From the Board of DeaconsAs many of you know, we have agreed to covenant with the Reverend

Tom Kinder to be our interim minister.Most recently, Tom was the pastor at the First Congregational Church

in Thetford for 17 years, and before that he was the pastor at the West Newbury Congregational Church. We were very impressed with Tom's experience guiding congregations through challenging times, and as well as his thoughtfulness and clearly expressed love of his work.

Tom will begin his work with us on September 4th, and will lead his first service at Bradford UCC on September 7th. As he is part-time, he will do most of his work with us Thursdays through Sundays, and will live in the parsonage on those days.

We are very excited to introduce Tom to all of you, and are so looking forward to working with him!

As our interim minister, Tom needs to get to know us as quickly as possible in order to help our congregation focus on what is most important for our future. In the coming months, we will be distributing short questionnaire, your answers to which will help Tom learn where we are now and where we hope to be in the future. Also, there will be several small gatherings in members’ homes this fall. These gatherings will be an informal way for us to get to know Tom and for Tom to get to know us. Please join us as we begin this next exciting step in our church’slife!

A message from Rev. Kinder:

Dear friends,

It has been a pleasure getting to know the members of the Diaconate during the interview process and seeing what strong lay leadership you have. I am eager to get to know each of you at Bradford Congregational UCC starting in September. It is an honor to be called to serve you and

Bradford Congregational Church-United Church of Christ Bradford, VT

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EPISTLE Customer Name Street Address City, ST ZIP Code

AUGUST,2014

this church with its rich history and great potential.

The Deacons asked me to introduce myself to you in the Epistle, and share something of how I will approach interim ministry. I cannot say anything specific until I know you better. All I know for certain is that I plan to ask many questions and listen intently to discern where you are on your journey, where the Spirit seems to be leading the congregation from here, and what I can do to help along the way.

While I cannot say anything more specific than that, I can share with you some of what the Diaconate saw in my ministerial profile. The first excerpt below is from the section that asked me to comment on my understanding of interim ministry within the context of ministry in the United Church of Christ. The second excerpt is from my Statement on Ministry. Following those excerpts, I conclude by addressing the questionof what to call me. All together this letter is about as long as one of my sermons—around 2000 words—so that will tell you something about me, too!

From “My Understanding of Interim Ministry in the UCC:”

The United Church of Christ recognizes that interim ministry needs to begin with the heart. A wide range of feelings can arise in the congregation in response to the changes it is undergoing. These feelings need to be respected and met with compassion in order for the congregation to move forward together in a healthy, enthusiastic way. Cultivating Christ-like love for one another is the task of every congregation, but it is especially important for a church going through a transition….

Intentionality is the cornerstone of interim ministry in the United Church of Christ…. Every congregation decides for itself what kind of interim ministry it will seek.Some congregations choose to go to sleep and set the alarm for the arrival of the new settled pastor…. Their intention is to wait passively for the interim period to end and real life to begin again. In other words, their intention seems to be to have no intention for this time. As a result,the congregation can suffer unintentional loss of attendance and well-

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being.

This is an unnecessary waste of a God-given opportunity. The transition between settled pastors can be one of the most meaningful and stimulating times in a church’s life. It presents the congregation with a wide-open chance to ask life-giving questions: Who are we? What have weloved about this church? What do we dream we may become? What is Godcalling us to be and do…? What kind of ministry and activity do we need during this interim time in order to prepare ourselves to fulfill our vision?

A skilled interim pastor can help a congregation ask and answer such questions and walk the exciting path into the next stage of its life. This isthe kind of intentional interim ministry that the United Church of Christ recommends…..

A key to reaching the new beginning in the Promised Land can be to start the journey with a good ending—saying goodbye to what has passed in a way that allows closure and recovery to take place….

The interim needs to learn the church’s past and present ways of living out its faith…. The interim needs to see with the eyes of compassion, as well as with trained methods of understanding church life. Careful listening and observation are essential to supporting the congregation in its transition.

The tasks of the interim period that the UCC recommends are designed tohelp the church bring its new creation into being. They focus on the church’s heritage, leadership, connections, mission and future….

Transitions can be exciting and important times. They can lead congregations to a greater appreciation of who they have been, a clearer vision of what they may become, and a stronger commitment to ways that they feel called to love and serve. Transitions can be times of creativity and growth. The best chance for this to happen is for a congregation to be intentional about the interim period and work with an interim minister who has been trained to help make the time between settled pastors the experience the congregation most needs.

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From My “Statement on Ministry”

My role as pastor is the same whatever the theological or political slant ofa congregation. I have served in churches a little right of center, a little left of center and one far to the left of center. My role is to help each congregation discover what God is calling it to be, and to focus my ministry to help it fulfill that call.

The Apostle Paul says we need to undergo inner transformation so that we may discover the particular path of love that Christ is asking us to follow in our time and place. He says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Christ is talking about a similar inner changewhen he says, “Very truly, I tell you, unless agrain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, itbears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

The evangelical preacher, Daniel Iverson putit this way in a hymn he wrote in 1926:“Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.”

Pastors are called to help create transformed and transforming congregations in the spirit of such scriptures and hymns. Individuals and the congregation as a whole are called to become ever closer to God, ever more open to the flow of the Holy Spirit, ever more Christ-like in their loving service. The purpose of inner transformation is to prepare them to turn outward to transform the world around them into somethingmore like God’s realm of mercy and peace. This requires that churches beopen to discovery and revelation, because we cannot know in advance what transformations we will be called to undertake.

Discovery and transformation are at the core of the ministerial vocation as I have come to understand it over the past twenty years….

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Frederick Buechner defined vocation this way: “The kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world most needs to have done.... The place God calls you tois the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” (Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, p. 95)

Ministry involves congregations and the individuals in them in an ongoing process of discovering their vocations—the works that will evoke deep gladness in them….

The West Newbury Congregational Church, UCC, called me to be its half-time pastor in 1994 after my student ministry in the Norwich Congregational Church, UCC. The West Newbury congregation became involved in a community-wide project to renovate church and village buildings. The laborers were prisoners participating in a work program. The church members knew what the prisoners needed to do for them. What they discovered was what they needed to do for the prisoners.

Congregation members and townspeople felt moved to provide a lunch forthe inmates every day, and then to eat with them. It became their deep gladness to offer not only hospitality, but friendship and love. It was not anything they had planned or prepared to do. In fact many of them never could have imagined doing such a thing, but they had the courage to follow as the Spirit guided them.

It changed them. It taught them to look at offenders differently. It brought joy and vitality and vigor to the congregation. The church gained new meaning and purpose. The experience was just as transformative for the prisoners. Some of them spoke at the celebration at the end of the project about how it had restored their hope in their own future.

One day the people setting up the meal asked me to make the coffee. I am not a coffee drinker. I had never made coffee in my life. I tried not topanic. I tried to understand the hasty instructions on how the big stainlesssteel coffee maker worked.

Coffee making turned out not to be my calling. My deep gladness and the

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world’s deep hunger, or thirst in this case, did not come anywhere close to meeting. We cannot discover our way through life without some wrong turns or failed attempts. The spiritual path is a process of straying, stubbing our toe, humbly accepting correction and returning to find the way again.

I was not transformed into a coffee-serving barista, but I discovered otherways to serve the servers in their service, and it transformed my ministry.I was able to help people put their experience in a Christian context and celebrate its profound meaning. I contributed to the transformation that was happening through my leading of worship and providing of pastoral care and writing of newsletter articles. I had never been in that situation before, just as the congregation hadn’t, but the Holy Spirit transformed us into what we needed to be in order to serve as agents of transformation for others….

I love leading worship. I love providing pastoral care and spiritual direction and sharing parishioners’ life journeys. I find deep meaning in helping people celebrate joys or find their way through a wilderness of grief. I get excited at the prospect of helping a congregation discern whatGod is calling it to be and do, and then helping it fulfill that vision. I feel full of the hope I believe Christ intended us to have when I see individualsfind a heartfelt purpose for their lives and a fuller expression of their God-given gifts. I feel my faith renewed when I see a congregation transform itself and the world around it into something closer to God’s realm.

What to Call Me

The churches I have served in Norwich, West Newbury and Thetford have called me Tom. I am most comfortable with that, but we all come from different traditions, and some will prefer something more formal. Reverend Kinder would be my more formalchoice.

I performed a wedding once where thebride was from a large Irish Catholic

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family from the Midwest. One of her young nieces asked after the ceremony if she could help snuff out the candles.

The girl looked up at me with the sweetest face and said, “Father, may I help?” My heart melted. I love being a UCC pastor, but suddenly I enviedpriests. Hearing the word “Father” from that child made me want to liveup to the ideal she had of me. After that, of course I handed the brass candle snuffer over to her without hesitation! So feel free to call me Father if you really want me to say yes to something. But Tom or Reverend Kinder will suffice.

Thank you again for the opportunity to serve you in your service of Christ and the world. I am excited to get to walk this next stage of your journey with you.

Peace, joy and love,Tom

PRAYER CONCERNS

Among those who were lifted up in prayer in recent months:

Susan Shaw Louise Allen Virginia Bednarski Unnamed friends Margie Strong High school & college graduates

Alexandria Coffin Jobin Messenger Vida Munson the Button’s niece

Jacob Knapp Those affected by the conflict in Israel & Gaza

Those affected by the several recent plane crashes

Our sympathy and love to the family and friends ofSean Tillotson

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Report from Christian EdLately, I have heard several people say, “We have no Sunday School

any more!” But Sunday School is not gone, just on summer vacation!

A new season of Sunday School will kick off when the children host coffee hour on August 31st. Please join us for that, they are always so proud to serve you! Regular Sunday School lessons begin the following Sunday, September 7. We are looking forward to many activities

and projects, such as planting bulbs, and apple picking and applesauce making this fall, and performing a pageant at Christmas time, as well as ongoing hosting of coffee hour on fifth Sundays.

We hope that you will continue to support our children with your enthusiasm for their learning and projects, as well as with your time assisting us when you can!Thank you,

The Christian Ed team

Women's FellowshipIt is with sadness that I report the Women’s Fellowship group has

formally ended for now. Two years ago we set out to revitalize and re-energize the group and unfortunately it just didn’t happen. The funds have been allocated for the various church activities that the Women’s Fellowship supported.

The previously known Women’s Fellowship committees will now function under the church as a whole. Adventures in Reading is part of Christian Education, Material Aid is part of Mission and Social Action, Hospitality/Kitchen, Church Directory Booklet and Parsonage Committees will come under the Trustees. The Harvest Bazaar will continue with a group of women from the church coordinating it and that group will distribute the donations from the proceeds as they always have in the past.

Erin Odell.

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Church CouncilPlease remember that Church Council will renew our meetings starting August 5th at 7:00 PM. We need a member from every committee represented to handle the business. With our interim pastor coming on board Sept 1st., and he plans to be at the parsonage Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we need to consider and discuss the possibility of changing our meeting time, or he may arrange his. I am sure there many other items needing our attention.Hope to see every committee represented!

Daniel A. Perry

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Submit articles tom3site@charter.net

Put “epistle” in the subject lineDeadline: 25th of the month

PICTURES WANTED!

Do you have a picture from an event … a supper, a gathering,

a fix-it session, a project underway? Please give it to me to

scan into the Epistle, or of course you can email it.

Pictures are the *POP* to any newsletter M3site@charter.net Marcia Tomlinson

SEVENTH ANNUAL ALL-CHURCH YARD SALE

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 22– 9:00 am to 3:00 pmSaturday August 23 – 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 4. The Vestry door will be open.

Items such as but not limited to:

Furniture Knick-Knacks ChinaPewter Books Small Appliances

Silver Tools CollectiblesKitchen Items Art/Crafts

Co-Chairs – Dan Perry, Eris Eastman,Vida Perry-Munson,

Linda Gross, Sue Eastman, MaryjaneKrepper

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Annual Meeting - May 22nd 7:00 pm - 29 members present. Moderator Storme Odell opened the meeting with a prayer and all recited the covenant together.

● Minutes of last year’s Annual Meeting were approved with a correction to include the amount of the approved budget of $119, 94.

● The Special Meeting of April 7th regarding the communication guidelines were approved.

● Treasurer’s Report was approved after a couple of clarifications of why the profit/loss was set up with a comparison of previous year. Explained that this was done at the request of a church member. Noted that auditors were waiting for a date from the treasurer to audit the books for this past year.

● After noting typo-second bulleted item- Investment portfolio balance as of 3/31/1 s/b 3/31/14) the Trust Fund report was also approved.

● All other reports were approved with the following corrections/clarifications:

○ Clarification in Publicity report database updated not set up.○ Trustees report: Joe Button apologized for the wording in

several line items, as he was preparing for a trip and wanted to get the report done before he left. They included explaining #18 counting of cash received by the church being done by two people for accountability; clarifying that Odell Insurance did not determine the net worth of the church-they just reviewed the insurance policy; clarifying where the instructions to operate the dishwasher were located; clarifying the “giving triangle” at the end of the Capital Campaign report (spacing error); # 11 “sticking draws” should be “sticking drawers”

○ Trustee’s report #14 Katrina Munn Funds-Mary Sanborn said she did not transfer this money anywhere and wanted to makesure it was understood that these funds are to be handled by the Trustees-are not to be included in the Trust Funds. It wasexplained that Trustees were handling these funds, but had asked the Trust Fund reps for help in finding a better place that the money could be invested as the costs to keep the

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money where it is now (Merchant’s Bank) is costing upwards of$600. Trustees will continue to have control of these funds; itwas never intended to become part of the Trust Funds. It wasalso noted that there is no stipulation of any specific financial institution.

○ Clerk’s report: 3 received into membership - reads 2, but lists three members; 2 resigned from church-it was noted that Virginia Crowe resigned from committee/boards but not from the church.

○ Memoriam should have included Merton Bean (died June 28, 2013) - clerk will include Merton in next year’s Annual Report Memoriam page noting the year of his death.

○ Church at Large: Tracey Smith said she did not write the report in the Annual Report; clerk did not have paperwork or computer with her to verify how report was submitted. Members decided to record in minutes that there was “no report” submitted.

○ Flower Committee report: add the name Ruth Frydam (Daughter to:)

○ Christian Education report: clarification “we have teamed up with” (with was left out)

● There was no old business.● Nominating Report - The slate of officers and committees and

boards were accepted by unanimous vote with the following additions:

○ write in for Assistant Moderator - Dan Perry II○ write in for Treasurer - Gloria Fox (volunteered to do for

another year as no one came forward).○ write in for Assistant Treasurer - Charlotte Welch (volunteered

to do for another year as no one came forward).○ write in for Auditor until 2017 - Penny Perryman○ there is no moderator, no assistant clerk, no public relations

officer (this position was eliminated in the By-laws amendment later in the meeting). There are still openings on the Diaconate and Christian Ed Boards, and Inter Church Council, Grafton Orange Association Delegates, and the nominating committee.

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○ Mary Sanborn noted that Dean Osgood - Choir Director Emeritus should be added as that was voted on at last year’s Annual Meeting.

Moderator Storme Odell stated that with no moderator - it was vital that a representative from all Boards and Committees as well as all the office holders elected be present at the Church Council meetings for the upcoming year; particularly as the Church Council is responsible for the Pastor Search.

● By laws: ○ The Public Relations Publicity Officer position was eliminated

by unanimous vote. Moderator noted that position could be reinstated if it is found to be necessary in the future. The Publicity committee will take on responsibilities regulated to this officer.

○ Diaconate: The word “preferably” was added before “consisting of no less than 3 men and 3 women was approved by voice vote with 1 nay vote.

○ Board of Trustees “they may hire someone to carry out any ofthese duties” - explained that this came to surface when Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer did not want to be put into a position to carry out all of the financial affairs, then the trustees could “hire someone to carry out any of these duties”.

○ Church at Large committee: after discussion speaking for and against eliminating this committee it was pointed out that theGuidelines for Communications that was voted on in our Special Meeting this past year, included “speak for myself, notother”.....thus, a unanimous vote eliminated this committee which also canceled the assignment of the two people who had been voted to that committee under the Nominating Committee report.

○ Grafton Orange Association Delegates: change “shall be members” to “should be members” thus allowing non-members to be delegates if no member comes forward…...voice vote of ayes and nays - ayes have it - changemade.

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● Proposed Budget 2014-2015:○ Dan Perry II amended the motion to approve budget as printed

to: as shown on a hand out showing a reduction in the Ministerial Compensation from $56,496.41 to $31,185.00 reducing the budget from $123,909.20 to $98,857.5 leaving a budgeted income-less expenses of $-614.75.

■ It will be 12-18 months before a full-time minister will be hired; and could be at least a year for an interim minister.

■ Amendment on the motion approved with unanimous vote.

○ Discussion on original motion:■ Charlotte Welch (assist. treasurer) was asked for an

update on pledges received vs. money pledged for last year and this year:

● 2013-2014 Budgeted Pledges $50,000 - Actual received: $46,559

● 2014-2015 Budgeted Pledges $45,000 - to date $22,486

■ Suggested that pledge letter/cards should be an all-church mailing (not just emailed).

■ Suggested if we don’t meet pledge amount, we could ask Trust Funds for more money for budget.

■ Trust Fund reps spoke to taking more that percentage recommended causes these funds to deplete faster.

■ Storme spoke to her experience this year in attending meetings concerning churches this year, and many are inthe same situation as we are. Morrisville church, however, decided to use much of their trust funds to “save” their church, and hope to repay those funds as things improve.

■ The motion to accept the proposed budget as amended was approved by unanimous vote.

● Other business:○ Mary Sanborn thanked Gloria Fox and Charlotte Welch for

stepping up to fulfill the positions of Treasurer and Assistant

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Treasurer, respectively, after retiring from those positions this year and no members stepping up to fill those positions.

○ Dan Perry reminded all present of the upcoming Church Council meeting on June 3rd and the importance, without a moderator, for all officers, boards, and committee reps to be present. Particularly as the Church Council is responsible for minister search.

Adjourned at 8:28pm after a closing prayer shared by Storme Odell.

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