Category Archives: Newsletter excerpts

Articles from recent newsletters.

Sharon Food Shelf Hurricane Irene Relief Efforts

September 5, 2011

In response to the request for help from the town of Sharon, the food shelf has been the receiving center for food donations and distribution of emergency supplies for all who express their need for such items.

It has been astounding how much support we have received here at the Sharon Food Shelf.  As supplies of food, hygiene items, cleaning solutions and local garden produce has come to our door, a volunteer staff of local town and regular food shelf volunteers have responded offering help to unload and shelf item for those people to access.

We have been open since 12:00 noon on 9/1/11 with a roadside stand of garden produce for anyone who wished to stop by and also offered emergency supplies such as clean up kits, hygiene items, groceries and meats when these items were needed.

The following large organizations and churches gave their support:

Strafford Emergency Response Committee (MRE food and water supplies)

Hartford, Athletic Department (football game collection of food/money.

Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints (clean up kits, family food boxes)

Tom-Tom Industries (2 truck loads of food)

Woodstock Food Shelf – giving items that were in excess of their needs

VT-Can Spray/Neuter Clinic (Dog and Cat Food- 300 lbs

Sharon Boy Scouts #205 – Garden Produce pickup items

Plus:

35 local people just stopping by with bag after bag of groceries.

This made a———-

GRAND TOTAL OF 3,000 POUNDS OF FOOD VALUED AT $2,800.00

Many telephone calls were answered. People from afar were offering financial support.  Our prayers were answered by these generous individuals. 

On the first three days 10 volunteers served 30 clients (90 individuals)

We are ready to serve all who request help in the weeks to come.

Letter from Marjorie

Dear Members and Friends of Sharon Congregational Church, 

As I write this note for the September newsletter on Labor Day Monday – publication delayed a bit because of the storm/power outages – I am at home in Shelburne VT listening to the rain and hoping that no more flooding of rivers and streams create difficulty for so many of you as you continue to recover from the powerful and heartbreaking effects of Hurricane Irene in the White River Valley. I am saddened by what I’ve both seen and heard of what you and your family/friends/neighbors are dealing with in Sharon and surrounding villages/back roads. Carole and I are keeping your congregation and community in our thoughts and prayers. 

I am also, tonight, looking forward to gathering with some of you tomorrow (Sept.6th) for my “goodbye” potluck/party, which we also needed to postpone along with calling off worship on my “last Sunday” with you due to the storm. By now you have already offered a warm welcome to Rev. Dr. Duane Brown, your new pastor, and I believe that you will continue to join in partnership with him to do the church’s mission in Sharon VT as God has called you and as Jesus has given you an example. The Spirit is truly with you at Sharon Congregational UCC. 

As I retire from interim ministry (for awhile, at least) I am grateful for the many ways in which we have worked together these past two years to prepare for this new chapter in the life of your congregation – and for the times that you have let me know that my ministry among you was helpful. That was my hope and my dream for us during this in-between time. You’ve been receptive, supportive, and welcoming. We’ve laughed a lot, shared deeply, learned much – and I will treasure my memories of the time we have spent together while turning over now the joys and responsibilities of being your pastor to Rev. Duane Brown. 

Many blessings, Marjorie MacNeill

Pastor’s Pen for September, 2011

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.  (Matthew 5.16)

As I sit writing this message on Labor Day, the word “labor” has a very special meaning for us this year.  Despite its roots in the organized labor movement of the 19th Century, it is hard to use the word “labor” these days here inVermont without thinking of the efforts being made to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Irene.  While Labor Day usually is focused on the work that people do for pay, this year, the focus should be on the army of volunteers who have labored tirelessly to help their struggling neighbors.  Federal, state, and local officials all deserve recognition for their efforts to cope with the damages, but it is those countless volunteers that deserve comment.  In a day when so many people live with only minimal contact with their neighbors, this crisis has brought forth an outpouring of energy, generosity and compassion that is so rare.

Some people (and insurance policies) refer to natural disasters like this as “acts of God.”  In my opinion, that description badly distorts the truth.  I do not see signs of God’s presence in the raging waters that wreaked such havoc near and far, but in the heart-felt responses of the volunteers who were inspired to reach out to those in need.  Even those who have no religious background and claim no religious affiliation have felt an irresistible force at work within them, calling them to reach beyond themselves – a force that more spiritual folks would identify as the Spirit of God.  That is where I see God’s activity most clearly.  The flood waters may have inflicted many losses, washing away property, roads and bridges.  But God has acted even more powerfully to provide us with something even more precious and enduring: the love and compassion of our neighbors; the material gifts that meet our daily needs, and the relational bridges that turn strangers into friends. 

In the days ahead, when people remember the floods of 2011, I pray that they will not think first of the waters that washed so many things away, but of the kindness and caring that flowed into their lives in even greater waves.  Those are the waters of love that flow directly from God, and those waters will always be more powerful than any storm! 

                                                                        – Duane

A Message from our Interim Pastor, Marjorie MacNeill

Dear Members and Friends of Sharon Congregational Church UCC,

Frequently one of my many friends on Facebook will remark something like, “Well, I had the day off, so I cleaned my whole house from top to bottom, did all my laundry, and cleaned my closets too”. Doesn’t sound like much of a day off to me, but I do note a
certain satisfaction in their “status reports” about what they’ve been able to accomplish. Many of you are the sort of housekeeper, I think, who keeps up – or at least wants to keep up – with a long list of household responsibilities (weeding, dusting, canning, raking leaves, shoveling snow, mopping the kitchen floor) daily, weekly, or seasonally. I, on the other hand and like many of you, tend to get going on such tasks when company is coming.
Yup.

So, as much as we keep up with many tasks at the church on a regular basis, this summer the congregation is alive with activity as many groups of parishioners have come together to get the “house” ready for your new pastor. The fellowship while working together has actually been a lot of fun and it’s been a pleasure to watch/take part as your outgoing interim pastor. 🙂 There’ll be no easing of last-minute preparations for the arrival of Pastor Duane and Amy during August and you’re all invited to join in – as well as join us for worship each Sunday morning.

My gratitude for the on-going work of the Trustees, Deacons, Council, as well as the Mission Committee/Food Shelf folks and the Christian Ed Committee. The Search Committee has stayed involved.  Patty substituted for Alice in the office during July. Alice is back to work now. The Choir has continued to sing weekly. A new Fund Raising Committee has been organized and co-ordinated by Pam Brackett. Stewardship efforts will
emerge during the fall/winter.

Small groups have worked on church history displays, bulletin boards, library books (including those for children), filing, and infant KITS for Church World Service. We blessed some more prayer shawls, which involved some last-minute knitting and crocheting. Leon and his friends are doing many projects around the building. People in the community have noticed that Sharon Congregational is a lively – and alive –
place this summer.

More projects are planned for these last few weeks of summer/my interim ministry with you – all inspired by the Spirit which is calling Sharon Congregational into a brand new chapter of ministry and mission. Thanks be to God – and to all who are making this church community so faithful and hopeful these days.

Do join us for worship especially on Sunday, August 14th, which will be Church History Sunday, for my last Sunday on August 28th (with refreshments afterwards and a chance to say “goodbye”), and for Pastor Duane’s first Sunday on September 4th – and special events on the following September Sundays to welcome him and his wife Amy. Do keep us all in your prayers during this time of transition.

Many blessings as always, Pastor Marjorie

A Message from our new Pastor, Duane Brown

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen.
(Hebrews 11.1)

 

As I write this, Amy and I are up to our ears in boxes and trash bags.
We’re in the midst of the chaos of downsizing and packing for our move
to Vermont.  It’s a moment in which we find ourselves both energized  by the
promise of the future that lies before of us, and bogged down by the details
and drudgery that we have to wade through to get there . . . sort of like going
for a walk in woods on a beautiful day in mud season!  Needless to say, we are eager to be resettled and have the hard work of moving behind us.  We long for the future, but are temporarily stuck in the muck of the moment.

But our present circumstances hints at something of deeper significance – something wonderful, inspiring, and reassuring.  As the writer of Hebrews states in the passage above, our lives are constantly being drawn toward an ever-more-satisfying experience of God’s love for the world, even though it always seems just beyond the horizon of the present moment.  Therefore, we lean into God’s future, letting go of anything that threatens to hold us back from the blessings that lie ahead.

I feel very blessed by your Call to be your Pastor, and am humbled by the confidence you have placed in me to help the Sharon Congregational Church to fulfill it’s God-given mission.  I am deeply grateful for the work that the Search Committee has done (and continues to do!) to pave the way for a smooth transition of pastoral leadership.  I
feel privileged to have had the opportunity to get to know Pastor Marjorie, and
to appreciate the wonderful ministry she has performed among you.  And, most of all, I look forward to getting to know all the rest of you who, in ways both large and small, contribute to the rich, multi-faceted life of this church.
May the peace and joy of God’s love be with you, now and always.


Duane

Pastor’s Note for May/June 2011

Dear Members and Friends of Sharon Congregational Church UCC,

We are in the midst of the fifty day Easter Season of the church calendar and it is SPRINGTIME in Vermont at last.  I am very grateful and want to thank our SCC Deacons as well as each one of you who helped to make our Lenten Season Holy Week services, and Easter worship so meaningful this year. Everyone worked very hard  and I know that the whole congregation is appreciative of our efforts.

Now, after taking a deep breath and laughing a lot on the Sunday after Easter, we re-turn our attention to the many ministries of the church and our preparations for your next pastor who we hope will be in place soon. Your Pastoral Search Committee continues to work very hard to find the right person to be your next called, longer time pastor. Meanwhile, there is much we can do together at SCC including some short term special projects and “spring cleaning” tasks. (See elsewhere in this newsletter for some ideas.)

Your Trustees and Deacons continue to meet regularly to take up the tasks of church finances and building/grounds upkeep as well as plans for worship and the spiritual health of the congregation.  I expect that your Mission Committee and your Christian Education Committee will meet with me very soon to clarify priorities regarding how we serve others in the community/world as well as how we teach/reach our congregation’s children and grandchildren. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome new church members as well as to baptize some young children this spring – and I look forward to other opportunities to welcome folks to SCC and offer the blessings of the church.

In the stories of Easter in the Bible, the Risen Christ appears to his followers to let them know that he is alive again among them. Most of these accounts include times when Jesus ate with his friends – just regular around-the-table times of sharing together.  So too, we gather at coffee hour, at Communion on 1st Sundays, and at community meals – the next of which is a Ham and Bean Supper on Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday, May 28th beginning at 5 PM at Sharon Elementary School.  The SCC Supper Committee appreciates all the help it can gather for each supper and all those who attend and appreciate the great suppers they prepare.

See you there – or when we work together on special projects – or “see you at church” as one of my pastor friends always says.  Memorial Day Sunday is May 29th, Communion Sunday is June 5th,  Pentecost (the celebration of the Holy Spirit)  is June 12th,  Father’s Day on June 19th.  You are always welcome – and welcome to bring friends and family.  Blessings all, Pastor Marjorie

Volunteers Night Out

Sixteen volunteers of the food shelf gathered for a pot luck supper and business meeting on January 20th. This was a postponement from January 18th because of inclement weather.

Carol Sheldon gave updates on some new events at the food shelf that have happened over the past month. Peter Lowes has built more shelving in the closet that adjoins the customer service area. Leon Sheldon and Ken Wright are placing new shelving in the distribution room. These shelves are deeper and can safely hold the cases of food that are delivered monthly in the Vermont Foodbank order. There is a produce area with four shelves instead of one single pallet on the floor.

It has been a problem for volunteers that are assigned each night to know where the stock supplies are kept. The new shelves are labeled in product categories making it easy for our clients to find items. The neat shelves of overstock are cosmetically pleasing to see in the meeting room area off the kitchen. Volunteers can easily find items for restocking each evening. We told those in attendance at the volunteer night where to find various supplies.

With the approval of the Board of Directors of the Food Shelf, we are financing the following project with alloted renovation funds that have been donated this year. We met with Dayco, Inc., a local insulation company. They will be blowing 18 inches of insulation into the attic and roof slopes of the Lighthouse building. The hot air pipes in the basement will be covered with insulation fabric (hopefully by willing volunteers). The day to do this will be in the next month. If you have some time to help us on this project, please contact Leon or Carol.

A guest speaker, David Thornton, a grant writing specialist from the Vermont Food Bank, told us how they can help local food shelves apply for grants to improve their facilities. He named donors and organizations that can help us secure these funds in the future.

The Vermont Food Bank has means for providing refrigeration unit to food shelves
either free or at reduced prices. We became aware of many ways to renovate our shelf in future years.

An updated guidebook to the Sharon Food Shelf was given to each volunteer. Great people make up our volunteers at the Sharon Food Shelf! Thank you all for your effort in serving the community of Sharon and surrounding towns.

Bill McBride

Bill McBride passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 15, 2011, after courageously battling a brain tumor for 5 years. A scholarship fund has been established in Bill’s
name to help support tuition for children in the Dorchester (Boston) community who attend the tutoring program that meant so much to him. In lieu of flowers, contributions
may be made to Sudbury United Methodist Church, designated for McBride Scholarship Fund, and mailed to Sudbury United Methodist Church, 249 Old Sudbury
Road, Sudbury, MA 01776.

House Fire

McKenny Home Destroyed by Fire

On Monday, February14th, a fire destroyed the longtime family home of Thomas & Julie McKenny in South Royalton. Julie is the daughter of Mary Donahue who was living with them. Mary is a previous Sharon resident and she and her children attended
the Sharon Congregational Church. Thomas & Julie have two children, Conner, 3, and Sarah, 6.

We will be sending the family a donation from our Minister’s Discretionary Fund. Anyone wishing to add to the church’s donation can make a check payable to Sharon Congregational Church and specify Minister’s Fund McKenny/Leighton in the memo
line. All donations will be combined and forwarded to the family.

The Minister’s Discretionary Fund is used for many things including rent, utilities, and food. We give to anyone in need, not just church members. Donations
to the fund are always welcome.

Francene Ellis, Trustee

Highlighting Other UCC Congregations

Each Sunday morning at worship I highlight and ask the congregation to pray for a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC) across the nation and invite us to worship with them “as sisters and brothers in faith”. The United Church of Christ became a denomination in 1957 as a uniting of the Congregational-Christian Church and the German Evangelical and Reformed Church (E&R). Most New England UCC churches have a Congregational background as does Sharon Congregational UCC, but those of you who have lived in the middle Atlantic states or the mid-west might know of E&R congregations as well which are now part of our denomination,the United Church of Christ (UCC) whose headquarters is in Cleveland, Ohio. We have found it interesting to hear throughout the past year about UCC churches of many types. Sometimes I choose churches very much like our own. Often I choose congregations which differ in size, ethnicity, history, building type, or missions/ministries which are unusual or especially timely. Sometimes I choose to tell about a congregation which has been the subject of an on-line article on the national UCC website. Sometimes I choose a congregation which has responded in some way to a natural disaster nationwide or worldwide – or which has experienced such difficulty itself. Sometimes I find an interesting UCC church described on Facebook and decide to share its activities with you. Sometimes there is a funny story- or a courageous one – about the pastor of a UCC church somewhere. Sometimes the church is one you, yourself, have visited or to which you used to belong. Sometimes I tell about a church I have visited. It’s pretty likely that in the next two weeks I’ll be discovering interesting UCC churches located somewhere near Green Bay (in Wisconsin) and near Pittsburgh, PA. 🙂 Throughout the year we have highlighted several UCC churches with a German E&R history – churches which have brought a rich heritage into our denomination including, especially, some lovely traditions around the celebration of Christmas. (Old Pilgrim/Congregation churches in New England did not celebrate Christmas at worship for many years.) We have also heard about new UCC churches begun by Asian or Hispanic communities,old downtown UCC churches which have changed their mission as city neighborhoods changed, churches with a history as old as ours and churches started on the western frontier in the 19th century by missionary societies from New England. We’ve heard about churches which keep to traditional ways of worship and those who try new music and forms of worship. Many pay attention to the changing needs of their community and reach out in mission in interesting and creative ways. In a few weeks when we are vacationing in Arizona, Carole and I hope to visit the congregation which I highlighted recently – Casa Adobes Congregational UCC in the northwest suburbs of Tucson which has an interesting 50+ year history of taking shape on land which was once a western ranch, a very progressive way of reaching out in mission and ministry, but especially in recent weeks has been challenged to respond in faithful witness and by hope-giving to the awful shooting violence which occurred at a shopping mall just around the corner. Please continue to keep UCC churches in Tucson and their pastors in your prayers. More to come in our next newsletter about some other interesting UCC churches. If you’re on-line and like to “google”and explore, try looking for the web-sites of United Church of Christ (UCC) churches in places that have meaning to you and let us know what you discover.

Blessings, Pastor Marjorie