Newsletter, September 2008

“We know that God makes all things work together for good for those who love God, and are called according to his purpose.”

I’m always grateful for the Apostle Paul’s confidence in the Church; for his understanding that God’s faith infuses our life together and calls us all to this particular place and the various ministries in which we share at Pilgrim Church.

It is a delight to be here with you, to have been invited to share in your common life and ministry in this setting of Christ’s Church. Sarah and I have been overwhelmed by the welcome we’ve received. The parsonage looks great; the groceries and dinners have been a great blessing, to put it mildly. And whoever put together our bed has our eternal thanks.

I look forward to a wonderful ministry together, and I hope you’ll feel welcome to call or visit the church.

Pilgrim Church member Chris Blake together with Harry Katz represented Duxbury by joining more than 150 community leaders at the annual No Place for Hate ® Community Network conference in Boston on June 26. Programs such as the Martin Luther King, Jr. annual prayer breakfast and the “Strike Out Hate and Violence” night at a Brockton Rox game helped Duxbury achieve the designation as a 2008 No Place for Hate community. Thank you Chris for your part in helping our community promote respect for individual and group differences.

The main phone number for the church is 781-934-6591. To reach a particular person, you may dial their extension at any time during the greeting message.

Cranberry Hospice in Plymouth, a nonprofit organization that has provided support for terminally ill patients for the past 27 years, will begin an eight-session volunteer training program starting Monday, September 22^nd. Hospice volunteers help by providing companionship and support to both patients and their families. They provide vigil visits at the time of death and help with day to day activities like errands and local transportation. Some volunteers help with clerical tasks or fund-raising activities in the Cranberry Hospice office. Cranberry Hospice is also seeking veteran volunteers to support a new Veteran’s Program. The training will be held from 6:00 – 8:30 PM beginning Sept. 22 at Cranberry Hospice, 36 Cordage Park Circle in Plymouth. Those interested can contact Karen Foster at 508-830-2762 to register, fill out an application and make an appointment for an interview prior to the start of training.

When we resume worship at 10:00 AM on September 7, we will again gather for coffee and fellowship in the vestry each week after the service. With this comes a wonderful opportunity to volunteer! Hosting coffee hour for one or more weeks is a unique way to extend the hand of hospitality to others. Our coffee system even has its own “Easy Button” – just push (no measuring).

A large sign-up poster for 2008-09 has gone up outside the kitchen, complete with instructions. Whether you’ve never volunteered before, or have done it many times, please consider adding your name to it. Give Heidi Hadley a call at 781-934-4692 if you have any questions. Your participation is valued beyond measure.

The Board of Trustees extends its deepest thanks to the many members of the Pilgrim Church family who gave so generously of their time, talents and wallets to refurbish the parsonage. Special recognition goes to project managers Mara and Todd Maddock and Linda VonIderstein who, aside from countless hours spent at their “summer home,” aka 74 Buckboard Road, managed to marshal the resources of the congregation and create a clean and comfortable home for our new pastor and his family. Thank you to:

The Wish List Contributors: storm doors (Bobby & Nancy Farrelly, Charlie & Cheryl Tufankjian), front door (Rod & Terri Clark), garage doors & openers (Doug & Linda VonIderstein, David & Suzanne Blanchard and Fred & Julia Lizza), light fixtures and hardware (Charlie & Cheryl Tufankjian, Mike & Lee Tenney and Tom & Marlene Biffar), stair runner and plantings (Fred & Julia Lizza), mantle (Mark & Lilly Cleveland), railings (Dan Walsh), basement family room make-over (Mimi & Joe Jannetty, Sue & Lou Jannetty, Paul Rodrick, and Tris Nuland) and Joe & Mimi Jannetty who supplied the dumpster. Additional financial donations were received from: Bud & Gigi Dunbar, John & Carol Talanian, Jack & Joan Walkey, Roger & Anne White, Dick & Pat Loring, Dave Jenkins, Chris & Carol Allen, Ashley Mohrman and Brian & Laurel Lies.

Contributing their time and talent: Marc & Sarah Beattie, Nick & Sam Beattie, Roger & Anne White, Rod & Terri Clark, Penny Ramseyer, Lynn & Don DeHart, Ronald & Lynne Wolfe, Edie Devnew, John & Connie Enniss, John Enniss, Jr., Rich Hall, Tom & Marlene Biffar, Sue Jannetty, Sara Jannetty, Tom & Colleen Brayer, Doug & Dawn Backlund, Lindy Keay, Joe & Mimi Jannetty, Joe Jannetty, Jr., T.J. Cameron, Jack Allen, Bob & Carol Warrington, John & Gretchen Knoll, Betsey Hunter, Gigi Dunbar, Terry Vandewater, Linda Hendren, Todd & Mara Maddock, Bethany Maddock, Jamie & Tris Nuland, Linda VonIderstein, Don Hick, Gordon Leach, Dick & Shirley Dunphy, Mark & Lilly Cleveland, Gary Peterson, Bruce Hadley, Dan Walsh, Fred & Julia Lizza, Marissa & Jessica Lizza, Dan & Lorrie Hall, Ginny Hunt, Bob & Debby Jewell, Bob Merrifield, Chris Blake, Helen Barrow, Pauline Geishecker, Nathan Files, Cam Draper, Billy Jewell, Riley Kerle, Vivie Doughty, Scott & Cathy Doughty, John & Kate Brewer, Carol Talanian, Lisa Williams, Joan Barrington, and Sidney McClure.

Donating their services: Atlantic Properties (Henry Stout), Goodrich Lumber, Glynn Electric, Comoletti Electric, Duxbury Chimney Sweep (Dan), Home Discount Center (John Enniss) and Grapevine Interiors (Tris Nuland)

This fall, PCCP will again have 74 students in attendance each day, Monday through Friday. Children attend 1 of 7 classrooms based on their chronological age and development. The teaching staff uses a high-quality assessment toolkit, The Creative Curriculum©. The focus is age-appropriate to either Infant/Toddler or Preschool/PreK ages. The staff provides a wide variety of traditional program activities over the course of the day. The quality of the program and services to families remain the focus at PCCP. Based on over a decade of feedback from parents of graduates, PCCP aims to maintain its course in 'building successful relationships with families, new and old, this year. If you have questions about our programs, wish further information, or would like to visit, please call Michelle Manganaro at 781.934.8145, Ext.201.

In the New Testament the word Koinonia was used to describe small groups in the church that gathered to form life-sharing communities where a maximum of trust and support was given to its participants. This is the goal of the Koinonia Circle, which meets once a month at a member’s home. Through sharing and support, strength and personal growth is given to each other. Koinonia is open to any woman who would like to participate.

Our next meeting is Monday, September 8 at 7:00 PM at the home of Doris Kolstad. For directions, please call her at 781-934-6277.

It’s September, and that means Bookworms is back! We meet on the 4^th Tuesday of the month at 1:30 PM in the church library. Our meeting in September is scheduled for Tuesday, September 23. If you are interested in joining our group or have any questions, call Marion Paulson at 781-582-3738.

Outreach would like to remind you of its mission to support Casa Myrna Vasquez, a Boston-based organization dedicated to ending domestic violence in the lives of women and children through a wide variety of programs.

Casa Myrna runs a statewide, 24/7 toll-free emergency hotline, emergency shelters and transitional houses. Their services include legal advocacy, mental health counseling, child services, teen dating violence prevention programs, housing search assistance and much more.

We support Casa Myrna by collecting items on the “wish list” – new housekeeping items for the emergency shelters and transitional houses – which are detailed on their website. The items include things like new shower curtains and crib sheets, alarm clocks, etc. A complete list is taped to the collection box in the office hallway on the top shelf of the hutch. If you want hands-on involvement, we could also use a volunteer to deliver these items from time to time. (If you help out with Pine Street Inn, this can be combined—CMV's donation center is a block from Pine St.).

In March, Duxbury Town Meeting approved the purchase of the Grange Hall at the junction of Lincoln and Franklin streets. This property and the old fire station on the adjoining property will be transferred to South Shore Habitat for Humanity. The project involves renovation of these buildings for occupation by two families. It is estimated that it will take $100,000 to get the project started. Some preliminary work has already been done including the design and approval of a shared septic system.

Don Hick who has been on the Duxbury Habitat Project Committee during the last two projects attended the Outreach meeting in April to ask for our participation. We expect to participate with our collective time, talent and treasure. We are allocating $100 per month of our Outreach budget to the project. Once the Duxbury Project Committee has been reconstituted, they will be driving fund-raising efforts.

Fortunately, construction talent is not needed to help with a Habitat project. A professional donating their time is always on-site directing the work. The Outreach committee is proposing that Pilgrim Church commit to be the primary group of workers once per month during the "build schedule" of 7 or 8 months starting in April 2009. On these days, we would also provide coffee in the morning, break snacks, and lunch for about 20 people. The Outreach Committee will organize the Pilgrim Church effort. Look for more information coming about fundraising, and then next spring, for worker signups!

You can learn more about Habitat for Humanity by visiting their website (http://www.sshabitat.org) which affirms their purpose: "we are an ecumenical, nonprofit organization dedicated to building simple, decent homes in partnership with families in need.”

Outreach Again Reminds You: Please Specify “Missions” or “Operating” on Your Envelope

Welcoming everyone back from the summer gives us yet another opportunity to remind one and all to designate each contribution according to what portion is earmarked for church operating expenses and missions! Preferably, do it each time in proportion to your pledge. Write it on every weekly envelope, monthly or annual check, or automatic debit, as the case may be. Here is why that is so important:

Throughout the year, donations that are not specified for either operations or missions are assigned to operations, even if the donor pledged to both. Then at the end of the year, to be faithful to people's pledges, an adjustment is made for each contributor. Any donations given in excess of their operations pledge is transferred over to unfulfilled missions pledges. The office does not do this “automatically” on an ongoing basis.

Even though allocations are correct in the end, this time lag creates distortions in the budget process that in turn distorts decisions. During the year, monies available to operations appear larger than they are, while mission funds seem smaller.

The Outreach Board is fired up with ideas for both old and new Christian missions (see other articles herein; watch for more to come), and needs to know what money it has in order to make the best decisions. Thanks for your cooperation with this.

It is with great regret that we remind everyone that Bob Engel will soon be leaving Pilgrim Church after many years of great music and faithful service as a member of the choir where he serves as bass section leader and soloist. He has contributed not only to regular worship services but to numerous special programs. I am sure many of us remember Bob singing a great variety of music ranging from sacred pieces to show tunes to his favorite German operatic selections. It has always been a pleasure to listen, and we consider ourselves fortunate to have had that opportunity for so many years. On behalf of the Music Board, I want to thank Bob for sharing his great gift with us. We will miss him but wish him well in his move to the west coast.

Happy New Year! For many of us, September is the beginning of the new year. I hope all have had a great summer of relaxation and renewal. I am very excited about the return of the many choirs we have at Pilgrim Church. A number of singers and instrumentalists from these groups have provided beautiful music during the summer, and it is my hope that it will be repeated during the year for those who missed it because of vacation time.

The Senior Choir will resume rehearsals of Thursday, September 4^th at 7:30 PM, the Bell Choir on Wednesday, September 3^rd at 7:00 PM, and the Junior Choir on Sunday, September 7^th. As always, these fine groups welcome new singers/ringers so please do try it.

Our very fine baritone, Bob Engel, is leaving for Seattle, WA to begin a new adventure in his life. Bob has been with us for twenty years providing superb music and helping to support the singing of the choir. We will greatly miss him but are happy for him and wish him well in his new adventure. A time of recognition of his devoted service to the church will be observed on Sunday, September 7^th at our 10:00 AM worship service.

Bob has generously donated his fine Kwai grand piano to the church. As I write this item, we expect the piano to arrive on August 23^rd. We have long been searching for a good piano to support all the musical needs of the church and are very grateful to Bob for this wonderful gift.

Can’t commit to a whole year? No need – come try for a month. Experienced ringers need only come 2-3 weeks before a play date. New this year! Starting at 7:00 PM, new ringers may come to learn to play and practice before regular rehearsal begins at 8:00 PM. We hope this special time will encourage greater participation in this cherished music ministry.

Here’s hoping everyone enjoyed a wonderful summer! We thank everyone who kept their pledge current during this time; and invite those who did not to “catch up” as we head back to school, the office and even to Sunday worship. In early October you will receive your third quarter statements so that you will know where your contributions are relative to your pledge. This is a good time to check the allocation of operating (church expenses) and OCWM (Our Church’s Wider Mission – see the Outreach article in this month’s newsletter!) contributions to date. Please call Terri Clark in the church office with any questions you might have (781/934-6591 ext. 100). Thank you!

Exciting news! We are revamping the procedures for submitting items to post on our Pilgrim Church website. Our Webmaster, Bruce Hadley, is working with the church office to make improvements to our site (thank you Bruce). It is our collective hope that these improvements will create an even more informative and welcoming experience for visitors and members of the congregation.

Going forward, all requests for postings should go directly to the church office: cdoughty@pilgrimchurchofduxbury.org – (preferably as a Word attachment), and a response will be sent as to when it can expect to be posted, or if any clarification is needed. Further information can be found directly on our website - pilgrimchurchofduxbury.org and in upcoming newsletters and bulletins.

Another change is in how our “blast” emails are sent. We are culling through the list of email addresses currently listed in our web address book (please note this is not the same as the church address book; these are only those addresses who have indicated their wish to be listed on the website’s password-protected email address book). Any addresses that are no longer valid will be removed, and any new names can easily be added by calling into the church office. The procedure for sending a blast email is changing as well. If you have a church-related message you would like to send to everyone in our web address book, you can just submit it to the church office at the address above. Again, a response will follow as to when and how your message will be sent.

All of these changes are intended to improve our avenues of communication, to respect the integrity of what we communicate, and again, to allow for greater opportunity to create an informative and welcoming website. We ask for your patience, as well as your input, while we work to make this happen. In the meantime, please feel free to call the Church Office (781-934-6591 ext. 101) with any questions or suggestions you might have.

This summer, a few of us have been meeting once a week to walk for an hour or so. Our times and routes are flexible, and we would love for more of you to join us. More information will be available at the Pilgrim Women's retreat Sept.19-20, or in the meantime by calling Renee Kahl at 934-7576.

Pilgrim Women's Fellowship is excited about our Annual Women's Retreat which will be on Friday, September 19 and Saturday September 20. "Wild About You" will challenge us to celebrate and live in the knowledge and belief in God's unshakable love for us. We will be led by Becky Chamberlain of Hingham, MA, who has extensive leadership experience.

We encourage all women to attend this great opportunity for spiritual growth and stronger connections between us. The Friday night/Saturday morning format is designed to fit into busy lives and you don't have to leave town!! The fee of $35 includes dinner and breakfast. Preregistration and payment is required by September 16^th. Signups will be in the vestry on 9/7 and 9/14, or call Heidi Hadley (934-4692) or the church office. Don't miss this wonderful event – bring a friend!

If you crave the real experience of God’s presence in your daily life, if you sense there’s more to Christianity than service, study, and superficial spirituality, if you’re ready to go beyond knowing about God to truly knowing Him, then come join us as we learn from the author about her journey with God and how He desires, stands ready to embrace, this closeness with each and every one of us.

Please contact Sarah Beattie at 781-934-2646 or sarah_beattie@comcast.net for more information and to register for classes beginning the week of September 21st.

Christian Education Corner

And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Jesus comes back again. Philippians 1:6

This is an exciting time in the life of the Church! We are beginning a new chapter with the coming of our new Senior Pastor, the Rev. Todd Vetter. We have lived through some major changes and all the stress that change brings. We have endured and grown and indeed thrived. I am convinced that God has great things in store for us. I cannot wait!

Our Rally Weekend is September 13^th and 14^th. On Saturday the 13^th, we will have our Annual Church-wide Rally Cookout from 4-6PM. Those of you who have school age children can register them for Church School. We’ll have hotdogs and hamburgers and of course, a moonwalk. This will be a wonderful chance to meet and greet each other and to meet Todd, Sarah and Matthew Vetter. Come join us for a fun afternoon. On Rally Sunday, families will go to Church together. This will give our whole Church family a chance to worship together with our new Pastor, Rev. Todd Vetter. Rally Weekend is the beginning of a new and exciting year of Church School; we hope to see you there!!

Church School will continue with the Rotation Model of Sunday School. The kids in K-6^th grade will “rotate” to a different station each week as they study the Bible Story for that particular unit. The first unit this fall is about Daniel and the Lion’s Den. Daniel was a man of great faith. He stayed faithful to God even when it was dangerous to do so. The children will learn about Daniel and faith and peer pressure as they go to the different stations each week. We will rotate through Bible Adventure, Arts and Crafts, Cooking and Movie Time. This is a wonderful way to do Sunday School and we are looking forward to another successful year.

The 7^th and 8^th graders will be combined in a special Jr. High class. They will attend Church services every Communion Sunday and then attend their class the other Sundays of the month.

There is a class for Pre-Schoolers – 3, 4 and 5 year olds, every Sunday and a Nursery is provided as well.

Our Fall Mission Project is to help raise money to buy a cow for an orphanage in

Uganda

. All Church School offerings will be added to the fund to help buy a cow so that the children in the orphanage will have fresh milk to drink.

Kid’s Klub*Kid’s Klub Our first Kid’s Klub will be on September 28th from 2:30-4PM in the vestry. This is for 4^th, 5^th and 6^th graders. Join us for fun, fellowship and food (of course). Bring a friend!

JYF*JYF*JYF This is a time of fellowship for 7^th and 8^th graders. Our first meeting will be on Sunday, September 28^th at 5:00pm. We’ll send out a post card with all the details. Come join us and as always, bring a friend.

Confirmation Our Confirmation class this year will be getting underway in October. I will be sending out a letter to our 9^th graders and their parents at the beginning of October. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions about the confirmation process.

SYF*SYF*SYF SYF is for all those in grades 9-12. Our first meeting will be on Sunday September 21^st at 5:00pm. We will be doing some fun and different things this year. We’ll let you know about upcoming times and events. Keep your eyes open!

This is going to be a full, busy and exciting year. I look forward to learning more about God’s word and what it means in our every day lives. I pray for God’s grace and wisdom as we begin this year together.

The Stewardship Committee has started working on its annual pledge campaign. The theme for this year’s giving is “God loves a cheerful giver” from 2 Corinthians 9:7. Please be watching for mailings and other information about what we, as the friends and members of Pilgrim Church, can do to contribute and add to the life of our ministries.

Hello! If your son or daughter was “captured” by our camera on the Prom Walk last May, their picture is still posted on our bulletin board in the hallway outside the vestry. Anyone who would like to take their teen’s picture from the bunch is welcome to do so until the pictures are taken down at the end of this month. Thanks for gracing us with such wonderful faces!

PARISH POST

Prayers of Healing - Priscilla Sangster – Esther Walker – Joan Hick

Frank LeBart – Julia Lizza

Prayers of Comfort and Solace

For the family and friends of Jean Latak, Ruth Ann Hickey’s mother.

For the family and friends of Suzanne Sauer, wife of Theodore Sauer, Sr.

For the family and friends of Charles Lovejoy, Janet Lovejoy’s husband.

For the family and friends of Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Bradley.

For the family and friends of Janet Danby, Ruth “Choo” Walters’ mother.

For the family and friends of Michael Waytowich, Sr., Michael Waytowich’s father.

Prayers of Joy

For the baptism of Tucker Rhodes Sampson, son of Madeleine and Brad Sampson.

A Stephen Minister is someone who will listen . . .

The greatest need people have today is not for someone who will solve their problems for them, but rather for someone who will listen empathetically to the darkest and deepest wounds of their inner selves. We may feel as though we were useless and not particularly helpful to a friend in the midst of a crisis, and yet he or she will say in gratitude, “You were there when I needed you.” Your Stephen Ministers are available to listen. If you or someone you know is in need of a Stephen Minister, please contact Lee Tenney at 781/934-2596. The Stephen Ministers offer this prayer, written by John Gugel:

“I need a friend, Lord, someone who will just listen. Not someone who will try to fix me or attempt to solve my problems, but someone who will accept me for who I am. Not someone who will become anxious, suspicious, or frightened when I share the deepest feelings of my soul, but someone who will accept me. Not someone who will give chatty advice or scold or judge me, but someone who will quietly point me to you. I need someone to listen, Lord, someone like you.”

The Wednesday Morning Bible Study class will resume on Wednesday, September 10. The class, led by Rev. Todd Vetter, will meet in the church library from 10:00 AM until 11:30 AM. Everyone is welcome to join us as we explore our faith by reading, contemplating and discussing the lessons and stories of our Holy Bible.

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