The Evangel The Congregational Church of Westborough, United Church of Christ

Westborough Massachusetts

1724-2016

"Open Doors - Growing Faith!"

Volume 36, Issue 8 Sep 28, 2016

WORSHIP SCHEDULE

All of our Sunday services are at 10 AM, and there is

nursery care and Sunday School for kids up through

the 8th

grade. The kids are in church for the first 10

minutes or so, and then they go to their special session.

Everyone is invited to join us for coffee hour after the

service downstairs in the vestry (or fellowship hall)!

SUNDAY, OCT 2ND

WORLDWIDE COMMUNION SUNDAY

We will celebrate the Sacrament of Communion today

along with Christians all over the world, and

Rev. Elaine S. Gaetani will be preaching.

SUNDAY, OCT 9TH

We will install our new Deacons today in their

ministry, and Pastor Paul will be preaching on the

Holy Spirit.

SUNDAY, OCT 16TH

CROP WALK

We will begin a look at the fruits of the Holy Spirit

today as we seek to follow Jesus, and Pastor Paul will

be preaching about patience. The CROP walk will be

after church today at 1 PM, starting at our church.

SUNDAY, OCT 23RD

SERVICE OF HEALING

Pastor Paul will be preaching about the fruit of

kindness today, and there will be a time of healing at

the end of the service.

SUNDAY, OCT 30TH

Rev. Elaine S. Gaetani will be preaching today about

the fruit of faithfulness.

PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND

NEIGHBORS TO JOIN US HERE FOR WORSHIP!

PASTOR’S COLUMN

I shared this poem as part of my sermon on Sept.

18th

, and a number of people asked me to put it in the

Evangel. It is from a Christmas card, so I don’t know

who wrote it, but it is powerful to me:

“I asked God to take away my pride, and God said no.

God said it was not to take away, but for me to give up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and

God said, ‘No, her spirit is already whole. Her body is

only temporary.’

I asked God to grant me patience, and God said no. God

said that patience is the byproduct of tribulation. It isn’t

granted; it’s earned.

I asked God to give me happiness; God said no. God said

I give you blessings, but happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain, and God said no. God said

I must grow on my own, but God will prune me in order

to make me fruitful.

I asked God if I was loved, and God said yes. I gave you

my only Son who died for you, and you will be in heaven

someday because of it.

I asked God to help me love others as much as God loves

me, and God said, “Ah, finally! Now you have the idea.”

Faithfully yours,

Pastor Paul

Regular Office Hours

Monday & Friday 9am – 1pm

Tuesday, Wednesday , Thursday 9am – 2pm

A Message from our Pastor of Spiritual Development… Why go to church!? Why get involved!? Why participate in a small group!?

Our new church year is off to a great start thanks be to God! It is so wonderful to see everyone back together again, to see new faces and to greet old friends! I swear all of the children grew at least a foot this past summer as well, don’t you! So Welcome Here! There are precious few places on this planet where you are accepted for who you are, encouraged to bring forth your best self, forgiven for your worst, where true and real friendships are forged, where learning is fun, healing is made available and growing spiritually in one’s relationship to God is profoundly practiced and encouraged. There are precious few places on this planet where Love Reigns and above all else, where God is at the heart and center of it all……. A Place where we joyfully reach out to others in God’s name. The Congregational Church of Westborough, United Church of Christ, Is One Such Place! For this we are most grateful and give thanks to the Living God! It is here, together in faith, together in community, together in mission and outreach, together in learning, that each of us comes to grow toward wholeness and deeper maturity in our Journey with God. We cannot do this alone. God’s love, healing, calling, outreach, passion for justice and desire for Relationship can be felt, seen and heard among us here at CCW! May God’s Holy Spirit truly be with us and may we be open to This Spirit among us. May God dream big Dreams among us, accomplish much ministry and outreach through us and find us deeply desirous of both listening and growing in our personal and collective Relationship with Christ. This year may you feel moved by The Spirit to move out past your usual comfort zone, to try new things, make new friends, take more risks, reach out to more people in God’s name and to receive the many miraculous blessings that God awaits to bless you with. May you find Peace in both doing and being. It is our prayer that you find a class, a group, a service, a project, a committee, a cause, a reason to get more involved with this faith community and feel the joy! COME AND SEE THAT GOD IS SO GOOD! Faithfully serving with you In Christ’s Love, Rev. Elaine

PRAYERS & CELEBRATIONS

Bereavement: Family and friends of Edna Christensen upon her passing on Sept. 21.

New Prayers: George Frongillo, friend of the Newtons. Continued Prayers: George Reimann; Christopher Bramley; Jane Kruse; Julie Harris (Marge Butcher’s sister-in-law);Ted Jaworski’s mother Gina and his sister, Liz; Dick Birch; Helena Engberg

Coleman House: Jean Hall Beaumont: Shirley Hero; Norma Plummer; Jack Thompson; Shirley Foss Kindred Health Care: Bea Ladner

You can place prayer concerns on the church’s email distribution list at eprayers@uccwestboro.org. To add or renew an ongoing concern, please call the church office 366-2000 or westboroucc@verizon.net.

PASTOR PAUL RETURNS TO PANERA

Pastor Paul will be at Panera on Wednesdays starting in October from 4-6 PM. Drop by for a chat or just to say hello!

DRAMA TEAM

Do you have any acting experience? Or are you just a character? Whatever your background, please join our newly forming Drama Team! We will be doing skits as part of our worship once a month or so, and may branch out beyond that as time goes by. Be in touch with Irene Bagdoian at irene@bagdoianlaw.com if you are interested!

NURSERY COORDINATOR NEEDED

The Congregational Church of Westborough is seeking a nursery coordinator who will lead our nursery ministry on Sunday mornings for our infants to three year olds. We are looking for someone to be present in our nursery from 9:30-11:30 AM each Sunday during the year. (There

will be Sundays off when needed.) They will be responsible for setting up and cleaning the nursery. The nursery coordinator will also be responsible in conjunction with the Christian Education committee for making sure we have another volunteer present, so as to abide by safe church guidelines. The pay will be $20/hour.

We need someone who loves kids and their parents! We also are looking for someone who will be the public face for our church when new families visit our church and bring a child to the nursery. The nursery coordinator will need to have a CORI check, and First Aid certification and CPR are a plus. If you are interested in learning more about serving God in this very important ministry, please speak to Pastor Paul or Wendy Reardon. We will be accepting applications until October 15th.

MISSIONS

We are once again hosting the CROP walk, which helps hungry people both in our area and around the world on Sunday, Oct. 16th at 1 PM. It is a walk of about 3 miles,

and we invite you to get people to pledge for your walk, or to support a walker. Be in touch with Alan Hutchinson at millarhutch@aol.com if you want more information!

DISMAS HOUSE DINNER

Dinner with the residents at Dismas House is on the first Thursday of every month. Our next dinner is Thursday, Oct. 6th.

How can you get involved? 1. Help prepare a meal for 15 to 20 people. 2. Donate a grocery card that can be used to help

shop for food. 3. Come along and join us as we share great food

and fellowship with the residents! For more information please contact Karen Hutchinson at 508-870-1782, millarhutch@aol.com or chat with her during fellowship hour!

HABITAT WORK DAY

On Saturday, November 12, 2016 our church will help to build a duplex in Auburn for two families in need of decent, affordable housing. Skilled, unskilled - there will be plenty of work for everyone. More information and sign-up sheet to follow. Contact Pam Faustine pfaustine@princeton-ma.us or Doug Wales dgavwales@verizon.net.

WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP

Women’s Fellowship kick off dinner will be

Monday, Oct. 5th in the church Vestry. Social

hour begins at 6:00 PM followed by dinner

put on by the Executive board and catered by

Chef Du Jour. All women of the church are

invited. Hope to see you there! Please call

the office if you would like to come. If you

have any questions, you can call Cathie at

508-380-8671.

**************************************

Women’s Fellowship 2016 Schedule

All are invited for fun, service and fellowship. Put these on your calendar.

Nov. 7 –“Line Dancing with Mary Dragon”- Mary has been a member of the performance line dancing team Country Kickers for over 20 years. She also teaches line dancing. She will teach us a few beginner dances which will include top of the chart music and some country genres. Join us for a fun evening! Extra special Fall refreshments from Davidian Farms.

Dec. 3 - The 62nd “Evergreen Christmas Fair” – new hours 9-3.

Dec. 5 - Christmas Party and Yankee Swap with more special refreshments from Yummy Mummy. 6:30 PM Social time, 7:00 short meeting, 7:15 Yankee Swap

Jan.2 - Wrap up Meeting for Christmas Fair and Light Supper. 6:00pm Social time, 6:30 Supper

Come to one or come to all of these events. Hope to see you there. Any questions? Call President Linda Borglund Cell# 774-245-1425 or programs chair Cathie Achorn Cell # 508-380-8671.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

SMALL GROUPS COMING THIS FALL!

As part of our emphasis on “growing faith”, we once again will be having numerous small group opportunities for people this fall.

SUNDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY Join us every Sunday morning at 9 AM in the Chapel as we do a Bible Study on the sermon Scripture for the day. We always have a lively discussion, and gain some real insights! Contact Pastor Paul or Rev. Elaine for more information.

MEN’S GROUP

Join Rich Lord on Monday nights at 7 PM at the church as we consider what it means to be a Christian man in our society today. We will start on Monday, Sept. 26th-contact Rich at rich.lord@charter.net with any questions.

ALPHA

Alpha is a course that freely explores the basics of the Christian faith. There are no wrong questions in Alpha, and no wrong answers. It runs in churches, bars, coffee shops and homes all around the globe, and 27 million people have now taken Alpha! Alpha includes food, a short talk and a discussion where everyone can share their thoughts. We will be using a totally new and revamped Alpha, led by different leaders and shot all around the globe, so whether you have taken Alpha before or not, we invite you to join us on Wednesday nights starting Oct. 5th! Jim and Carrie Brown, Kathy Reynolds, Karen and Al Hutchinson, Art and Charlotte Smith and Pastor Paul will be facilitating. Contact Pastor Paul at phsangree@gmail.com if you have any questions.

THE CUP OF OUR LIFE: A Guide for Spiritual Growth

Wednesdays 7:00-8:00 PM (in the Chapel), led by Rev. Elaine. This small group is for those who desire to dive more deeply into an intimate & joyful life of prayer and relationship with God. Through the metaphor of the ordinary daily cup that we use each day, we can become more aware of how God calls us to be Sacred Vessels of God’s Diving Love. Author, Joyce Rupp, creatively explores how the cup is a rich symbol of life, including its emptiness, fullness, its brokenness and comfort. Come let us share this cup of Life together!

GROUP AT THE WILLOWS

Thursdays at 1:00PM (at the Willows) Marilyn Lyle and Charlotte Smith will be hosting an ALPHA group at the Willows. The first meeting will be Oct 13th.

BUSY – CONNECTING TO

AN UNHURRIED GOD

Friday nights (every other) starting Oct. 7th at 6:30pm Includes casual dinner. Facilitated by Brenda Lord & other interested parties. RSVP or questions to Brenda.Lord@staples.com Using Darkwood Brew curriculum with videos and discussion. “Come to me, all ye who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11: 28 Join us if you are interested in exploring the following questions: “How do we find heaven in the heart of struggle, not in the absence of it?....What kinds of busyness energize you? What kinds exhaust you?... What does it mean to have a table set before you in in the presence of your enemies?... What does it mean to be fully reliant on God? What is the relationship between courage and vulnerability?...What can we do to be more courageous? How can God be present even in our busiest places?...How do we find light and life in the challenge?

FUTURE WINTER/SPRING OFFERINGS

Meeting Jesus Again for the first Time, author Marcus Borg. Facilitated by Rev. Elaine and friends. (speak with Rev. Elaine if you would like to facilitate) Winter/Spring 2017 GLORIFY: Reclaiming the Heart of Progressive Christianity by Rev. Emily C. Heath. Facilitated by Amy Glennon & others. Starting Friday evenings in January. Please email Amy for further info at amyjglennon@gmail.com RHYTHMS OF GROWTH: 365 Meditations to Nurture the Soul Using a creative, Christ centered daily devotional written by Linda Douty, this small group will pray, reflect on devotionals and discuss where God is at work in their daily lives. Facilitator: TBD speak with Rev. Elaine if you would be interested in helping to facilitate! Revelaineg@aol.com

CHURCH SCHOOL

Follow Me…

Mark 1:16-20 The Message Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work. Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.

What did it mean for those men and the other disciples to “FOLLOW”? What did they have to do? Drop everything; leave behind everyone and all that that

knew! Could you, would you do it? A lot of

people think, “NO. I COULD NEVER DO THAT”. It’s not that they don’t want to. It’s not that they don’t feel the pull on their hearts to go. It’s that they are AFRAID. It’s scary to DROP EVERYTHING! To leave everything and everyone you know behind. To leave the comfort of knowing what’s going to happen each day. It might not be great but at least you know what to expect!

WHO WERE THESE MEN? Have you ever wondered? Why weren’t they afraid? What did they THINK was going to happen? How did their decision to drop everything and FOLLOW Jesus change their lives? Change the course of man…or Woman! Change the world? They are often referred to as 12 ordinary men, hard to believe but we will find out for ourselves this year. Who were they, where did they come from, what were they like before they met Jesus AND what were they like after! What happened after Jesus left them? Or did He?

We are going to find out if WE can be a “Follower”. Or are we Following someone or something right now?! (Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram… most of us ARE following someone) We will be learning about how “Following” can be great! It can keep you informed, keep you in-the-know BUT it can also keep you stressed, cut-off from healthy friendships and family. It can keep you from discovering YOU. This year our projects have been chosen to help us discover just that! WHO AM I? WHAT AM I GOOD AT? WHAT CAN I DO?…WILL I DO IT!? How will we do that? We are going to break out of our comfort zones! We are going to try new things, meet new people, and… HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN! IN ALL THE WAYS THAT WE CAN! It’s very easy… TOGETHER! WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST AND TOGETHER WE CAN DO ALL THINGS!!!

LOOKING AHEAD: We will be building a wooden sail (and row) boat this year! The project will begin

in JANUARY. We will be looking for at least 2 adult volunteer mentors with basic carpentry skills… and an above average amount of love and patience for kids, to help mentor this project! (Anyone interested please see Wendy or email her at wendysreardon@yahoo.com )

YOUTH GROUP FALL MEETINGS:

Sept. 25th noon-3pm kick-off Party! Oct. 9th noon-3pm hike & fish!!! Oct. 16th 1pm Crop Walk Oct. 23rd “THE FACTORY OF TERROR”

meet@3:30 our church parking lot… if you dare!?!

ALL Students grade 6th through 12th are invited to YOUTH GROUP. Friends from school, your neighborhood, sports team or other activity are ALWAYS

WELCOME! We have “whole group” activities and outings and small group, age appropriate discussion. We ALWAYS have lots of great food and FUN! Please join us. We can’t have a YOUTH GROUP without…YOUTH!!!!!

PARISH LIFE

HALLOWEEN PARTY

Oct 22th- All Church Halloween Party, 5:30PM downstairs in the vestry. See flyer at the back of this newsletter IF YOU DARE!

EVERGREEN FAIR

Our 61st annual Evergreen Fair will take place on Saturday, Dec. 3rd from 9AM-3PM. We are looking for many elves to help in many areas. No Experience necessary!

There is something for everyone. Come learn, come create or just come for the Fellowship and Holiday Spirit! There will be a sign up board in the Vestry. There are several ways you can help!

Grandma’s Attic: Back again! Donate white elephant items. Contact Nancy Gage at cngage@verizon.net. Santa’s Workshop: donate items such as your leftover Halloween candy, new small items that children can buy for gifts for their families, friends and pets. We especially need items for children to give their dads, brothers and grandfathers (auto items, tools, etc.). There will be a collection box in the library for these items.

For more information contact one of the Fair Chairs: Cathie Achorn @ 508-380-8671 or Sandy Horton @508-410-9000

MUSIC NOTES ♫

NOTES FROM THE BELL LOFT

Chimes and Bell Choir

The first rehearsal for children from ages 5-13 will be Oct 16 in the bell loft from 11:30 to ???? (definitely before 12!). If your child is new to the program and you have ANY questions, please call Sue Menzel at cell (508)341-8239. I look forward to seeing how much everyone has grown over the summer.

Festival Ringers

We really need YOU. There are positions open. We rehearse on Tuesdays from 7:00 to 8:30pm in the bell loft and usually ring one Sunday a month. We do take Jan. & Feb. off. Interested? Please talk to anyone in the choir or call Sue Menzel at cell (508)-341-8239.

RUMMAGE SALE – OCT 14TH & 15TH

Yes Virginia!! The Festival

Ringers are holding a Rummage

Sale on Friday, Oct 14, from 4-8

pm and Saturday, Oct 15, from

9-11 am. CLOTHING ONLY,

including shoes, accessories and linens. Drop

off times start after church, Sunday Oct 9, Mon

9-3, Tues 9-2 & 6-9, Wed 9-7, and Thursday 9

to noon. Nothing will be accepted after Thurs.

Because GRANDMA'S ATTIC is returning to

the Evergreen Fair on 12/3, yard sale items will

be gladly accepted at that time. Thanks for

your cooperation.

Any questions please call Sue Menzel at cell

(508)341-8239.

GROCERY CARD SALES

2016 Goal: $10,000 YTD Sales: $ 5,115.25

Welcome Here! Join us in fulfilling our commitment to our Church's operation budget for 2016. We will need our faithful supporters as well as many new ones to accomplish this goal. How does it work? We purchase grocery gift cards in bulk at a discounted rate. We then sell the cards to you at face value. It's easy. Stop by our table after worship on Sundays for more information. Please note: Stop and Shop will no longer allow the purchase of other gift cards with a Stop and Shop gift card. Contact us: Karen Hutchinson at 508.870.1782 or millarhutch@aol.com or Nancy Quimby at 774.249.4431 or nquimby11@gmail.com or Sally Petersen at sbpetersen4@gmail.com and 366.5169.

WORDS OF APPRECIATION

Dear Church Family,

Thank you for supporting our 5th blood drive in Honor of Corinne Sciarappa and in Special Recognition of Leah Davis. We had another amazing turn out during which The American Red Cross collected 89 units of blood. Corinne spent most the day with us, doing homework and thanking each donor individually. Leah is home and in isolation after a 7 month long set of treatments. She is working hard learning to walk and eat again. Over the course of these 5 drives we have collected enough units of blood to help close to 1300 people like Corinne and Leah. Blessings, Anita & Kaity Lawler

ADDRESS CHANGES

Amanda Borglund 39 Sheridan Rd, Apt. 2 Shrewsbury, MA 01545

Clayton Heidbreder 39 Sheridan Rd, Apt.2 Shrewsbury, MA 01545

Charles Hillier 25 W. Main St, Apt. 407 Westborough, MA 01581

AROUND THE CHURCH

CHURCH WEBSITE

Now on our website – listen to past sermons! The Church Website is your website! Use it to shown friends and inquirers what our Church is all about. For your needs, use it to see or find: upcoming events, meeting times, Service Bulletins, the Evangel, the Committee List, past sermons, sign up/Green Slip forms and to submit a prayer request. If there is something you would like to see on the site, send an email to Ted Jaworski, Church Communications Officer, tjaw2000@aol.com.

We are also looking for people to join the Social Media and the Communications Teams. If you would like to learn how to do social communication in today’s on-line environment, or just want to contribute to our Church’s social presence, email Ted. The tools are simple and fun to use.

VIDEOS OF CHURCH SERVICES

Videos of many of our church services and events can be viewed any time over the Internet "on demand" through the web site of Westborough public access TV, www.westboroughtv.org: use "Show Search" to find programs with "Congregational" in the title.

(AVPCC)

The Pastoral Counseling Centers of MA, with a main office at 7 Church Street, Westborough, have a long history of providing counseling to all persons seeking healing, wholeness and renewal. We work with individuals, couples and families offering a holistic approach that focuses on all aspects of a person's life. We also offer several support groups including care-giving, divorce and mid-life groups. To inquire further, please call Mary Taber at #508-366-4000.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Pastor Paul Sangree, Senior Pastor phsangree@gmail.com

Rev Elaine S. Gaetani, Pastor of Spiritual Development

revelaineg@aol.com

Wendy Reardon, Director of Children’s and Youth Ministry

wendysreardon@yahoo.com

Clayton Heidbreder, Minister of Music Claytonlh1@gmail.com

Sue Menzel, Handbell Director westcongmusic@gmail.com

Linda Hartley, Pastoral Associate

lhartley@ants.edu

Peter Graham, Seminarian petegrahamiam@icloud.com

Rev. Matt Carriker, Mission Pastor for

New Church Start mcarrike@hotmail.com

Office Administrators

Lisa Coffey WestboroUCC@Verizon.net

Bonnie Rossi

brossi6@verizon.net Church Office Phone 508/366-2000

General Church email

WestboroUCC@Verizon.net

Church web site

www.UCCwestboro.org www.facebook.com/TheCongregationalChurchofWestborough

CHANCEL FLOWERS If you would like to grace our Chancel with flowers on a Sunday morning, please sign the flower chart in the Vestry. Flowers are given in memory of, in honor of, or for a special occasion. Please call Carolyn Bent at 505-393-7809 with questions.

*HOSPITALITY If you would like to be added to this committee, please contact Betty Gray, 366-1039.

*AUDIO VISUAL REQUESTS Please let Tom & Donna Morgan 366-0358 know at least one week in advance if you have AV requests of church services or events.

*HOSTING COFFEE HOUR If you would like to host, please sign-up in the Vestry or call Suzanne Arpante at 366-7812.

*SUNDAY BULLETIN DEADLINE Submissions for Sunday’s bulletins must be received by 10 AM the preceding Wednesday.

*THE EVANGEL DEADLINE The next issue of the Evangel will be published on Oct 26. The deadline is Wednesday, Oct 19 Copy received before deadline is appreciated!

The Congregational Church of Westborough United Church of Christ NON-PROFIT ORG.

57 West Main St. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Westborough, MA 01581-1928 WESTBOROUGH, MA PERMIT NO. 37

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