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EPISTLE

Bradford Congregational

Church UCC Bradford, VT (802) 222-4034

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Dear Church Family,

We will be voting at a warned congregational meeting on July 19th on the question

of whether to endorse the Identity and Aspiration Statement printed below. It is

very important that we understand what this vote means and why it is crucial to the

churchs future. Please bear with me as I try to set it in context.

First, the Statement has been carefully crafted to reflect the voice of the

congregation, which I believe is the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking through our

collective thoughts and feelings. The Church Councils Ad Hoc Steering Committee listened to the comments made on the questionnaire and in the small

group gatherings this fall. We circulated eighteen statements that summarized

those comments, and we gave everyone the opportunity over a six-week period to

say whether those statements reflected their feelings or perspectives. We then

crafted the Identity and Aspiration Statement based on the summary statements and

your responses to them. We circulated it widely, offering abundant opportunity for

you to share your thoughts and feelings about it.

At every step of the process, the vast majority of the congregation has

enthusiastically endorsed the statements and Statement. But a vocal minority has

raised a concern that the latest draft of the Identity and Aspiration Statement

acknowledges.

The Steering Committee and Diaconate agreed that we need to say under the

Identity and Aspiration Statement title: Representing what we have appreciated about our congregation at its best and what we dream of it becoming.

The concern that we are addressing arises from the truth that the church has failed

to be its best at times in the past. At its worst, it has gone through controversies

and conflicts in such a way that they have left deep wounds among us and caused

JULY,

2015

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many people to leave the church. Not all these wounds have healed. Forgiveness

and reconciliation have not been complete. Read in that context, the Identity and

Aspiration Statement could be seen as false. That is why we have added the caveat

that it represents what we have appreciated about our congregation at its best.

There is a larger context, though, that also helps address this concern. Last fall we

asked other questions besides what we appreciate about the congregation and what

we dream it will become. We asked what we like least about this church, and what

has changed or happened here that has made us disappointed, angry or sad, and

what we feel is important to change now. By far the biggest dislikes, sources of

wounds and priorities for change were related to the way the congregation went

through controversies or conflicts in the past that caused painful divisions and

departures.

The Diaconate is now actively addressing the need for healing, forgiveness and

reconciliation, and the need for learning new ways of communicating and treating

one another when inevitable controversies or conflicts arise. You will be hearing

about these over the coming months.

The Identity and Aspiration Statement will go a long way toward creating a

healthier, more unified congregation, but it cannot do it without our also

confronting courageously, honestly and openly the need to forgive and reconcile,

and to change our hurtful ways of responding to one another.

What will a vote for the Statement mean? I urge you not to interpret this as a

referendum on the past. Please do not vote against the Statement as a way to

express your pain. The place to do that is in the process that the Diaconate will be

leading. A vote endorsing this Statement will say yes, this is the church that we

are when we are at our best and that we want to become more completely.

Passing the Statement will give the church leadership a clear sense of direction for

where to focus our limited resources. It will give us an invaluable tool to help the

congregation growa carefully defined and widely endorsed mission or vision is one of the most important factors contributing to church growth. (The ability to

resolve conflict lovingly is the number one factor.) It will change for the better the

way we see ourselves and think of ourselves, and that will lead to changes in the

way we act. It will be a lamp for our feet, a light that will guide and encourage us

as we continue on our journey as a congregation.

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It will also be a useful foundation for

the Search Committee, and a start on

the church profile they will be putting

together.

Please read the Statement again, and if

you have questions or suggestions, or

if you cannot be present for the vote

on July 19th and want to have your

perspective represented at the meeting, please email me or speak with one of the

Ad Hoc Steering Committee members listed below. (Responses may be

confidential, but not anonymous, please. Let us know if you would like your

comments to remain within the committee and not be shared more widely.)

Members of the Steering Committee will also be available during and after

refreshments on July 12th for those who would like to discuss the Statement.

My email address is: rev.thomas.cary.kinder@gmail.com

The Ad Hoc Steering Committee members are: Storme Odell; Dan Perry; Penny

Perryman; Carole Taylor; Rob Taylor; Marcia Tomlinson; Charlotte Welch and

Pastor Tom Kinder.

Thank you for all you have done to contribute to this exciting and hopeful time! I

feel so grateful to be able to make this journey with you!

Peace, joy and love,

Tom

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DRAFT June 28, 2015 DRAFT

Identity and Aspiration Statement

Representing what we have appreciated about our congregation at its best

and what we dream of it becoming.

The Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ, Bradford, Vermont,

strives to be a loving church family where everyone feels welcome and at home,

appreciated and supported. We want our faith community to be a safe, comfortable

place for worship and spiritual growth, providing programs for children, youth and

adults and offering high quality worship services and sermons that feel personal

and meaningful. We value our music program, which draws from diverse

traditions for worship and provides a vibrant local center of musical performance.

We honor the rich history of contributions to the town of Bradford made by our

church and its members. We respond to the Christian message by coming together

as a united force to help in times of crisis, and by supporting local and global

missions, and by serving those in need. We cherish our church building not only

for its physical beauty and as a peaceful place to worship, but also as a resource for

serving the greater community.

We aspire to grow in numbers as we make this an increasingly welcoming, loving,

helpful congregation where we take the love we find here out into the world

around us, and where people want to participate because the church makes a

positive difference in their lives throughout the week. We will seek to maintain

healthy communication and a positive, hopeful attitude as we face inevitable

challenges. We want this to be a church where we feel joy, peace and a steady

deepening of Christ-like love and faithfulness among us. We intend to continue

being a congregation where children are cherished, and where we offer

encouragement, support and programs for youth and young families as well as

people of all ages. We dream of being a church that shines like a lighted window

into the community, a beacon for social justice, increasingly engaged in works of

mission and widely known for generously serving those in need.

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PRAYER CONCERNS

We always welcome new links in the prayer chain. If you would like to be on the prayer email list, please let me know. You can also call or email any time with

prayer requests (222-9679 or bridgetalex123@hotmail.com) -Bridget Peters

Among those who were lifted up in prayer in the past month:

Richard Kandy Kendell Mary Sanborn Robert Nutting & family

Our sympathy and love to the family and friends of

John Jolene Shirley Clark Jan Kunz Neil Morrison

The victims of the shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C.

Filling Our Pulpit in August:

While Rev. Kinder is away in August we will have the following

guests filling the pulpit!

9th Bill Waste, a veteran Lay Leader of the Lyme Congregational Church 16th Rev. David Pruitt who was our Interim Minister a few years ago

23rd The Jeremiah Ingalls Society, who will lead worship via the music of Newburys Jeremiah Ingalls

30th Rev. Michael Caldwell, who was with us recently

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You Mighty Hero Emily C. Heath

"Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero? Why do you boast all day long, you

who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?" - Psalm 52:1

Have you ever wondered whether the authors of biblical books sometimes used

sarcasm to get their point across? When I read Psalm 52, I wondered just that. Why

else call someone doing something unjust and evil a "mighty hero"?

Im sitting here thinking about images from the last few days. A bunch of armed protesters surrounded a Mosque in Arizona, mocking and threatening the people

going to worship inside.

They think they are heroes, those men with guns. And they think they are brave.

And many of them think they are being good Christians. They are proud of what

they are doing "on Gods behalf."

These are the sort of people Ill bet the Psalmist would call "you mighty heroes." Its pretty easy for grown adults with guns to stand around scaring children trying to go to worship. Its pretty easy to promote the worst stereotypes you can think of and to willfully reject any nuance whatsoever when it comes to another faith. Its pretty easy to parade around in fatigues like you are some sort of mighty hero.

They are not heroes. They are boasting of evil, and they are doing the exact

opposite of what Christ told us to do to our neighbors.

If you want to look for a real hero, they will rarely be the ones proclaiming

themselves as such. And they will never be the ones resorting to arming

themselves as unarmed children walk past. Instead, they will be the ones standing

beside those being ridiculed. They will be the gentle, kind, and loving souls who

stand with those who are afraid. They will be the quiet and outnumbered ones who

stand up to a crowd and refuse to act out of their fear.

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There are too many "mighty heroes" and too few real heroes. But it doesnt have to be that way, and you can be a part of the change.

Prayer Dear God, when we come across the "mighty heroes" who say they speak for you,

help our compassion and kindness say all that our words do not. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emily C. Heath is Senior Pastor of The Congregational Church in Exeter, New Hampshire.

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Lectionary Readings for JULY July 5 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 Psalm 138 Psalm 48 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Mark 6:1-13 July 12 2 Samuel 6:1-5,12b-19 Psalm 20 Ezekiel 17:22-24 Psalm 24 Amos 7:7-15 Ephesians 1:3-14 Mark 6:14-29 July 19 2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37 Jeremiah 23:1-16 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 July 26 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Psalm 14 2 Kings 4:42-44 Ephesians 3: 14-21 John 6:1-21

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The work on the tower has begun!

To learn more about the project and

to donate to this and other

improvements, visit http://www.actnspire.org/index.php

Church Council June 4th meeting

There were 10 members present. The May 7, minutes were accepted and we

reviewed the minutes of the Annual Meeting. Received the resignation of Ruth

Clements from Music and Dottie Unkles from Diaconate. Still in need of 2 for

Nominating Committee and other positions. Diaconate reorganized with Ginny

Moore, Chairperson, and Bridget asked to attend all meetings while on her one

year off. Trustees- Joe reported that Steeple repairs would start in June. Trustees

will decide the number and cost of Summer Camp attendees supported by Game

supper. Town will be paving the street to the north of church.

Since Rev. Tom Kinder will be away from August 4th to the 31st , thereby missing

the Council meeting normally held on the 7th, it was decided to move the August

6th meeting forward to July 23th rather than not holding a July meeting.

Tom will ask Pam Lucas to meet with us to discuss the Search progress.

Daniel Perry, Chairperson

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EIGHTH ANNUAL ALL-CHURCH YARD SALE

Dear Parishioner: We are having our all-church yard sale and it will be held in the Church Vestry again this year. Most items will be by donation. Friday August 21 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Saturday August 22

9:00 am to 1:00 pm We are soliciting items to be delivered to the church vestry (no clothing or bedding please). Items may be brought to the church any time after August 3. The Vestry door will be open. Items such as but not limited to: Furniture Knick-Knacks China Pewter Books Small Appliances Silver Tools Collectibles Kitchen Items Art/Crafts Co-Chairs Dan Perry, Eris Eastman, Vida Perry-Munson, Linda Gross, Sue Eastman, Maryjane Krepper, Martina Stever

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It has been great to see

steady attendance by our

church's children (and some

visitors too!) as the summer

begins. Though we don't

have a formal summer

curriculum, each week we

meet downstairs during the

second half of the service to

talk more about what they

learned during Children's

Time with Tom, read Bible

stories together, work on

craft projects, and play

games. We'll continue with

this until August 30th when

the kids will be hosting

coffee hour, and the

following Sunday,

September 6, our regular

curriculum of lessons will

begin again.

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Church Families from Long Ago The Peters Family cont. (last issue ended with the passing of the family farm down through the generations

to Frank)

Marguerite Grow in Long Ago in Bradford describes the fairground buildings, race track and an imaginary horse race which was won by a Morgan Bay racer probably a Peters Morgan. She also gives a history on the racing cart/sulky as

follows: According to a recent item in a 1957 Boston paper entitled Sulky Racing Then and Now, high four-wheeled sulkies were in use from 1800-1850. From 1850 to 1900 high two-wheelers were popular. From 1900-1920 sulkies had much

higher seats, and not until 1920 did the modern low-seated sulky come into use. This is the style of sulky racing I have seen. It always seems to me that the horses

tail is practically in the face of

the driver no wonder they wear a small visored hat and

wrap around goggles!

If its a muddy track, they finish the race covered with

mud. In 1871 Bradford had its

23rd fair conducted by the

Orange County Agricultural

Society and was held on the

Peters field at the Old

Fairgrounds until it was moved

in 1956 to Memorial Field

behind Bradford Academy and run by the FFA (Future Farmers of America) and

named the Connecticut Valley Exposition. There were cattle sheds, buildings for

other animals and a floral hall as well as the race track, and grandstand on the Old

Fairgrounds. I never attended these fairs there but did go to carnivals and circuses

before the Armory and B.E.S. were built. When I return to Bradford, I will have

some of my photos of this Fair, racetrack, and Peters Morgans reproduced for a

future Epistle.

The children of J. Edward and Annie Peters were:

1) J. Arthur, born 6/30/1910, BA Class of 1927, married Lillian, who was born

10/18/1914. J. Arthur graduated from the University of Vermont and taught school

at St. Johnsbury Academy before returning to Bradford to teach at Bradford

Academy in 1945. He was Principal at BA from 1968 until it closed in 1971. He

managed FFA (Future Farmers of America), the Connecticut Valley Fair for many

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years. Lillian was a homemaker, candy maker, great cook and caretaker. They were

both active in the Congregational Church and lived across Route 5 from the family

farm. J. Arthur died on December 5, 2005 and Lillian died August 30, 2001. They

are buried in the Bradford Sawyer Cemetery. Their children: a) Barbara (Peters)

Arthur, BA Class of 1955, lives in

Arizona and has two sons; b) Velma

(Peters) Marcotte, BA Class of

1960, lives in Winslow, Arizona,

and has a daughter and son.

2) The second son of J. Edward and

Annie Peters was William A., BA

Class of 1932, died May 27, 2013.

3) G. Louise (Peters) Snowden, BA

Class of 1937 and died in the late

1960s.

4) Frank, BA Class of 1939, married

Virginia Hartwell, BA Class of

1943. They lived on the family farm

until they divorced and sold it. Both remarried. Frank died May 2010. Their

children: a) Dennis, BA Class of 1963, married Bette Smith of Newbury, VT, has

one son Andrew. Dennis worked in the Orange East Supervisory Union office for

several years before moving to NH. He returns for our Annual Wild Game Supper

and is first in line; b) Dale, BA Class of 1964, lived in Maryland, died September

6, 2011, not married. C) Carol (Peters) Knight, BA Class of 1967, lived in Barre

area, died September 27, 2011. Both Frank and Virginia were very active in our

church. Frank is buried in Bradfords Sawyer Cemetery. 5) Arad, born March 1, 1928, BA Class of 1946, served in the US Army, died

August 18, 1953 and is buried in Bradfords Upper Plain Cemetery. 6) Ruth (Peters) Vorba, born September 17, 1932, BA Class of 1950, married the

Rev. Edward Vorba, Pastor of our church 1948-1952.They served in many states

(West Palm Beach, FL for one). Ruth returned to Bradford after Ed died and lived

in the Pleasant Street home formerly owned by her parents, Ed and Annie. She was

active in our church and Womens Fellowship and died November 27, 2005 and is buried with her husband in Bradfords Sawyer Cemetery. Rev. Vorba was born September 15, 1923 and died March 12, 1985. I wrote an article on his life for an

Epistle several years ago.

Velma (Peter) Marcotte reminded me that her grandfather, J. Edward Peters, had

also owned an extensive flock of sheep (Merino, I think) bought in Australia. J.

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Edward Peters died January 11, 1977 and Annie, his wife died June 29, 1972. They

are buried in Bradfords Upper Cemetery.

This is a family that has done so much for Bradford and our church over the past

250 years and yet none of the descendents live here now.

Diaconate As many of you know our neighbors (Robert Nutting) house burned on June 22. On behalf of the whole church, the deacons voted to help the family purchase

clothing and household supplies with gift cards to use at two local stores. Because

of your generous monthly donations we are able to help our neighbors when an

emergency need arises. Thank you for your continued support of this important

local mission.

The Ad Hoc Committee has worked diligently to craft the Identity and

Aspiration Statement with information we all provided last fall. They have

included all church members every step of the way and they continue to ask for

feedback. Until July 12 you will have an opportunity to continue to share your

thoughts. Then on July 19, at a special meeting, we will vote on acceptance of this

important document. If you are unable to vote please let Rev. Kinder know how

you feel about it. I mention this because the deacons hope acceptance of the

Identity and Aspiration Statement is our first vital step toward healing and

reconciliation in our church. As a second step, the Diaconate is making plans to

invite two local professionals who will conduct a series of workshops around the

themes of healing, reconciling and communicating in healthier ways. We feel this

is necessary work to build a positive future for our church. We will keep you all

informed of our progress and dates to save so we can all participate together.

As we move forward, the Diaconate wants to remind you that if you have

questions, concerns or other important information to share we are here to listen.

As we learn new ways of healthy communication we ask that you speak up, to one

of the deacons, so we can help each other work through inevitable issues and

resolve any conflicts before they cause unnecessary pain.

Your deacons include: Carole Taylor, Dan Perry, Jim Perry, Kathy Munson,

Marcia Tomlinson and Ginny Moore.

Pam Lucas, our Associate Conference Minister, will attend the July Council

meeting to help us begin forming a minister search committee. If you would like to

be a member of the search committee please inform a council or diaconate

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member. This is a wonderful opportunity to help our church move into the future.

So please consider serving on this vital committee.

Yours in Christ,

Ginny Moore

What a lineup of great music on

June 28th!

Rev. Kinder wrote: This Sunday the music will be provided by Bruce and Caleb Freeberg. We are blessed to be able to have them--they are becoming well known and in high demand in churches around Vermont for their traditional gospel services. They draw from the African American, celtic, Appalachian, country, and bluegrass traditions and perform on a variety of instruments. We will sing a moving version of Amazing Grace and the

gospel classic Precious Lord, Take My Hand. We will go out with the uplifting spiritual, I'll Fly Away. Caleb and Bruce will begin playing the Music for the Gathering around 9:50 AM. This would be a good Sunday to arrive early!

The service will take its theme from the lectionary passages that are all about the healing and redeeming power of God. Psalm 107 says, "You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent." The Wisdom of Solomon passage talks about God's creative and generative powers. The passage from Mark shows God's power flowing through Christ, healing a woman who touches his cloak and then raising a girl from the dead. That same power not only is available to heal and redeem us as individuals and as a church, but it can flow through us to heal and uplift others--a cause for great hope, joy and praise. Blessings of hope and joy to you, Tom

Lectionary Readings for JULY