thE-Steeple April 2017

Inside this issue:

Message from Pastor Barb 1

Mission Statement 2

Your Finance Committee 3

Assistance Needed 4

Heifer 4

Trip to New Jersey 5

Horton Center in VT 5

Rummage Sale 6

CEDO 6

Immigrants Apostles Creed 7

New Neighbors 8

Membership Sunday 8

COTS Butterfly Project 9

COTS WALK 10

Lenten Bible Study 11

Need Committee Members 11

A Good Samaritan Poem 12

Recipes 13

Recipes 14

Calendar 15

Williston Federated Church

United Methodist Church and United Church of Christ – Federated 1899

An Open and Affirming, Reconciling Congregation

Mission Statement ~ Our church is a community which seeks, welcomes and

gathers people to share the Gospel of God’s love, enables people to find fullness of life

Grace and peace to you all!

As I write this, it’s the third day of Spring on the calendar - but you wouldn’t

know it from the weather outside! There’s snow on the ground and the tem-

perature is struggling to rise into the teens. Winter seems to be fully in control

of things. But I know that’s not the whole story. Spring is coming. The

maple sap is already running (though probably not today). Bulbs are swelling

the ground, just out of sight. The tree buds are aching to open, and soon will.

As I write this, it’s the third week of Lent. We’re halfway between Ash

Wednesday and Easter, right in the middle of the fasting and praying and

almsgiving that marks this season of the Christian year. The “Alleluias” of

Easter are coming, sure as Spring is coming, but they aren’t here yet.

The “in between” is where we do a lot of our living: waiting for the seasons to

change, for the baby to be born, for the harvest to come, for the loved one to

come home, for the sun to come up, for the stars to come out. This is the

fallow time, the time that prepares us for the fertile seasons ahead. I believe

the “in between" is when the Holy Spirit does the best work of opening us to

new ways of seeing and thinking and believing.

So on this day that leans toward Spring but is not yet Spring, that leans toward

Easter but is not yet Easter, I offer this poem from Jan Richardson. May it

bless the ending of your Lenten journey!

Ah, Holy Spirit, I plant my feet

into the soil of the living God.

I turn my ear toward the voice of the calling Christ.

I lean my life into the wind of holy change.

Be fierce, be gentle,

toss me, turn me,

shape me, dishevel me.

Ah, Holy Spirit,

in gratitude I wait.

Amen.

Pastor Barb

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FINANCE MONTHLY

UPDATE

Members and friends of WFC, We are all asked to give “time, talent, and treasure” in

support of the church. Your Finance Committee wants you to

understand how your offerings, through pledges and Sunday

plate, support the many functions at Williston Federated

Church. Each month the e-Steeple will have a short article

explaining…

Where do our financial commitments go?

Equipping and Maintaining our Platform for Mission: $39,806

Our historic church building means so much to all of us, and to the Town of Williston. Its iconic steeple and

position at the crossroads of the village attest to New England values and the faith of our forebears. Over the

years the building has been renovated and expanded, and now features great space for worship, education,

music, fellowship, and gatherings both church-related and community-organized. Thanks to the expertise and

efforts of volunteers as well as paid staff, the building is welcoming and operates effectively and efficiently.

Just like a home, the church facility has regular costs—electricity, heat, water, telephone and internet, trash, and

insurance. There are also the costs of cleaning and maintenance and office supplies. Many of these are “behind

the scenes” costs that we seldom pay attention to. But the next time you are sitting in a pew, take a moment to

consider your surroundings and give thanks to those who preceded us and who created the beautiful sanctuary.

We are stewards of this great gift. The church building facilitates our ability to support our various ministries—

near and far. Here we gather, pray, sing, learn, plan, act, and grow in our faith individually and collectively.

What a great resource we have in our church!

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HEIFER NOTES

Williston Federated Church has been supporting Heifer Project at least

since 1977 when I joined the church. ( Does anyone know when the first

donation was made?)

There are several Heifer stories that I like

to tell. One is from the early 80s.

The Education Committee discovered

that the Heifer money from the previous

year had not been sent to Heifer so a

double amount was available to

contribute to Heifer Project the next

year.

Ruth Magill suggested that the money be

sent to Haiti which was one of the

countries most in need of assistance.

This was discussed with a group of

Sunday School students and it was

decided that the money should be given

to help care for animals in Haiti.

I will save the rest of the story for the May Steeple. Donna

A Pastor-Search Update:

The Search Committee has been working through the

UCC Search and Call Process to lead us to our next

settled pastor. Last year we conducted a survey

within the congregation and from that information, we

prepared our church profile. That information was

posted on the UCC web site for pastors who are in

their search for a new church.

Since January, we have received and reviewed about fifteen profiles of candidates who have showed an

interest in our church. At this point we have four very solid candidates. We have had several discussions

of the merits and potential fit of each candidate. We have also engaged with the candidates in several

different ways, during two interviews each, through watching video's of their sermons, and through close

readings of their profiles. Our next step is to enter into the discernment process, which involves deep

thought, prayer, discussions regarding each candidate, and reference checks.

Thank you for your prayers of support as our committee continues on in this important journey together.

With Peace,

Lois Mason & Jenny Rousseau-Wege

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GIVING A HELPING

HAND ~

There are still 3000 families in New Jersey that have not

been able to return to their homes because of the damages

from hurricane Sandy. We are organizing a United

Methodist Volunteer in Mission (UMVIM) trip to help

rebuilding efforts there.

The New Jersey Conference disaster recovery organization

asks each volunteer to pay $15 per night for lodging and

contribute $100 toward materials, so I'm estimating that the

costs would be about $350 per person for the week. We

would car pool down on Sunday, April 23 and return April 29.

Right now I need an approximate number of people who would like to go. As usual, we probably won't

know exactly what the work is until a week or two before we go, but it will be doing whatever needs to

be done to get people back in their homes after the flooding and wind damage of hurricane Sandy.

Peace, Charlie Magill, cmagillvt@aol.com, 879-6238

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HORTON CENTER HORTON CENTER

COMES TO VERMONTCOMES TO VERMONT

Come explore a great week at Rock Point, Horton Center

Style, along the shores of Lake Champlain. Campers will

experience God’s beauty in amazing sunsets, swimming in

Vermont’s beautiful Lake Champlain, hiking through the

many nature trails, campfires, singing, worshiping and of

course eating smores, tie-dyeing, awesome games and

being part of a new community of friends. Rock Point is located in Burlington and is the site of the

Episcopal Conference Center. July 30-August 4 Campers Entering Grades 5-8th Grade ` brochures

available at WFC Fellowship Hall

MARGE DURETT

Pastor Paul took this beautiful picture on 3/23. Marge is looking good. The

flowers are from WFC.

The Duretts were preparing to "attend" their granddaughters wedding on

Sat. March 24 Via Skype. What a happy occasion.

They planned to have several friends over for the big event.

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Assistance Needed The Trustees are preparing to raise funds for the repair of

the steeple.

One of the tasks is to apply for grants from various govern-

mental agencies and other organizations.

The Trustees are looking for help in writing the

applications for these grants.

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Rummage Sale –

March 31sth 9 AM – 6 PM

and April 1st 9 AM -12 PM.

This sale is for clothing, shoes, purses,

jewelry and linens only. Think textiles. We

are looking for donations of gently warn

clothing for all ages, clean and in good

condition, as well as linens, shoes, jewelry,

purses.

Items may be brought to Fellowship Hall

beginning Monday, March 27th Tables will

be set up and labeled. If you have time, please take a moment to place your items on the

appropriate tables.

Folks are needed to help with table set up on Sunday the 26th after church, sort clothes during

the week, work at the sale Friday & Saturday and to help take the left over items to Goodwill

on Saturday. If you can help, please sign up on the bulletin board near the kitchen or contact

Carol Bouchard at 862-7400 or carolcbouchard@gmail.com Note: Please no donations before

March 26th. proceeds go towards the Women of the Church mission outreach

C E D O Below is a link to a very interesting newsletter called The Buzz that comes from the

Community and Economic Development Office or CEDO which is a department of the City of Burlington.

The CEDO Neighborhood Buzz is a weekly email newsletter with updates and information from the Burling-

ton Community and Economic Development Office, other City departments, and community organizations.

It lists a lot of upcoming events such as peace and justice programs and volunteer requests. CEDO

Neighborhood Buzz | City of Burlington, Vermont

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The Immigrant Apostles Creed Attributed to Rev. Jose Luis Casal edited a slight amount by Elizabeth Magill.

I believe in God,

who guided the people in exile and in exodus,

the God of Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon,

the God of foreigners and immigrants.

I believe in Jesus Christ, a displaced Galilean,

who was born away from his people and his home,

who fled his country with his parents when his life was in danger.

When he returned to his own country he suffered under the oppression of Pontius Pilate,

the servant of a foreign power. Jesus was persecuted, beaten, tortured, and unjustly condemned to

death.

But on the third day Jesus rose from the dead,

not as a scorned foreigner but to offer us citizenship in God’s kingdom.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the eternal immigrant from God’s kingdom among us,

who speaks all languages, lives in all countries,

and reunites all races.

I believe that the Church is the secure home

for foreigners and for all believers.

I believe that the communion of saints begins

when we embrace all God’s people in all their diversity.

I believe in forgiveness, which makes

us all equal before God,

and in reconciliation, which heals our

brokenness.

I believe that in the Resurrection

God will unite us as one people

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WFC welcomes renters to the

parsonage

The Trustees have been working

with a realtor to secure a short term

lease on the parsonage, which has

been empty for nearly a year.

On March 31st the Williams family

will be moving in. Jay & Susie will

live part time at the parsonage with

their oldest daughter, Allie, while

she is attending a 6 month Urban

Farm program at the University of

Vermont. Their other two children, Harrison & Julia attend Stanford and NYU and will be

infrequent visitors.

The family is originally from Texas but have lived in Memphis TN the past 17 years. Susie is

excited to find a rental that allows the flexibility to join Allie for part of her stay in Vermont. “I'm

excited to escape the muggy southern spring and hot southern summer.”

Please welcome the Williams family to Williston.

New Member Sunday May

14th On May 14th during the worship service, we

will welcome several people into

membership at WFC. If you have been

thinking of joining or have questions about

church membership, please speak to

Rev. Barb or Carol Bouchard, chair person of

the Membership Committee.

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A Bible Study during Lent.

A Bible Study during Lent. Ruth Magill is

leading“The Parables of Jesus” on Tuesdays, March 7

through April 4. This study includes creative writing,

painting, role playing, and other right brain activities

based on theologian Walter Wink’s techniques called “Transforming Bible Study.” Time: 1:15

PM, each session is 1 ½ hours in length and you will need a Bible (any version) and a note-

book. There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board but attendance at every session is not

necessary. For more information: Rmagillvt@aol.com or 879-6238.

WFC Needs You -

The Nominating Committee has started the process

of filling vacancies on the various church

committees for the 2017-2018 fiscal year which

begins July 1st.

We are asking that you prayerfully consider where

you might be feeling called to serve the

church. Committees include: Official Board,

Trustees, Pastor Staff Relations, Finance,

Education, Membership, Music & Worship,

Missions & Social Concerns, Youth Ministry and

Parsonage Committee as well as Auditors &

Communion Stewards. There are openings on all

committees & we welcome & value your

participation.

Please speak to a member of the Nominating

Committee: Rebecca Dubois, Donna Goodheart,

Sylvia Maloney or Carol Bouchard. To learn more

about what each committee does, go to the church web site: steeple.org and click on committees.

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Be Compassionate,

Demonstrate Mercy

Oh, no. The road is dangerous

thugs – pain, loss

Who is that at the roadside?

Someone I don’t know

Someone bleeding

Someone naked

Someone unclean

I must stay clean, meet my

obligations

Cross the road, go on

my way

Who is that at the roadside?

Someone I don’t know

Someone bleeding

Someone naked

I must hurry, meet my

obligations

People wait for me

Cross the road, go on my way

Who is that at the roadside?

Someone I don’t know

Someone bleeding

Someone naked

Someone in need

I must stop, meet my obligation

Tend wounds, give care

Give comfort

Where am I? How did I get here?

How will I pay?

Pain subsides, life returns

How today have I been

Traveler, Priest, Levite, Samaritan?

This verse was written by Charlie Magill as a result of the Lenten Bible Study - Parable of the

Compassionate Samaritan.

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TASTEE RECIPE IDEA’S

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2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Here are the Easter Egg recipes that Williston Girl Scouts made and sold here

at church

many years ago. They made large eggs and I used their recipe but made them

half the size.

They also took orders and put names on them for families.

Chocolate Candy Easter Eggs 1 box confectioner's sugar

1 12-ounce jar of peanut butter ( smooth or crunchy , natural and salt free)

5-7 tablespoons evaporated milk.

Mix well ,form with hands into egg shapes - or may use a mold . ( perhaps

spraying plastic Easter eggs with oil would help with shaping them?)

Coating : 6 ounces chocolate chips

2 tablespoons Crisco

1 teaspoon wax ( chip of from block)

Melt all together and dip or pour over eggs. Can decorate with flowers and leaves using

decorator's frosting after cooled or sprinkles or candies of choice. May also write names on eggs.

Coconut Easter Eggs 1 box confectioner's sugar

1 egg white

1 small package coconut - no sugar

1-2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons evaporated milk.

Proceed to shape and coat with chocolate as in directions above .

Courtesy of Ginger Isham

BROCCHOLI CHEDDAR CASSEROLE

8 cups chopped fresh broccoli

1 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup butter, cubed

12 eggs

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with

remaining cheese. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 12-16 servings.

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute broccoli and onion in butter until crisp-tender; set aside. In a large bowl,

whisk the eggs, cream and 1-3/4 cups of the cheese. Stir in the broccoli mixture, salt and pepper. Pour into a greased 3-qt

baking dish; set in a large pan filled

with 1 in. of hot water.

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STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD

1/2 cups crushed pretzels

4 1/2 tablespoons white sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup white sugar

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped

topping, thawed

1 (6 ounce) package strawberry fla-

vored Jell-O®

2 cups boiling water

1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawber-

ries

Add all ingredients to list

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the pretzels, 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar

and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted.

Set aside to cool completely.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread

evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. 3. In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen strawberries, and stir

until thawed. Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.

Directions

ORANGE CARROT GELATIN SALAD

1 (6 ounce) package orange flavored Jell-O® mix

1 cup boiling water 1 (3 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese, softened 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, with juice 1 cup fruit cocktail, drained

Add all ingredients to list

1. In a large bowl, stir together the orange gelatin and boiling water until the gelatin is dissolved. Whisk

in the Neufchatel cheese and mayonnaise until well blended. The gelatin should be slightly thickened and

cooled.

2. Stir in the vinegar, carrot, pineapple, and fruit cocktail. Pour into a greased gelatin mold or serving

bowl. Cover, and refrigerate until solid, about 4 hours. 3. To unmold, dip the mold into a large bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes to loosen. Then in-

vert onto a plate to serve.

Directions

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