believed that the right pastor was the key to turning their decline around. But a pastor is only ever part of the equation. Pastors can work all week to craft a worship service and a sermon that will comfort, inspire, and guide their people, but when the time for worship rolls around, worship will only happen if people come. Liturgy literally means “the work of the people.” Church, as we often say on Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings, is something we make together. Likewise, a church will only grow if the people who come bring more people along with them. 

Todd and I came to a curious and powerful realization a few weeks ago. First Churches and Common Ground will not grow if the two of us just work a little bit harder. This is not easy for either one of us to admit, but it’s true. Pastors don’t grow churches. People do. We can only give them a reason to stay once they’ve found their way in. Writing sharper sermons, getting the choir to sing more challenging music, or making the soup at Common Ground taste even better are not the keys to growing our ministry. 

The key to growing our ministry lies in allowing God to flow through all of us to develop a culture of invitation, to develop a community so full of hope and enthusiasm for what we do together that we can’t help but invite others to share in it. The key is developing a passion for connecting the people you know and love and can’t wait to see at church with the people you know and love and can’t wait to see everywhere else. Think about how great it would be to have all those folks together under one big roof. Well, we’ve got the big roof. We just need to invite them to come in under it. 

It’s that simple. It’s just not easy. The truth is, there is no straightforward five-step plan for developing a culture of

invitation; and so we’d love your help in figuring out how to get there.  Obviously, any of us can just call up people, even people we know, and invite them. But for most people, I know that sounds about as painless as a root canal. So let’s strategize together, get creative, and share our stories of invitation, enthusiasm, and hospitality with one another. If something you have tried has worked, tell us.  

Todd and I are pretty good about letting you know what’s coming up via the newsletter, weekly e-mails, and our posts on Facebook. Use these. It doesn't have to be a cold call such that your friends and neighbors fear you’ve suddenly turned into some sort of religious fanatic/telemarketer/pollster. No, just look ahead, and if we’ll be talking about something you think a friend might find useful or interesting, let them know about it and invite them to come with you. Remember, eighty percent of people who go to church for the first time go because someone invited them. You can be that someone.

You can invite people simply by sharing our worship events on Facebook. Even something as simple as changing your Facebook status Sunday morning, or tweeting that you’re off to worship at the church you love, will speak volumes to those who haven’t been to a church they’ve loved in aeons, if ever. Think what First Churches could mean for someone like that.

Because friends, at the end of the day, this isn’t about growing our ministry just for the sake of growing our church. This is about spreading the gospel of God’s love and grace to people who may not even realize that God loves them at all. This is about blessing the lives of others with the same blessing you receive every time you come. Dear ones, at the end of the day, your church is a reflection of you. It will be what you, with the help of God, want it to be. May it be a blessing. Pastor Sarah

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MISSION NOTES

Each year at the church fair (November 21), Marti Catuogno staffs a table with literature and a bulletin board illustrating the

hopeful work Heifer International does around the world. Working in the areas of livestock and agriculture, its livestock specialists develop

programs that alleviate hunger and poverty for individual

families. This year, the Mission Board chose to raise $250 to

make a gift of a water buffalo to help a family out of poverty. This amazing animal provides draft power for

planting crops, milk for protein, and manure for fertilizer and fuel. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving! Please help us to provide this gift to a grateful

family.

HAITI SCHOLARSHIP FUND DRIVE

To date, we have raised enough money for 30 students to attend school at CONASPEH ~ Thank you for all your support. You still have time to help us reach our goal of 40 scholarships, share with your friends!! Please contribute whatever you can! It is a bargain - $118 allows one student to attend school for one year, but will change their lives forever!!

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CHURCH TOUR FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN JOINING CHURCH

One of the best ways to get to know First Churches is by walking around, seeing all the space and hearing all the stories. If you are thinking about joining or curious about the ministry and history of First Churches, please join us after worship on November 15. We will gather at the communion table about 15 minutes after the service. If you can’t make that date and are interested, you can contact Pastor Todd at pastor@firstchurches.org.  

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY Interested social knitters are invited to join our Prayer Shawl Knitting Circle.

Upcoming Prayer Shawl knitting gatherings:

Tuesday November 17 -- at the home of Doryne Pederzani-Dineen

What is this about?

Prayer Shawls (also called Comfort Shawls) are homemade throws, each made in a spirit of love and blessing for the intended recipient. This meaningful activity, when shared, also offers a wonderful opportunity to get to know group members on a different level, thereby contributing to building our beloved community.

Why do this?

The creation of a prayer shawl is a spiritual practice for the maker. The rhythmic activity brings on a contemplative, even healing, state of mind. The process of making a shawl -- using one’s hands and focused intentions, your own prayers and loving thoughts --becomes gift not only for the one receiving the shawl, but also for the knitter.

All interested knitters and crocheters are welcome. You do not need proficiency in knitting. The basic prayer shawl pattern, as originally inspired, is quite simple.

A Prayer Shawl pattern book is available for those seeking more elaborate design ideas. Just to be clear... While several among us enjoy other kinds of knitting projects, we dedicate this time to making Prayer Shawls to give away, as a form of ministry and spiritual practice.

"Shawls ... made for centuries universal and embracing, symbolic of an inclusive, unconditionally loving, God. They wrap, enfold, comfort, cover, give solace, Those who have received these shawls have been uplifted and affirmed, as if given wings to mother, hug, shelter and beautify. fly above their troubles…" ~Written in 1998 by: Janet Severi Bristow (Cofounder of Shawl Ministry)

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COMMON GROUND

As the seasons turn from autumn’s bounty toward the spare dark beauty of winter, how goes it with your soul? How do you weather this transition both physically and spiritually? Through art, conversation, story, and the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, we’ll listen and look together for the good gifts God has prepared to help us weather this change of season. As we “go inside” how can we use these gifts of wisdom and insight to pad the nests that will shelter our bodies and souls through the days ahead? What gifts might this time of "reflection and resonance" hold for us? What might we need or offer each other to nourish and carry us through the darkness and the cold?

November 5th:5-6 to help cook and set-up 6-7:15 for dinner and worship 7:15-7:45 to clean-up and if your heart so desires stay on for Common Ground After Dark at the Foundry

November 19th ~ Soup for Syria

As I read accounts of the refugee crisis in Europe, I am haunted more and more by my memories of Alfonso Cuaron’s dystopian thriller, “Children of Men.”

How is it, the film asks, that we can think and therefore behave as if some people deserve to live in the developed world with all it’s benefits, while others, due to nothing more than an accident of birth, do not?

We’ll be joined by local Soup for Syria activists who will share their unique perspective on the crisis and what we can all do to help. The soups for this dinner will all come from the “Soup for Syria” cookbook. Cookbooks will be available for purchase, the proceeds from which go to support the Syrian American Medical Service. 

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

COME SEE"INSIDE OUT" AT FIRST CHURCHES

Don’t miss our next pizza and movie night. We’ll be watching “Inside Out,” Friday November 6, from 5:00 - 6:45 on the big screen at church. Although we’re billing this as a children’s movie night, I’d love to have teens on hand to help with the little ones and I think they’ll enjoy the movie as well. Parents are welcome to stay or drop off their kids. Please RSVP revsarahb@mac.com so we know how much pizza to order. And bring a friend!

Teens: come out and support your friends at St. John’s Saturday, November 7, at 6:00. They’ll be hosting a talent show to raise money for their upcoming pilgrimage.

And let me know if you are interested in joining us for the December 4-5th retreat at Craigville: “How would Jesus Celebrate Christmas?” Click here to register. It’s filling up fast.  

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CHURCH FAIR 2015

CALLING ALL BAKERS!!! Think you could contribute to the cookies, tea breads, and candies that will be needed to sell at the bake table???

Again this year we would like to offer primarily homemade cookies/bars (hermits, macaroons, whoopee pies, etc.), candies, spiced nuts, quick breads (aka tea breads), yeast breads.

We ask that everything be clearly labeled, marked as to whether it contains nuts or not, and pre-wrapped. There are still requests for baked items with nuts, which we did not have much of at the bake table last year.

Clear bags or plastic wrap is best, as people always like to see what they are buying.

Last year people packaged their baked items with a bit of red ribbon or Xmas flourish. Impressive presentation!! A lovely tradition to continue…

There will be a sign up for bakers to list what they will be contributing at the Church Fair table during Coffee Hour this Sunday.

Goodies can be brought to the office on Friday Nov 20th or Saturday the 21st after 8 am (one or more fair helpers will be there to accept them).

CHRISTMAS FAIR UPDATE! SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 9:30- 3:00

Sign-up for fair volunteers: We will have sign-up sheets in Lyman Hall at coffee hour Nov. 8. If you haven’t already committed to help at the fair, this will be your chance! We have just a month to go to get the fair organized. Please support the Christmas Fair Steering Committee by offering to lend a hand. Even an hour or two can be a big help.

Raffle: This is progressing nicely with many gift certificates and donated items already in hand. But, the second step to making the raffle a success is to get those raffle tickets sold! Starting today we are also asking folks to take some tickets with them to sell to friends/family/co-workers/neighbors.

Remember: A successful fair is vital to the church as it is our biggest fund

raiser of the year!

Church Fair Steering Committee:

- Barbara Parsons @ 584-4944 - Peg Whitham @ 586-2531 or pncwhitham@comcast.net - Leslie Skantz-Hodgson @ lcskantz@gmail.com or 585-0293 - Celeste Ortega @ 1-413-275-7137 or iortega14@gmail.com

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FRIDAY ART WIND DOWN                      Healing Art 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month, 10am-12pm Next session: November 6th Lyman Hall, First Churches.

Each Friday Art Wind Down begins with a theme, an image, a word, maybe a line from poetry, something that invites personal exploration. You are then welcome to engage with the creative medium of the day meant to deepen your exploration. It could be working with natural or found objects, collage, paper making—each session is different. Of course, if you just feel like writing or drawing that’s fine too. Art Wind Down offers the gift of space, time and materials to listen to the rhythms of your soul. I promise, you don’t have to be “creative” or “artistic.” Come once, as your schedule allows or on a regular basis. Suggested donation: $10-$20 per session but pay what you can.

www.artandsoulhcc.org www.facebook.com/artandsoulhcc

DWELL:  Listening With the Eyes of Your HeART 2nd Friday of the month, 10am-12pm, beginning November 13th

Lyman Hall, First Churches, 129 Main St., Northampton (enter on Center Street)

Call it something like Art Church: Grounded by simple ritual and the sharing of stories from sacred texts, you are invited to unpack these stories through a variety of creative means (writing, visual arts, fiber art, photography, found objects, clay, drama, etc.) to discover what they have to say to you. We will dwell most often in the wisdom of Hebrew and Christian texts, though certainly not exclusively. You do not need to be “religious” or “spiritual” in any way to participate and we promise we won’t try to save your soul! A donation basket will be passed to cover supplies and preparation/facilitation time.

www.artandsoulhcc.org www.facebook.com/artandsoulhcc Susannah Crolius 413-348-2385

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WOMEN TAKING THE LEAD IN CITIZEN DIPLOMACY 6 P.M. November 18, First Churches.

Retired Colonel Ann Wright, a former U.S,. Diplomat and now a diplomat for peace and justice around the world, will be speaking. She has just spoken at the T.N. Church, walked through the Korean DMZ, been on the Gaza Flotilla, and speaks regularly to world peace and justice leaders. 

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