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WITHIN THE PEWS
Monthly Newsletter of the
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF GRAFTON, UCC Worship & Sunday School 10 am
SEPTEMBER EDITION
September Special Events:
September 7 - Back-to-Church Sunday, Café Covenant to learn more about Thrift Shop
September 21 - Israeli-Palestinian Conversation
September 27 - Harvest Fair & Apple Pie Social
____________________________________________________________________________________________
A word from our Pastor…
Back to Church Sunday….September 7th!!
Top Seven Reasons to Go Back to Church on September 7th!
1. To stand in front of the beautiful paint job and just enjoy the moment.
2. To meet up with all those people who didn’t miss church all summer. And then tell
them about your awesome summer at the beach/mountains/grandma’s house.
3. Because where else can you hear a great sermon, listen to awe-inspiring music AND
have ice cream?
4. Because Donna Blanchard, Ron Diurba and Elvis started out singing in church … so
can you.
5. Since you know that in this economy, it’s good to be hooked up with someone who
can turn water into wine.
6. Church on Sunday morning may be the only place parents can get free coffee AND
child care.
7. Because Back-to-Church Sunday is up there with Easter and Christmas Eve and you
really don’t want to miss out!
__________________________________________________________________________________ Staff & Office Information: How to contact us: Office Phone 508-839-4513 Rev. Jane Willan, Pastor FAX 508-839-9772 Kristen Graham, Admin. Asst., Editor Email: [email protected] Organist: Edward Smreczak Pastor’s email: [email protected] Music Director: Donna Blanchard Web Site: www.uccgrafton.com Jane’s cell 508-581-0786 Jane’s blog: http://uccgrafton.wordpress.com
I don’t know about you, but I am ready for church to “start up” again. I need the refresh-
ing presence of God and the uplifting spirit of community as much as I need the cool tem-
peratures and brilliant colors of September. That is why I am eagerly anticipating Grafton
UCC’s Back-to-Church Celebration this Sunday, September 7th.
This Sunday will be a particularly special day for the church children. The amaz-
ing Sunday school program will kick off on that day. There will be a very special Children’s
sermon and each child will receive a special gift from Reverend Jane. Parents bring your
children so they can have the benefit of an excellent Christian education experience.
For those of us upstairs in the sanctuary, the choir will sing, the organ and piano will swell
with music, the prayers and liturgy will take us to new places as we seek the voice of
God. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear and feel God’s presence.
When the worship is finished….we will celebrate! Following the service, we will gather
downstairs for ice cream Sundaes together. Then we will continue the celebration of our
life together with a Café Covenant to discuss a wonderful mission of this church—the
Thrift Shop.
Back-to-Church Sunday. September 7. 10:00 AM. See You in the Pews!
Reverend Jane
35th Apple pie Social & Harvest Fair
September 27, 2014
(Rain Date Sunday, Sept. 28)
Mark Your Calendars!
Food * Attic Treasures * Toys * Games * Silent Auction * Book Table
This is one of Grafton’s most recognized events for people of all ages!! Come and join the fun!!
If you have not yet volunteered to help, it is easy. Just go to www.signupgenius.com. We are
working hard to get as many members involved as possible. Our wish is to have every member
and friend of the church working together to reach our goals of:
A family fun event for the church and the community
Building fellowship within the congregation
CARE AND CONCERN CIRCLE September 2014
Join the Care and Concern Circle by keeping these people in your prayers now and throughout your week. To add or remove a name, speak with any deacon, email the church office at [email protected] or the deacon chairperson at [email protected]. Thank you!
We pray for recovery, well-being and comfort for:
Ron Diurba Matthew Keiter Ron Mack
Mark F. Hank Poler Mel Hopkins
Kelley Lennon-Hopkins Tom Overdorf Jenn White’s family
Rand Bardsley Sadie Jean LaFlamme Rand Bardsley
All our service men and women at home and away Christina N.
.
ONA: an opportunity for church growth
Successful ONA churches are congregations that learn how to become a visible and reliable presence in the LGBT community—especially when our basic rights are under attack, when LGBT youth aren’t pro-tected in local schools from bullying, and when alternative faith voices are needed in campaigns for mar-riage equality.
When ONA congregations are active and visible, they can grow. New members will include both LGBT seekers and young heterosexual couples who want their children to learn the faith in a church with the values ONA represents.
Your Open and Affirming congregation can help change the world!
ONA isn’t just about welcoming LGBT seekers into your congregation. Your ONA covenant is a challenge to put your faith into action by advocating
For LGBT youth in your community, especially in public and charter schools where they face verbal abuse and physical assault.
For equal marriage opportunity and basic civil rights.
For LGBT seniors who aren’t safe in their nursing and retirement homes, and who need the support of a church family.
For transgender citizens who face discrimination in employment and housing, and whose basic medi-cal needs aren’t covered by health insurance.
For LGBT refugees and asylum seekers who face persecution and imprisonment at home...or worse.
For the millions affected by HIV worldwide who are denied the treatment and medicines they need to live.
Adult Sunday School Starts September 14
Join Reverend Jane on a 10-week study of the
book, The Underground Church.
Sunday mornings at 9:00
Thursday evenings 6:45-7:30 (ending in
time for choir)
The Underground Church proposes that the
faithful recapture the spirit of the early
church with its emphasis on what Christians
do rather than what they believe. Author of
the book, and prominent progressive writer,
speaker, and minister Robin Meyers proposes
that the best way to recapture the spirit of
the early Christian church is to recognize
that Jesus-following was and must be again
subversive in the best sense of the word be-
cause the gospel taken seriously turns the
world upside down.
If you want to start reading to prepare for
the class, go to Amazon and order your book
now! This will be an exciting and stimulating
journey.
Calling all 7th & 8th graders!
Rev. Jane will be holding a parents meet-ing after church on September 28th for this year’s upcoming Confirmation Class. Meet her in the Fireplace Room.
Introducing our NEW
Workshop Rotational Model
for Sunday School
(Pre - K - Grade 5)
This year Christian Ed is rolling out a new and ex-
citing Sunday school model! With the Workshop
Rotation Sunday School model, we teach the same
Bible story for 5 weeks in a row to all our stu-
dents Pre K through Grade 5.
Children are grouped into classes based on age:
Pre K/K, Grade 1-3, and Grade 4-5
Each week classes rotate into a new and unique
workshop (art, video, games/Bible skills, drama,
etc.), however, teachers stay put in the workshop,
repeating their lesson each week to a new group,
while adapting and improving their lesson during
“rotation”.
Why rotate?
Bible literacy improves when the same story is
taught through different workshops over 5
weeks.
Each workshop focuses on a different creative
learning style which broadens memory.
Teachers are recruited from the Church com-
munity at large providing a rich, multi-
generational learning environment.
We need volunteers! Workshop leaders run the
same workshop 3 times over a 4 week period. If
you are interested in running a workshop, please
contact Amy Woodbury at
[email protected] or 508-887-9570.
Did you forget to send in your deposit for the
Women’s Retreat?
Please don’t wait another day - send your de-
posit in today!
You don’t want to miss out on all the fun, do you?
* Food * Fun * Fellowship * Faith *
What else could you ask for?
(Plus - no cleaning, no cooking and no whiny
kids!)
Where: Craigville Conference Center
When: October 24-26, 2014
Deposit: $50 Now Due
Total Cost: $190
Got Questions?
Ask the Women’s Retreat Committee:
Liz Gallagher (508) 839-0081
Connie Hopkins (508) 839-2146
Betty Mack (508) 839-4287
Kathy Vandenengel (508) 839-5584
GRAFTON THRIFT SHOP
VOLUNTEERS FOR SEPEMBER, 2014
Shop Hours: Thursdays 10-1, Saturdays 10-4
Thursday 10-4
Sept. 4 Diane LaLone, Lois Scott
11 Mary Tulloch, Angela Ajamie
18 Bill & Jean Burke, Lee Paine
25 Sandy Cooper, Ann Cranshaw
Saturday 10-1
Sept. 6 Bernice Benoit, Brenda Armstrong
13 Elaine Hatch, Kathy Vandenengel
20 Mary Tulloch, Lorraine Swanson
27 Closed for the Harvest Fair
Saturday 1-4
Sept. 6 Bill & Jean Burke
13 Sandy Cooper
20 Elaine Hatch
27 Closed for the Harvest Fair
Scripture Readings for
September
September 7 Luke 15:1-10
September 14 Matthew 18:21-35
September 21 Matthew 20:1-16
September 28 Matthew 21:23-32
Take Advantage of Those “Back to
School” Sales
School supplies are on sale at many stores in
the area and these are great items to fill the
shoe boxes with when we hold our OPERA-
TION CHRISTMAS CHILD campaign in No-
vember. Please think ahead and pick up any
items that can be used as gifts for the less fortu-
nate children of the world.
PLANNING FOR THIS YEAR’S 35th ANNUAL HARVEST FAIR & APPLE PIE SOCIAL IS
WELL UNDER WAY!
Planning for this year’s Harvest Fair & Apple Pie Social on Saturday, September 27th (rain date Sunday 9/28) is well underway and we need everyone’s help to make this year’s event a success. This year, instead of the traditional paper sign-up sheets, we will be using an electronic sign-up system. Be on the lookout for an email coming to you shortly from Janet Rivard, Volun-teer Recruiter ([email protected]) and use the link in the email to log onto the www.signupgenius.com web-site that we will be using to organize volunteers. If you don’t have an email account, please give Janet a call
at 508-839-9584 and she will sign you up.
The Fair will run from 12 noon to 4 pm. For most spots we are planning 2 shifts, 10 am - 2 pm and 2 pm - 6 pm. The first shift (starting at 10 am) will help with Fair set-up, while the second shift (starting at 2 pm) will help with Fair clean-up and take down after the Fair ends. This will allow most everyone who volunteers at the Fair to also have some off time to enjoy the Fair, get some pie, bid on Silent Auction items, browse the books and Attic Treasures, enjoy the music and visit with neighbors
and friends!
So while you’re relaxing this summer please take a mi-nute to think about how your talents can be best utilized and then join in the fun of the Fair come September. Special thanks to those that have taken leadership posi-tions this year and for their continued and dedicated support. If you have any Harvest Fair related questions please don’t hesitate to call Craig Peacock at 508-887
-0352.
Chairperson – Craig Peacock
Apple Pies - Carrie Peacock
Jewelry and More
It won’t be very long before the Harvest Fair will
be here. Ladies, if you have any jewelry that you
haven’t been wearing, handbags that have been
sitting on the shelf, scarves that you bought and
have never worn, or any unusual items that have
been sitting around the house collecting dust,
please consider donating them to the Jewelry
and More table. Your donations can be brought
to me at the church or to the Thrift Shop—
whichever is the easiest. If you need me to pick
up your donation, please call me at 508-839-
3547.
Thank You, Elaine Hatch
THRIFT SHOP
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Starting the first Saturday
in October, we will be need-
ing volunteers to come and work the 1:00 to
4:00 shift. At one time we had the support from
the young ladies of the “Grafton House” who
would come and work the afternoon shift. Dur-
ing the past year we haven’t had their help and
the ladies of the board have been working alone
on Saturday afternoons. Working alone doesn’t
allow us to leave and help customers out to their
car with their purchases or bring donations into
the shop. The bottom line is, no volunteer
should be working alone. So please keep in
mind, when Gail Poole calls looking for volun-
teers, whether it’s the morning or afternoon
shift, please say yes. Remember, we’re all do-
ing this for our church!
BAKED GOODS TABLE
Hi everyone! We just wanted to give you a friendly reminder to start thinking about the baked goods table at our fair. We are look-ing for donations of cute baskets, dish towels or potholders to add to our baked goods ta-ble at the fair. Also, please label your baked goods—especially if they contain nuts. Thank you so much! See you at the fair!
Kathy & Lorraine
THE 35TH ANNUAL
HARVEST FAIR AND
APPLE PIE SOCIAL
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH
(Rain date—Sunday, Sept 28)
The 2014 Harvest Fair and
Apple Pie Social is less than
a month away!
SILENT AUCTION CAN HELP YOU
DECLUTTER AND RECYCLE
Please consider donating to the Silent Auction at the fall Harvest Fair as you declutter this
summer. Also, keep us in mind if you’re planning a move in the near future.
For Silent Auction, previous years’ donations have included antique tables and chairs, bar
stools, antique beds, adult bicycles, vintage toys, framed art and photography.
You can bring items (other than furniture) to the thrift shop and mark “for Silent Auction” or
call us and we’ll arrange a pick up. Our answering machine is always on should we be out:
508-839-4618.
Thank you in advance, to all our new contributors—and to all of you in the past, who have
helped make this event so successful.
Sandy and Sheldon Cooper
ATTIC TREASURES
As you do your summer cleaning, don’t forget to set
aside a few of your treasures for our table at the year’s
Harvest Fair. We appreciate receiving small household
items, dishes, toys, children’s ride-on toys, bikes, book
cases, small tables, and chests are some of the popular
items. Pleas keep in mind when making your donations
that they are clean and in working order. Remember
what we have on sale is a reflection of our church and
all the people that work very hard to make the fair a
huge success. We are unable to accept computers,
printers, TV’s, stereo equipment, exercise equipment
and children’s car seats. If you are interested in do-
nating prior to the fair please call: Elaine Hatch at 508-
839-3547, Sandy Cooper at 508-839-4618 or Gail Poole
at 508-839-9667.
WHO WANTS TO BE A
CLASSROOM MONITOR? The Christian Education Committee is looking to
start the Sunday School Classroom Monitor pro-
gram up once again and needs your help. The
Monitors stop by each class during Sunday School
and take a head count of each group. In addition,
they walk younger students to the bathroom as
needed and gather supplies for teachers if neces-
sary so they don’t have to leave their class. We
would love to have at least 8 volunteers for this
role that we can rotate through a schedule. If you
are interested, please email Christine Brown at
Social Justice Committee presents:
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
Why Christians Should Care
Sunday, September 21, 11:30 AM
Our newly formed Social Justice Committee will host
a program on the background of the conflict, our
UCC connections to the area through Global Minis-
tries partnerships and the call of Palestinian Chris-
tians in their Kairos Palestine document for the sup-
port of Christian churches world-wide.
Presenters Gay Harter and Linda Ziebell, Co-Chairs
of the Mass. Conference Palestine-Israel Task Team
and members of the First Church in Cambridge, Con-
gregational, UCC will lead this thought-provoking
discussion. Linda works with Kids4Peace, and Gay is
the Convener off the national grass-roots UCC Pales-
tine Israel Network. A representative of Jewish
Voice for Peace will also be sharing their experience
and views.
In response to the Kairos Palestine document, the
MACUCC Task Team has brought a resolution to the
Conference, which endorses the boycott, divestment
and sanctions movement against the Israeli occupa-
tion. At the past Annual Meeting it was adopted for
a year of study in churches. This program will also
explain the reasons for the resolution.
Reverend Jane will introduce the issues and the
speakers during the worship service, and there will
be a short film and a more extensive presentation
with time for questions and discussion following the
service. Resource material for further study will also
be available.
Our Mailboxes Have Moved!
Our mailboxes have moved
from the Vestry to the Nursery and are much
larger and improved. Don’t forget to pick up
your mail!
You’re invited!
Please join us for a Lemon Meringue Pie
& Lemonade party at the parsonage on
September 14th immediately following
the Congregational Meeting that will take
place after service that day. All of South
Street, as well as our congregation will
celebrate the Parsonage being painted
with the Sherwin Williams paint color
“Lemon Meringue Yellow”.
Many thanks to Gail Poler, Lee
Paine, Barbara Gow, Rev. Jane,
Sandy Cooper and Brenda Arm-
strong for providing awesome desserts for the IHN
families who reside at 91 June St. in Worcester. It
goes without saying that IHN week wouldn’t be
possible without the help from Janet Rivard, Bren-
da Armstrong, Barbara Gow and Gail Poole who
covered the night shift at the IHN house.
TIME FOR PIE MAKING!
Apple pies are at the heart of our Harvest Fair. Last year we made
and sold 275 apple pies. The workshops were extremely productive
and family pie contributions helped us to exceed our goal of 250. Here
is how you can help this year:
Every family is asked to make 4 pies at home
All are welcome to participate in a pie making workshop
Please donate pie crust for workshops (see recipe below)
Take frozen workshop pies to store and bake for the fair
Workshops are a gathering of our church family where the tasks of pie making are broken into
smaller tasks so all can contribute. Dates for the workshops are:
Friday, September 19th at 7 pm
Sunday, September 21st at 2 pm—Youth pie making—all are welcome
Monday, September 22nd at 7 pm
Questions? Contact Carrie Peacock (774-545-6393 or [email protected]) Look for
workshops via the online sign up too.
Pie Recipe:
6 c. flour
1 lb. lard (or Crisco)*
1 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tbsp. salt
1 egg plus 1 cup of cold water, well mixed
*Pie making insider notes:
1lb. of Crisco = 2 cups = 1 small Crisco container
This is more than the “official” church recipe but the crust is much easier to roll and is still flaky
Directions:
Mix flour and salt. Cut in Crisco with pastry blender. Add vinegar, slightly beaten egg, and water. Mix well
with fork (electric mixers make the dough tough). Separate into 8 equal sections. NOTE: if this is for a
workshop, you do not need to divide the dough! Put in plastic bag. You can refrigerate or freeze until ready
to use. (Allow time to thaw - a day - before rolling out). Makes enough for 4 (2 crust) 9" pies.
Filling:
Mix 4-5 cups apples with 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp. flour, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Fill bottom crust, add top crust,
fold over edges and seal. (Add slits to let steam out of top). Bake at 400 degrees for 45 min. Take foil off
top and bake additional 15-30 minutes or so, to brown the crust.
Frozen pie baking:
Bake covered 45 minutes at 400. Uncover and bake an additional 45 minutes. Make sure you place on
top of foil - this can get messy.
September Birthdays
Travis Gagen 9/2 Peter Dennis 9/3
Andy Deschenes 9/3 Lorrie Picotte 9/3
Ella Alves 9/6 Don Picotte 9/6
Diana Macfarlane 9/13 Al Blanchard 9/14
David Whitney 9/15 Andre Deschenes 9/16
Chris DiSenso 9/19 Barbara Currier 9/20
Nora Wilson-Pratt 9/22 Renee Shattuck 9/24
Lorraine Swanson 9/24 Leo Shattuck 9/26
John Stager 9/26 Erin Gallagher 9/28
Ed Scott 9/28 Elaine Hatch 9/30
The End of Alzheimer’s Begins With You!
The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, and 11 locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, this inspiring event calls on participants of all ages and abilities to end Alz-heimer’s disease, the nations’ sixth leading cause of death.
The Worcester County Walk To End Alzheimer’s will be held at Quinsigamond Commu-nity College in Worcester on Sunday, September 28th. Take the first step to a world without Alzheimer’s by registering to participate in this impactful event. You can walk as an individual or form a team.
The Walk To End Alzheimer’s provides an opportunity for families to come together and join forces against Alzheimer’s. It is a way for them to provide support, and offer hope, to each other. In addition to the Walk itself, a variety of other activities take place at the event, including music, children’s crafts, face painting, a Most Team Spirit contest, a benefit drawing, an exhibitors fair and much more!
To register for the Worcester County Walk to End Alzheimer’s, or for more information, call 508-799-2386, visit www.alzwalkMANH.org, or email [email protected].
WITHIN THE PEWS
Monthly Newsletter of the Congregational Church of Grafton
Congregational Church of Grafton 30 Grafton Common P.O. Box 421 PLACE Grafton, MA 01519 POSTAGE HERE
Address Service Requested
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF GRAFTON 30 Grafton Common, P.O. Box 421, Grafton, MA; Telephone 508-839-4513
WORSHIP SERVICES: SUNDAYS, 10 a.m.