Notes from the Diaconate

We have had quite a busy spring! The Deacons coordinated our Easter flower deliveries with the
Missions Committee. Missions prepared dinners for some of our homebound members. We would like to thank
the Missions committee for their hard work. We would also like to thank those of you who donated
an Easter flower or two for shut-ins.

Levi Sunday

Levi Sunday was a resounding success! Our church looks great thanks to the many hands that helped. Thank you to all of you who helped and a big thank you to Helen Carroll and Cindy Tomlin who coordinated this event. We plan to do this again in the fall; be on the lookout for a date!

New Bibles

We have included in this newsletter a Bible order/dedication form. Our hope is that we can have the Bibles in the sanctuary and in the Sunday School replaced so that all of them are the same version. The Bibles are $10 each and if you decide to donate a Bible you can have a dedication printed up to be included in the front of the Bible.

 

The Deacon o the Month for April has been Helen Carroll. The Deacons hope you have been able to get to know each of us a little more through this rotation. Our Deacon of the Month for May will be Cindy Tomlin. If you have a concern or last-minute announcement on Sunday morning, please seek out the Deacon of the Month to assist you.

Dates to remember

May 3, 2009 (Sunday) Andover Association meeting at CCU in Dracut. Phyllis Jennings and Bob Slack will attend as delegates.

June 7, 2009 (Sunday) Children's Sunday

June 14, 2009 (Sunday) Confirmation Sunday

 

Jean Button for the Diaconate 

Donate a Bible to the Church: Dedicate it to something or someone special $10.00 per Bible Book plate will be placed in the Bible you dedicate. Honor Someone Celebrate Someone/ Something Remember Someone Name_________________________________________________________________ Dedicated By___________________________________________________________ In Honor of _____________________________________________________ In Celebration of ________________________________________________ In Remembrance of ______________________________________________ Ordering Information Your Name____________________________________________ Address___________________________________________ Phone________________E-Mail_______________________ Amount Enclosed____________________ Checks payable to The First Congregational Church- Billerica, MA Questions? Please contact a member of the Diaconate. A very sincere thank you; for helping procure new Bibles for the Church.

The Trustees would like to thank Pete Stevens from Perma who donated his time and materials in buffing ,and sealing the Dale Hall floor in time for Easter Breakfast.

We are in the process of getting cost quotes from a few sources in sweeping up the sand in the parking lot and entrance/exit driveways. We determined it would be better not to use any type of power blowers which results in the dust covering buildings, windows and cars in the process. We are pursuing the use of a commercial type sand sweeper much like a city street sweeper.

 

We are also getting quotes for a commercial power cleaning company to clean the kitchen hood and filters in addition to cleaning out the grease trap in the Dale Hall kitchen.

The Trustees are working with the Financial Secretary and the Treasurer to present a graphical picture of our General Fund Income vs Expenses
on a quarterly basis. Reference the graph below showing the estimated budgeted expenses for the 2009 divided evenly by 12 months vs. the actual
General Fund Income and the Actual Expenses as of Mar 31, 2009.

Respectfully submitted
Lou Cornaro - Secretary

 

Mission Committee Report

The Outdoor Church of Cambridge

For 2 years we've been supporting the "Outdoor Church", providing sandwiches, sox, and joining them in worship once/year. The Outdoor Church is staffed by a U.C.C. minister, an Episcopal deacon, and a Baptist minister. Their charge is to bring the church to homeless men and women who cannot or will not come inside a church on their own.

 

This year we'll join them on May 10th If any of you wish to join us, let us know by May 3rd. We will bring a few of our young people along (a limited number so the "congregants" don't feel on display). What we would appreciate are donations of new white athletic sox. If you can help us, please bring the sox along with your pantry donation on Sunday, May 3rd.

Charitable Giving

In response to several requests, we are offering a list of "charities" with questionable practices e.g. (high executive compensation, low percentage of funds actually applied to the charitable work, internal business dealings or high cost of fundraising and administration). Since we all need to be careful about using our charitable money to support the most worthwhile causes, here are some we urge you to think VERY carefully about before sending them any money.

1. Feed the Children (a.k.a. Larry Jones' Ministries) Spends 18% of money raised on "feeding children"
2. International Children's Food Spends 24% of money raised on program services
3. Children's Care International Have same officers & trustees
4. International Children's Care Spends 10% of funds raised on program Services. Uses guilt as fund raising tool
5. Childhood Leukemia Foundation Spends 14% of funds raised on program services.

 

Next month we'll identify 5 agencies that appear to be worthy of consideration.

Billerica Food Pantry

Thank you so much for your consistent support of the pantry. In April we collected 120 items. The ranks of the hungry in the U.S. grew by nearly 4 million people in 2008 and slightly over 10% of our population age 65 or older are living in poverty. Your contributions to the pantry represent a selfless act of compassion.

March Mission Moment

To expand (and perhaps clarify) our recent Mission Moment, the Missions' Committee will seek the congregations approval for 2 things:

1. We wish to change our name and be called the "Outreach" Committee. The work of our committee is focused beyond and outside the local congregation. Many people (properly)deal with the building and the needs of our people within our congregation. Our committee is dedicated to bringing our compassion and commitment to those outside our congregation so "outreach" better reflects our activities.

2. The church's central call is to go and make disciples and to be in mission to the less fortunate. Biblically, we are called to reach out to those in need. We are asking for a new way of funding that is to remove missions as a pledging category and for the church to designate the biblical tithe (10% of what is pledged to the church) as the budget for our committee. In this way, virtually everyone in the church will be supporting our Outreach/Mission work.

One Great Hour of Sharing

We want to thank you for your contributions to the One Great Hour of Sharing. On May 1, we will ask the treasurer to send a check for $454.00(the amount collected) to the conference.

Recent Thank You

 

We received a very nice thank you letter from the Andover Newton Theological School in response to a gift of $300.00 that was made in your name.

Did You Know that:

1. The U.S. is the largest paper recycler collecting 43.2 million metric tons in 2008.
2. It takes 5,200 gallons of water to produce 1 lb. of beef and 12 gallons to produce 1 lb. of beans.

Eat more vegetables?

- Bob Miner

 

50's Dance

FUNDRAISER TO BENEFIT OUR YOUTHS' MISSION TRIP AND THE GENERAL FUND Happy Days Sock Hop May 16th, 2009 7-10PM Tickets $10.00 Adults $5.00 Children under 12 Hula Hoop Contest Twist Contest Jitterbug Contest Prizes for Best Dressed - Adults & Kids Raffles Root Beer Floats Call for Information 978-667-5504

 

Religious Education

 The Sunday school children and RE Committee would like to thank those who donated baby items
for The Wish Project. We collected a generous amount of baby items that were presented to the organization. These items will be very helpful in aiding those families of newborns who are in need.

Children’s Sunday will be on June 7^th.  Information regarding specific details for each class will be given out during Sunday school class in the near future.

 

Confirmation will be on June 14^th this year.  Once again, we will be asking the congregation to help us coordinate a collation for the confirmands and their families by donating food.  Please keep this date in mind and look for further information in the upcoming Lantern.

 

We are still looking for volunteers to help us finish out the Sunday school year with hall monitoring and nursery coverage. Please
consider signing up for one Sunday for either hall monitoring or the nursery. There are many Sundays that we do not have any
volunteers and would greatly appreciate any help that could be offered. A sign up sheet is posted on the Sunday school bulletin and
nursery bulletin. Again, thank you to those who have already made commitments to help. Your time and support is greatly
appreciated.

The RE Committee will soon be looking for volunteers to assist with the Sunday school program for next fall. We will be looking for
teachers (weekly or every other week), substitute teachers, classroom helpers, hall monitors and nursery coverage. Anyone who
would be interested, please contact Pat Rogers 978-663-8121 or the RE Committee.

- Dawn Salter

 

 

Pilgrim Fellowship

May 3, Sunday	Plan Mother's Day Breakfast for June 6 and Game afternoon	11:30 AM-1:30 PM
May 9 , Saturday	Set up for Breakfast	3:00-8:00 PM
May 10, Sunday	Mothers' Day Breakfast	7:00-9:30 AM
May 17, Sunday	Park and Ice Cream	11:30 AM-1:30 PM
May 24, Sunday	No PF - Holiday	11:30 AM-1:30 PM
June 6- 7, Sat-Sun	Lock-in	Sat PM - Sunday AM
June 14, Sunday	Canobie or Water Country (Family)

- Debbie MacEachern

2009 Sr. High Mission Trip

The Senior High Sunday School has received their assignment for this summer to work in Indiana providing support as a part
of the UCC effort to help flood victims in the Terre Haute area. This area was ravaged by floods last year several different times and there is still a lot of need for help. We are excited to start planning and learning about how we can best help. The trip is planned for the last week in July. We are still building our bridge to hope which will help us to be able to make this trip….we appreciate your support!!

Please consider supporting our fundraising in the next few weeks as we determine the expense to allow these teens to help folks who need our support after experiencing this disaster.

Stewardship Notes

Henry David Thoreau once wrote of his desire to simplify life: "Instead of three meals a day, if it be necessary eat but one; instead of a hundred dishes, five; and reduce other things in proportion. The nation itself ... is an unwieldy and overgrown establishment, cluttered with furniture and tripped up by its own traps, ruined by luxury and heedless expense."

Life contains a myriad of choices, not the least of which involve material goods and services - things we can live without and things imperative to our quality of life or even survival. Today's economic reality mandates us to make tough choices. Where shall we delegate our hard earned resources, and not only those of monetary value.

In the coming months, the Stewardship Committee will be asking the question: What is most dear to our hearts and what sacrifices need be made to realize those desires? How could my Treasure, Time, and Talents be best delegated to achieve those ends, and what could I offer to support others in their own personal journeys'?

"If we believe heaven to be our country, it is better for us to transmit our wealth thither, than to retain it here." - John Calvin (1509-64).

For the Stewardship Committee,
David Rappoli

 

Aim Hi

 

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, May 21st at 12 noon. We always welcome new members..

Aim Hi has been sending our love, prayers, and Thank You packages to several young people serving overseas. We encourage the congregation to use the addresses below and send a short note or greeting card to these young people while they are away from home. It means so much to them and their families.

Notes from the Music Committee

Everyone who has been singing has been having fun. We hope you have been uplifted by the music of the adult and junior choirs. More singers are always welcome, even if you can come just part of the time.

Another way of sharing your musical gifts from God for God, would be to volunteer to sing or play an instrument for a summer service. Please be thinking about this opportunity and talk to Rev. Katherine or Music Director, Ginny, about your ideas.

Phyllis Jennings

Lay Shepherding
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday May 7 20, 1:00 P.M.  

Lay Shepherding is a program with a purpose to bring the presence of the church to our home-bound
members. We hope that no one feels alone in these busy and pressured times.

If you would like to have a visit or know of someone who could use a visit or card, please contact Barbara George, 978 667-7335 or speak to any of our shepherds. We always welcome new shepherds,
too!

 

United Church of Christ

Summer Camps

Star Island off the coast of New Hampshire offers youth conferences (High school) and family camps. This is a wonderful way of developing faith while having fun.

UCC Youth camps are Aug.2-8, or Aug. 8-15. Family camps run the same schedule. There is also a Laity weekend Sept. 5-7. Information is available at http://www.starisland.org. In the past our church has offered scholarships if needed through the mission funds.

The UCC at Craigville on the Cape has also had an adult music camp in July. Information is not yet on the website.

 

The United Church of Christ and You

This June will be a meeting of General Synod. This is the every-other-year national meeting of delegates from all the conferences in the United Church of Christ. Our conference is Massachusetts. Within Massachusetts, churches are grouped in geographical associations, ours being Andover Association.

The United Church of Christ churches join together in covenant while each retains its autonomy. This means we basically govern ourselves but should respectfully and prayerfully consider any recommendations made by conference or synod. We also should support connections with other UCC churches.

In that regard, there is an Andover Association newsletter in electronic form that list events in our area churches that we can attend. If you are interested in church suppers, educational and spiritual programs, ask Christopher Jenkins at jenkins@gwu.edu to put you on the list or ask me to print you a copy.
*********************
The Andover Association Spring meeting is coming soon. Our delegates ( drawn from the Deacons) are expected to attend but anyone else is welcome. So if you aren't going to the tea, consider this program.

Phyllis Jennings
MACUCC delegate

Flowers: May

May 3 -    Given by the Eidens family in loving memory of Bonnie's father, William Garrett,and Bonnie's brother, Wayne Garrett, and Donald's parents, Frank
Eidens and Arlene Capizzi. On the piano, flowers are given in loving memory of Toby Paavola from Ginny Paavola and family. On the lectern, flowers are given in memory of his wife, Edna Conant, with love, from Mike Conant and family.

May 10 - Given with love and God's blessings to all mothers from Mary Pasho.
.
May 17 - Given in honor of our loving and giving mother, Barbara Brown, by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren

May 24 - Given in loving memory of his Wife, Nina, from Richard Warner.

May 31- Given in memory of Jack and Nessie Tonks with love from their family.

If you would like to donate flowers any Sunday, please call Jeannette at 978-663-6804.

Help Wanted

FROM ALISON

THANKS TO Audrey Schwartz, and Edna McDewell for their help in the delivery of the April issue of The Lantern!

Thank you and love, Alison

FROM CINDY AND HELEN

A Special Thanks to everyone WHO participated in Levi Sunday. your help was very much appreciated. We all worked for such a worthy
cause in cleaning our Beautiful Church.

L - evi Sunday was a great success, for lunch we shared a bite
E - very thing in Church is now shiny and bright
V - ery grateful for the completed task
I - nspiration gained that forever lasts

Blessings and Peace,

Cindy Tomlin & Helen Carroll

Next Lantern Deadline: Sunday, May 17

The newsletter written and mailed the week of May 17 will include the end of May and June, July and the frst half of August news. The next newsletter will be sent out the week of August 16.