Notes from the Diaconate

We are thrilled to report that donations for new Pew Bibles have reached $1080.00! Thank you for your continued support of this endeavor. Please consider donating another Bible or two so that we can have a good supply in every pew. The first order of Bibles will be placed this month. A Bible Dedication service will take place on Sunday, August 16th during our worship service.

Bob Slack and Phyllis Jennings attended the Andover Association meeting on Sunday May 3rd. They reported that the conference will be welcoming a new area minister, the Reverend Don Remick. Rev. Remick begins his new position on July 15th. The Association voted to increase the dues per member for the first time in 20 years! Andover Association dues will now be $1.25 per member beginning in January, 2010.

Cindy Tomlin has done a fine job as Deacon of the month for May. Lynne Hildreth will be Deacon of the month for June. Look for Lynne in June if you have an announcement or need assistance on Sunday mornings.

Important Times and Dates

Jean Button for the Diaconate

Respectfully submitted
Lou Cornaro - Secretary

Outreach Committee Report

Outreach Committee Members

Jenny Carmichael, Jackie Gullage, Don Lovegrove, Bonnie McLay, Nita Owin, Bob & Linda Miner, co-chairs

Pantry

It was a wonderful collection on May 3rd. You brought in 145 items for the Billerica Pantry as well as 178 pairs of socks for us to bring to the Outdoor Church of Cambridge. Since this is our last newsletter until September, we respectfully remind you that over 600,000 people in Massachusetts can not feed all members of their family, 3 meals/day. With school out, free/reduced lunches (and or breakfast) are no longer available to hundreds of local children. Your donations are crucial in the summer. If you won't be in church on Pantry collection day, feel free to drop things off at our 1st floor pantry receptacle anytime you're near the church.

Outdoor Church of Cambridge

On May 10, 4 of us represented the congregation worshiping with members of that church. We brought along 178 pairs of socks you provided, 56 sandwiches, and a check for $150.00 to support the work of the church. Your concern and compassion for these homeless people and willingness to send representations to worship side by side with them is enormously appreciated by all at the Outdoor Church. Plus it speaks volumes about what kind of church we are.

Committee Meetings

We are one of several committees that will meet in the summer. The needs continue, the requests will continue, and we need to be available to respond.

Outreach Trip to Indiana

Following a presentation about their upcoming August public service trip to Indiana, the Outreach Committee, acting in your name, voted to give $1,000.00 from our budget to assist with the cost of this trip. This represents the largest single contribution we've made this year.

Greater Boston Walk for Hunger

While we had no official walking contingent this year, we know many of you support this most worthy cause. On May 3, over 44,000 walkers raised 3.8 million dollars to support over 400 feeding programs across our state.

Efficient/Effective Charities

Here are 5 charities with moderate compensation packages whose fundraising costs are low and who use a high percentage of the funds raised for the causes you intend to support.

This is not a comprehensive list but they are among the leaders in this category. If you'd like a more comprehensive list, tell anyone on our committee and we'll be happy to provide it.

May 13, 2009 Church Meeting

On Wednesday, May 13th, the general meeting accepted our request to change the name of our committee from Outreach to Outreach that better reflects our primary activity. The meeting defeated our alternative funding request so we will continue to be funded by those people who choose to designate specific amounts on their "pledge cards" to the Outreach Committee.

Did You Know That:

- Bob Miner

Religious Education

Children's Sunday is June 7th. Rehearsal will be June 6th at 9Am in the church sanctuary. Please notify your child's teacher if he/she will not make it to rehearsal. This will be the last class before the summer. The children have been working hard to prepare for the service. They will have the opportunity to demonstrate some of the teachings they learned and to celebrate all of their hard work this past year. Please join us in Dale Hall after the service for refreshments.

Sunday school will re-commence on September 20th. Registration forms can be found on the church website.

Confirmation will be on June 14th. Following the service, there will be a light collation in Dale Hall. We are looking for volunteers from the congregation to help coordinate a collation by donating food. A sign up sheet for food donation is posted in Dale Hall. We would like to make this a memorable occasion for the confirmands and their families and would appreciate any help that can be offered. For more information, please contact the RE Committee.

Please congratulate Kyle Witham, Kayla Montanez, and Jaqueline Smith on their Confirmation.

Thank you to Jack McIsaac, Diane Thompson and Cindy Tomlin for dedicating their time serving as mentors.

The RE Committee is currently 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. Teacher orientation will be September 13th following church service.

The RE Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all the individuals who devoted their time and worked hard throughout the year to support the Sunday school. Thank you to those individuals who helped by being hall monitors, classroom helpers and helped in the nursery. Thank you to all the teachers who devoted their time to teaching and lesson preparation. We would also like to thank April Goss-Baker and June Gibelli for their work with the children's choir, Deb MacEachern for her work with the youth groups and Barbara Daverin for her work with the high school class mission trip. Lastly, a very special thank you to Pat Rogers for all her time, dedication and hard work with running the Sunday school program and to Fran Rogers for his assistance with all the little details. Without so many dedicated people to help, we would not have been able to run the School program for our children. Thank you again for your dedication and support. We wish you a safe and happy summer and hope to see you again in the fall.

Dates:

- Dawn Salter

Pilgrim Fellowship

- 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!

Current budget is rolling up much less than last year but we are still struggling a bit to get to the goal. The class has a fundraising target for the class of $2,000 and they are currently at $1,550. Additionally, the 50's dance that was organized and run by Helen Carroll this past weekend was a great success and we are being graciously given 50% of the proceeds.

We are still working to get to the target but thank you for all your support so far.

Budget

Airfare	$2,050	$205 pp
Van Rental & Gas	850	10 pp/pn
Activities	500
Shelter Dinner	250
Project Donation	500
Misc	150
Total Needed	$6,500

We have made great progress!!! Thank you for your support.

Stewardship Notes

The definition of Stewardship may have changed significantly through history, from archaic roots to modern interpretations.

Historically, Stewardship was the responsibility given to household servants to bring food and drinks to a castle dining hall. It may also be applied to entrusted governance over persons or property.

Biblically, God is the legitimate owner of each person's possessions, and one is accountable to God for the satisfactory care and use of those possessions. Or, more simply put, one is responsible for making the best use his or her gifts and resources to effectively promote the works of God.

Simply reaping the benefits of our time, treasure and talents for individual benefit would appear to garner small favor in the eyes of God, whose very son, in many respects was held accountable to God for the Christians that had been entrusted to him.

What is required of us each day is to ask what we might do with our gifts, recognizing that in time of want, faith must provide for the future.

Jesus, through his parables alludes to this idea, instructing his followers thus: "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day."

We are now going through hard economic times, so these words are especially appropriate. Judging from this passage, Jesus would say to us, "Do the best you can with what you have, and don't violate God's trust in you out of fear for tomorrow.

For the Stewardship Committee,
David Rappoli

Aim Hi

NEXT MEETING: June 18 12 Noon - Garrison's..

Aim Hi will meet at Garrison's Restaurant on June 18 at 12 noon for lunch. This will be our final meeting until September. We always welcome new members.
For those who may not be aware, Aim Hi has been sending packages to service men and women serving overseas since 2002. Some of these people had a close association with our church and others are friends of church members. We send these packages four times a year and know from the communications we have received back that our small endeavor is greatly appreciated. We have supported this endeavor with bake sales, raffles, and donations, such as our recent 'Have a Heart" Sunday. Unfortunately the cost of supplies and postage have risen dramatically over time which is causing us to, again, ask for your help. One of our members has generously donated and decorated a miniature trunk (somewhat reminiscent of a GI footlocker) which we will leave in the sanctuary with the hope that you, the congregation, will occasionally drop in a small donation in order for us to be able to continue sending these simple messages of love and support for all their sacrifices. We thank you for any help you can give us, and we are ending this informational notice exactly as we sign off on each package we send overseas

"God bless you and those serving with you, The ladies of Aim Hi"

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

Summer is coming and your talents are needed! There will be two services, Wednesday evenings as well as Sunday mornings, during the summer months so that all can vacation and still worship. This a great opportunity to stretch your musical wings and try to sing or play an instrument for the service. Gather a trio or quartet, dig out your old high school instrument and practice a little. Remember this is offering your gifts and lifting the congregation in worship- it doesn't have to be a concert performance. Just talk to Ginny or Rev. Katherine about your ideas.

Phyllis Jennings, Music Com.Sec'y

Baptisms

May 17, 2009 - Alex Christopher Jewell

New Members

On April 26 we received the following as members of the First Congregational Church.

Jon Adams
Katherine Adams
Edna Battcock
Beth Broughton
Jodi Burns
Tim Burns
Victor Campana
Erin Daley
Eileen Federchook
Wanda Lordan
Carolyn Lynch
Genevieve Moron
Laurie Penta

Lay Shepherding
SUMMER MEETINGS: Wednesday, June 17, July 15, August 19 at 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

Rev. Laurene Beth Bowers was the key note speaker at the recent Andover Association Spring Meeting. She spoke of designing contemporary congregations and reaching the "20-somethings." Her church made many changes in its worship, making it more active with shorter livelier parts.

One thing she said stood out for me: that if we really want to invite others into the congregation and not stagnate, each of us has to be willing to have worship meet our particular needs only about half of the time since other people have differing needs in worship.

Phyllis Jennings
MACUCC delegate

Flowers: Summer

June 7 - Provided by the Religious Education Committee in honor of the Sunday School students and all recent graduates.

June 14 - Given by Cindy Bliss and family in loving memory of Cindy's parents, Frank and Sandra Adams. On the piano, flowers are given in memory of Desiree, by her grandparents, Isabella and Bill Anstey.

June 21 - Given in memory of my daughter, Laura, and my husband, Ed, and father and brothers from Dottie Linton.

June 28 - Given in loving memory of Richard and Marjorie George, by their son, Richard George, Barbara and family. On the piano, flowers are given by the Bliss family in celebration of the Chernobyl children staying with them.

July 5 - Open

July 12 - Given in loving memory of Arthur E. Blood by his family.

July 19 - Given by Susan Brown in memory of her grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

July 26 - Given in memory of our son, Dennis Blanchette, Jr. by Betty and Dennis.

August 2 - Given in memory of Leonard J. Brown, Sr. from the Brown family.

August 9 -Flowers are given in celebration of Ginny Paavola's birthday by her family.
On the piano flowers are given in loving memory Lee McAdams, Susan's mother, by the family of Susan McAdams-Rogers, Donald Rogers and grandchildren, Scott, Laura, and Sarah.

August 16- Given in loving memory of Lois M. Gilbert by her husband, Gayle Gilbert and daughters, Linda Wicks, and Donna Walker.

August 23 - Given by Mary Rounds in loving memory of loved ones.

August 30 - Given by her family in loving remembrance of Lisa Jollimore whose birthday is September 1st.

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 Summer issue of The Lantern!

Lantern on the Web

The Lantern is on the computer each month in its entirety. To reduce our mailing costs, If you would like to read it on line at http://www.firstcongo.org instead of having the newsletter mailed, please let me know.

Thank you and love, Alison

FROM DIANNE CORNARO

Thank you to all who helped to make our tea such a success. This was truly a team effort and I appreciate all the excitement and enthusiasm I felt through out planning this event from our entire church family.

It is impossible for me to list everyone that help but you all know who you are and I do thank you from the bottom of my heart.

With the help of those who attended our tea, we were able to raise $2264.00, of which we donated $100 towards the senior high mission's trip, $1082 to the General Fund and $1082 to the Dale Hall Fund with the hopes that we will be able to continue to make improvements to the Hall as needed.

Again, thank you for your love and support. God Bless you all,
Dianne Cornaro Tea Chairperson

PS: Rick McLay is the Tea Person of the Year…. He made all the tea for us! Thank you Rick!

Next Lantern Deadline: Sunday, August 16

The newsletter written and mailed the week of August 16th will include the end of August and September news.

The next newsletter will be sent out the week of September 20th.