The Anchor

“Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” ~ Hebrews 6:12, 19

Dear Good People of

Mystic Congregational Church,

As I write, the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral has just gone up in flames. The world watched as a centuries-old structure, architectural marvel, and revered holy space was engulfed and burned into disrepair. At the very same time, a fire broke out at the beloved Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. Less than a month ago, in a racially-motivated act, a string of fires were set in three historically black churches in Louisiana. Each of the Louisiana fires resulted in the near complete destruction of the structures.

The community affected in each case is different. The cause of the fire in each case is different. The scope of the damage in each case is different. What is the same is that each of these fires offers us the agonizing reminder of the impermanence of human institutions, the frailty of human life, and the transience of the things we create to reflect the Divine. What is also the same in each case, is the rising Phoenix-Spirit of people of faith: we will come back, we will rebuild, we will rise again from our ashes. What is the same is the affirmation: God is with us.

Friends, this is a resurrection statement, an Easter-Season proclamation. Easter did not just happen on April 21st this year; the season persists for the whole month of May and into June. We may be subject to the frailty of human life and our institutions but we are also called as people of faith to rise up, to live as Phoenix-Spirit people, Easter-Season people.

May we follow the One who overcame the power of death and destruction to bring new life to all.

In faith,

Pastor Christa

Mystic Congregational Church 43 East Main Street

Mystic, CT 06355 An Open and Affirming Church

Gathered on January 20, 1852

May 2019 Vol. 60 Issue 5

CALL to ANNUAL MEETING

Members of the Mystic Congregational Church are hereby called to the Annual Meeting

to be held in the Sanctuary 43 East Main Street, Mystic

on Sunday, May 5, 2019, at 11:00 a.m.

The business to come before the meeting will be:

To receive and act on annual reports from church officers and committees;

To elect new officers and committee members;

To adjust the 2019 budget by reducing General Pledge Income to offset pledge shortfall (this budg-et reduction will be finalized and presented by the Trustees at the meeting)

To amend the Bylaws to add section 9.4 (a) as fol-

lows: (a) “The Vice Moderator shall assist the Mod-

erator in the performance of duties, as required

due to the absence of the Moderator from Church

Council or an Annual Meeting. A Vice Moderator

may be elected by the Church at the Annual Meet-

ing for a term of one year. After serving three con-

secutive terms, the Vice Moderator shall be ineligi-

ble for re-election or re-appointment for one year.”

To amend the Bylaws section 9.1 by adding the po-

sition of Vice Moderator to the list of officers and

revising the last sentence of this section to read as

follows: “Officers of the Church shall be a Pastor, a

Moderator, a Vice Moderator, a Clerk, a Treasurer,

Assistant Treasurer and Contribution Treasurer, an

Historian, and such other officers including one or

more Associate or Assistant Pastors as the Church

may determine. All Officers shall be Members of

the Church, or have full and regular ministerial

standings in the New London Association of the

United Church of Christ.” (new language under-

lined)

To transact any other business proper at such a meeting.

Stacey Herrman

Clerk for Church Council

Book of Life ENTERED into ETERNAL REST:

Austin Francis Allard, on April 1, 2019. Robert G. Boggs, on April 2, 2019.

Our church youth have been busy with different activities— preparing meals for the Westerly Area Meals and Hospitali-ty Center (WARM) and working on the Good Friday Walk station signs on April 7, and enjoying the hospitality of the Jamie McGee family at the “Youth Second Sunday Suppers” on April 14. (Photos are courtesy of Jamie McGee.)

YOUTH MISSION TRIP FUNDRAISER “What is the “100 Envelopes Campaign”?

Our Senior High School Youth Group’s “100 Envelopes Cam-paign” will help support the mission trip to Pittsburgh in June. How does it work? Look for the Youth Ministries bul-letin board display towards the Parish Hall. On it you’ll find information about our upcoming trip along with 100 enve-lopes. Each envelope will be numbered 1-100. Choose an enve-lope and make a donation to our youth in the amount equal to the number on the envelope. It’s that simple. If you choose #1, you donate $1.00. If you choose envelope $100, you donate $100. We are grateful for every dollar given! Stop by, choose an envelope, and help our youth make a difference in the world!

A big “THANK YOU” to all who attended our Safe Conduct training on April 7 presented by Patti Burmahl. This will help us to expand our pool of volunteers who can work safely with our youth.

Our Sunday School year is flying by. May begins with our children preparing to lead us in worship on Children’s Worship Sunday, May 19. We hope you will join the chil-dren on May 19 as they are always an inspiration through their worship leadership and music! Then we have only two more Sunday School sessions before the end of our program year is celebrated in June (more about that next month).

Beth Manning Interim Director of Children’s Ministries

Mark your Calendar May 5 Communion Sunday: Children will leave worship to plan for Children’s

Worship Sunday (CWS); 11:00 a.m. CWS music practice with Andrew May 12 CWS Practice during Sunday School; 11:00 a.m. CWS music practice with Andrew May 19 Children’s Worship Sunday May 26 Sunday School: Godly Play: The Parable of the Good Shepherd

CoLABorate: (NT) Jesus

Sunday helpers... We still have 5 slots open for adult assistants on May 26

and June 9 for our last few weeks of Sunday School. Please consider volunteering one Sunday to be the help-ing hand for our teachers! See Beth Manning (CMDirector@mysticucc.org) to sign up.

Lately, we’ve been rushing to find a youth Call to Wor-ship leader at the beginning of every service. Children can sign up ahead of time to be our readers on the bulle-tin board outside the CM office. This way I can e-mail the reading to the parent beforehand so the child has a few days to prepare! Children may also sign up to be the acolyte, and bell ringer, or giving-basket holder. So please stop by the bulletin board (look for the rainbow) before leaving church each Sunday!

Pastor Christa Will Be Away on Continuing Education

Monday, April 29—Friday, May 3, 2019 For pastoral emergencies, please call:

Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals at 860-287-4196.

Friday, May 24—Monday, May 27, 2019 For pastoral emergencies, please call: Rev. Sue Latourette at 860-759-4231.

All-Committee Meeting Night The first joint meeting of all boards and committees

will be held on Wednesday, June 5, 2019

at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall

We will begin with a potluck supper and, afterward, boards and committees will convene to elect their re-spective chairs and set the calendar for the coming Pro-gram Year 2019-2020. All board and committee mem-bers (new, continuing, and retiring) are asked to attend this important first meeting.

Please bring a dish to share for the potluck supper ac-cording to the first letter of your last name.

A-F: dessert, G-O: main dish, P-Z: salad (or dessert)

PARISH CARE

We are in need of people to visit our church mem-bers and friends in their homes or wherever they maybe in their life’s jour-ney. We have members in Avalon, StoneRidge, Apple Rehab, Masonicare, and

Academy Point. Short 20-minute visits are best.

If you would like to do this mission work, our Parish Care members will assist you and go with you on your first vis-it or for as long as you would like. Perhaps you can also bring your children. It is rewarding experience for all!

Interested? Contact Co-Chairs Karin Stuart at 860-861-4774 or and Jane Donnel at 860-536-0172.

Do you want to provide help to others who are in need

of support with behavioral and mental health issues?

The Mystic Congregational Church Parish Care Committee

is sponsoring a FREE training to help individuals understand the basics of addiction, gambling, drug

trends and suicide prevention!

Monday, May 13th and Tuesday, May 14th (must attend both sessions)

5:30-8:30pm Mystic Congregational Church 43 E Main Street, Mystic, CT.

A light supper will be provided!

Please RSVP to: http://seractraining.eventbrite.com

Training provided by Southeastern Regional Action Committee (SERAC)

Join the Women's Fellowship for a special, festive

Spring Flowers Tea & Musicale

on Tuesday, May 14 at 9:15 am in the Parish Hall.

The musical duo "Patina" will fea-ture violinist Laura Stetler and gui-tarist Tim Lambert. Patina is a string duo that programs tunes of Celtic and North American tradi-tions, such as airs, rags, jigs, hornpipes, marches, reels, and waltzes.

Laura is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and is currently Program Manager of the new

Women's Business Development Council in New London.

In addition, there will be a seasonal sale of summer linens including ta-ble cloths, place mats and aprons as well as garden-themed gift baskets. (Checks and cash only, please!)

This morning event promises to be a lovely, tasty treat celebrating spring in Mystic! And the public is invited to attend free of charge.

Please join our congregation

at a HABITAT for HUMANITY BUILD on SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2019

8:30 a.m. at 67 Chapman Road in Groton.

To sign up, go to www.habitatect.org. Click the “Volunteer UP” link and follow the instructions.

Questions? Please contact Martha Ficke (203-641-9425).

DEADLINE REMINDER The deadline for the June 2019 issue

of The Anchor is Wednesday, May 15.

The deadline for the July-August 2019 combined issue is Monday, June 10.

The deadline for the September 2019 issue is Thursday, August 15.

From Your Treasurer (Periodic Updates on MCC Finances)

The Stewardship Committee reports that the total of Pledges for 2019 stands at $345,697. This is 96.7% of the Church’s Pledge tar-get of $357,952. Thanks to all for your generous pledges. If you have not made your annual pledge, please do make it! Although we are ap-proximately $12,000 short of our pledge tar-get, MCC should be in good financial shape this year. This is because we have not yet hired a Director of Faith Formation, and will not incur the full salary ex-pense that was built into the budget for this position. It will be important that next year’s pledges be enough to support this new position for the full year.

Thanks to the Trustees for organizing the snow re-moval volunteers. After multiple snow storms in the 1st quarter of 2019, the efforts of the snow shovel bri-gade saved MCC $500 this year as compared to last year’s 1st quarter snow removal expenses.

Reporting with joy that attendees at the Service of Word & Installation for Pastor Christa donated $1,229 at the Offering, with proceeds going to the Open and Affirming Ministries of the Connecticut Conference of the UCC and Always Home (formerly MASH).

On March 22, Pastor Swenson, Jane Fitzpatrick, and Lisa Hilliard had the opportunity to share in demonstrating radical hospitality to youth across CT as part of our open and affirming covenant. We volunteered at “True Colors” at UCONN— a two-day conference that hosted about 3000 LGBTQ+ youth from CT and offered workshops throughout both days. We were part of the vendor group in the ballroom, stationed at the UCC Connecticut Conference booth (this was in addition to the two extra booths offered by UCC churches close to the UCONN campus).

Our booth had a map showing the 107 open and affirming UCC congregations in the state (out of 235 total UCC congregations). It was delightful engaging in conversation with the students as we found their home towns on the map and talked about what Open and Affirming means. The stu-

dents were so self-confident in the environment provided and, in many cases, shared some very honest thoughts with us. We were proud to be representing Mystic Congregational Church and the UCC, and we look forward to volunteer-ing again next year. (Photo courtesy of Pastor Christa.)

Movie Night Potluck Dinner Saturday, May 11

at 5:30 p.m., Parish Hall

Come and enjoy culinary delights and an inspiring movie!

“I’ll Push You” is an inspiring film that chronicles a 500-mile pilgrim-age (El Camino de Santiago) trav-eled by two best friends. It’s a mov-ie filled with faith, hope, love, and the power of community.

Please bring a dish according to the first letter of your last name:

A – I = Salad J – O = Main Dish P – Z = Dessert

If you don't have time to prepare or bring a dish, come anyway. There will be enough food for all. Parents of small children, please bring food you know they will enjoy.

The Adult Faith Formation Commit-tee will provide a baked ham.

March 22, 2019: “True Colors” Conference

Photos courtesy

of Keith Barker

April 5-6, 2019: Annual Tag Sale Photos courtesy

of Keith Barker

A thousand THANKS to all our Church members and friends. You made our EVENT so successful! Beginning with the “STUFF” you brought; the Set-Up Teams for the Parish Hall, Library Jewelry Boutique, & Children’s Room; all who con-tributed to the orderly display of items in each of our many categories: Electronics, Fine Glass/houseware, Clothing, Sports/Garden Equipment, Hardware, Books, Tapes/Records, Totes & Baskets, Linens, Crafts; Cashiers & Baggers, Float-ers, Cleanup Crew, Parking Patrollers—blessing to All! With God’s help we raised (more than)$6,000 for our mission projects and our community! ~Tag Sale Co-Chairs Karin Stuart and Pam McGee

April 14, 2019: PALM SUNDAY

Thank you to everyone for being a part of the MAEC Good Friday Walk—walkers, donors, support staff (MCC’s Keith Barker, Fred-

ericka Bettinger, Frank Durrschmidt, Pip Fritzsche, Tatia McClintock, Jamie McGee, Jane Morison, Ted Parker, St. Patrick

Church’s Mike Hewitt, Poquonnock Bridge Baptist Church’s Bob Land). ~Sue Barker

April 19, 2019: MAEC Good Friday Walk Photos courtesy

of Keith Barker

April 21, 2019: Easter Sunday Photos courtesy

of Keith Barker

Mystic Congregational Church “where hope is alive and love is visible”

An Open and Affirming Church

Office (860) 536-4259 Fax (860) 572-2716 Email office@mysticucc.org Website: www.mysticucc.org

Sunday Services 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m.* *Sunday School & Child Care

All MCC Members Ministers Rev. Christa D. Swenson Senior Pastor Katrina M. Korpi Moderator Andrew P. Howell Director of Music Beth A. Manning Interim Director of Children’s Ministries John J. Leary III Treasurer Stacey I. Herrman Assistant Treasurer H. Keith Covin Contribution Treasurer Eleanor S. Pomeroy Office Secretary Our Mission Statement: to joyfully bring the Christian principles of faith, hope and love to all through quality worship, education, fellowship and outreach.

Non-Profit Organization U. S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 31

Mystic, CT 06355

SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2019 Third Sunday of Easter

Sacrament of Holy Communion 10:00 a.m. (One Service Only)

Rev. Christa D. Swenson Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)

Psalm 30 Revelation 5:11-14

John 21:1-19

______________________________

SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Easter Rev. Christa D. Swenson

8:00 & 10:00 a.m. Acts 9:36-43

Psalm 23 Revelation 7:9-17

John 10:22-30 _____________________________

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019 Fifth Sunday of Easter

CHILDREN’S WORSHIP SUNDAY 10:00 a.m. (One Service Only)

Acts 11:1-18 Psalm 148

Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35

_____________________________

SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2019 Sixth Sunday of Easter

Rev. Susan Olson 8:00 & 10:00 a.m.

Acts 16:9-15 Psalm 67

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:23-29 or John 5:1-9

_____________________________

MAY 2019 Worship Services