THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

OF ELLSWORTH, MAINE FOUNDED 1812

JUNE 2020 NEWSLETTER THE STEEPLE

First Congregational Church, PO Box 12, 2 Church Street, Ellsworth, Maine 04605 207-667-8321 ellsworthucc.org

FROM OUR PASTOR

Dear members and friends of FCCUCC in Ellsworth,

Let me start with an apology for delaying the publication of this issue of the newsletter. It is

totally my fault, and I apologize. I will cover many topics in this letter, so if one paragraph doesn’t

interest you, please simply move your eyes onto the next paragraph. On the other hand,

sometimes, reading everything, like eating all one’s vegetables, can help a person and

community grow. ☺

Currently, Kids Church brings our five children together via Zoom to learn about the 12

disciples. Cathy Lacey leads this hour-long experience. Happily, committees that meet on

Sundays have very willingly moved their meeting times to accommodate the children. Some of

the children have led the Easter Acclamation, Calls to Worship and prayers during the Easter

Season worship services.

Tom MacDonald still hosts the Sunday Forum using Zoom. I finally had a chance to attend this

past Sunday. Everyone is invited to use the church’s ID and password to join the discussion at 8:30.

Prior to hearing other Down East pastors describe what they are doing, I did not realize how

unusual our activity is in providing opportunities for and means to worship God as a community.

Two churches use only Zoom and do so twice a month. This allows the pastor to address other

pastoral duties in the alternating weeks. One of them plans to alternate Zoom and in-person

worship at some point in the future. Two pastors email typed sermons weekly. Another church

expects to gather weekly on Zoom until May 2021.

People are still participating in our worship services via Facebook, hosted by Ruth Tainter. She

reports each month to the Deacons how many people engaged in worship and how many were

present throughout the entire service. In an effort to avoid sound distortion, on May 17 and 31, I

uploaded a video of the worship service onto the Facebook website. I had previously wanted

Facebook congregation to experience the same live broadcast as WDEA and Zoom participants

were, but sound quality and “electronic phasing” pointed to a different approach. I plan to

upload videos on Saturday night in the future. Last minute prayer requests will be the only thing

lost by doing this. Please record your presence during a service by posting an “I’m here”

comment.

We had 20+ connections during Zoom worship during May, with more than one person on

many connections. People from Ohio, New York, and Canada have joined in. In “olden times,”

multi-generation families could only worship together during holidays or vacations, but now,

thanks to technology, you have the opportunity to invite children and grandchildren to join you in

worshipping God. And while they are not sitting next to you, you can still (continued next page)

see their faces (if they turn on their video) and hear their voices before and after worship. Zoom also

allows landlines or other phones to call in and listen to the service.

Thanks to the work of Troy Tainter, people are still listening to the worship service via radio, in-

cluding Ellen in Connecticut, who uses the WDEA webpage. See her letter elsewhere in The Steeple.

If you are listening via airwaves or internet to WDEA, would you please call or email the church office

(207-667-8321, fccellworth@myfairpoint.net ) and let Joyce know? I am trying to analyze WDEA

reception throughout the geographic area. I recognize that some of you are disappointed (or am I

putting that too mildly?) in the quality of the sound. Yesterday, it occurred to me to ask what sound

quality was like last spring, and I learned that sound was unsatisfactory for some geographic areas

back then. I now realize the problem is not just what I am doing from my living room. One of our

members is spending two Sundays driving around identifying sound quality in various geographic

locations during the worship hour.

Starting May 30, an .m4a audio file was created specifically for broadcast on WDEA. It was

designed to correlate with Facebook, except for additional sound at the end (to fill in the full hour).

Because it was created on Saturday night, it also lacked last minute prayer requests. Creation of the

audio file gave me the opportunity to use Audacity to eliminate some of the sound gaps and pops in

the postlude before compiling it. Liturgists have been very willing to prerecord scripture readings as I

moved to creating separate video, audio and PowerPoint (Zoom) recordings

I am grateful for the effort Joyce, Nancy Sargent and Troy have put into learning how to collab-

orate with me using Dropbox. Joyce and Nancy now have the time-consuming job of verifying

copyright permission of lyrics and music. Nancy also rips music from previous services’ CDs (a new

skill). Joyce helps me with verifying performance copyrights. Lynn and Leita have continued to help

with providing music performances, which are recorded and processed by Troy. So much behind-

the-scenes work!

Those of you who monitor the church’s Facebook page, have seen the heights to which Troy

Tainter and Jack Lacey have gone in order to repair the plaster on the sanctuary’s ceiling. Many

thanks to them. Also, thanks to Jon Rosemeier for staining the natural wood of the pews. And there

have been the unexpected gifts, such as Jason Sargent volunteering to mow the church’s front lawn

this week.

Meanwhile, many people are asking the question, “When will worship and meetings resume at 2

Church Street?” To help move us toward an answer, three deacons have been named to a commit-

tee that will develop guidelines for returning to the building. Three trustees and one member of the

Music Committee will also be appointed to that temporary committee. I have asked the Council to

provide guidelines for the committee as they discern the best path forward for us.

The Welcome Table team has been serving many more, free, carry-out meals on Wednesdays

while businesses are closed. Statistics are reported each Sunday and in this newsletter. Thank you to

the team (and let me know if I left someone off the list), Kara, Ruth, Lois, Cindy, Ron, Mary, Jon,

Bonnie, and Nancy J.

Looking ahead, please be present to support the children during Recognition Sunday (June 14)

and to recognize the men who nurture us on Father’s Day (June 21). The collection of offerings (via

mail) to buy tools for mission work will honor Fathers.

And now for a moment of personal reflection.

“We want sermons that apply scripture to our lives.” Almost every church profile I have read says

that or something similar. Our lives—controlled by a pandemic—with the accompanying fears and

frustrations are the obvious focal point. A few weeks ago, we heard leading church pastors address

that situation straight on. And, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’ve addressed it obliquely. The past

week, however, makes me want to refocus. (continued next page)

Sometimes a pastor can’t figure out what to say. Sometimes the combination of demands by a

congregation and events in our nation leave a pastor wordless. Sometimes lack of precedence is

like an earthquake shaking our mental constructs of how the world, our world, our version of democ-

racy, and our version of Christianity--especially our prior conceptions of how our daily lives are to be

lived. When this happens, I want to retreat and read and listen to the words of minds that are smart-

er and wiser than mine. I feel totally not up to the task of addressing what is happening in a COVID19

world, in a racially violent world, in a purple-zone world where social distancing and a shelter-in-

place life-style with all its technological demands have prevented me from learning who the mem-

bers of the church really are--culturally and spiritually, and even politically. This week, after learning

that a protest against race-based violence had been held near the church, I read the congrega-

tion’s history, A Church has been Gathered in order to find out how it responded to the Civil Rights

Movement in the 1960s. Unfortunately, the history ends in 1961. As pastor, I need to hear from

members and friends who were here in the 1960s so I understand how the church members and city

responded during that turbulent decade. Will you call me?

The scripture lesson that best speaks to all I have written here is located in Numbers chapter 11.

We heard it read on Sunday, and I

hope you will read it, again.

Vicki Kemper recently wrote, “The

Pentecost season is a great time to

acknowledge that we can’t do it all –

love God, eradicate racism, welcome

the stranger, lift up the lowly, nurture

beloved community, reinvent church

for a pandemic, and more – on our

own. And Pentecost is the perfect

time to celebrate that we don’t have

to. Because there is more than

enough Spirit to go around. Because

a people empowered can always do

more together than the most gifted

leader. Because a Spirit-filled church

can change the world.

O God, that the load is not ours

alone to bear, and that your Spirit

carries us all, we praise you.”

Shalom,

Our beautiful Pentecost altar! Thank you, Cindy Sargent, for creating this for us.

JUNE LECTIONARY READINGS

JUNE 7, 2020 – TRINITY SUNDAY

Genesis 1:1-2:4a

Psalm 8

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Matthew 28:16-20

JUNE 14, 2020 – SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Genesis 18:1-15, (21:107) & Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

OR

Exodus 19:2-8a & Psalm 100

Romans s 5:1-8

Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23)

JUNE 21, 2020 – THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Genesis 21:8-21 & Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 OR

Jeremiah 20:7-13 & Psalm 69:7-10, (11-15), 16-18

Romans 6:1b-11

Matthew 10:24-39

JUNE 28, 2020 – FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Genesis 22:1-14 & Psalm 13 OR

Jeremiah 28:5-9 & Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18

Romans 6:12-23

Matthew 10:40-42

We offer condolences to:

The family and friends of

Barbara Richardson who

died Friday, May 8, 2020.

Barbara, a former member

of our congregation, was a

relative of Rhyne & Raymond Robidoux, and a

dear friend of Cindy Sargent.

The family and friends of Marie Macy who died

May 22, 2020. Although not a member, Marie

attended FCC regularly.

2020 GRADUATES

Please contact the office

with names of graduates in

our church family.

MEMBERS’ SPECIAL JUNE DATES

BIRTHDAYS

06/02 Daniel Lacey

06/02 Sid Emerson

06/04 Kristen King

06/05 Louise Emerson

06/05 Jered Higgins

06/05 John Lacey

06/06 Neal Anderson

06/07 Kirsten Palmer

06/07 Cookie Foss

06/08 Juanita Higgins

06/08 Todd Merrill

06/12 Ruth Tainter

06/17 Virginia Davis

06/23 Joyce Johnston

06/23 Tom MacDonald

06/26 Mark Remick

06/28 Sue King

06/28 Alice Lippert

06/29 Jordan Berry

ANNIVERSARIES

06/02 Donna & Vic Eastman

06/22 Lewis & Juanita Higgins

06/22 Robert & Katharine Schrader

06/22 John Van Pelt & Karen Blaisdell

06/30 Charlie & Cindi Sargent

460 meals

in April

494 meals in May

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NEWS FROM A DEAR FRIEND

Dear Friends at FCC Ellsworth,

Greetings from Newtown, CT! I am sending

you all my love and warmest wishes. I think of you

very often, as I continue to listen to you via WDEA.

I am so grateful to have this connection.

Here is a photo of the three of us from a year

ago. Aaron is now taller than me, and I am no

longer wearing the head scarf. So happy to be

doing well on my latest treatment!

Welcome Rev. Priem! Best wishes to you in

your new post, especially during these new times,

to put it mildly…

Much love,

Ellen Andrews

MID-WEEK

BIBLE STUDY?

Is anyone interested in

a midweek Bible Study

via Zoom (video or

audio)?

If so, what days/times work for you, and for

how many weeks? What is a good length for

each session?

Contact Rev. Priem: 412-2035

FROM MODERATOR JACK LACEY

We are all wondering when we can

gather again for worship. I think that we all

miss that special time we share together on

Sunday morning. And the pause that we

build into our lives to give thanks to God for

God’s many blessings.

The Council has met via Zoom to wrestle

with this question. The Deacons and the

Trustees will be engaged in dialogue around

this question. Our Pastor has been working

hard to meet the challenges inherent in

being Pastor in a time of isolation—no small

task in a vocation that, by definition, is at

once intimate and shaped by the needs of

the gathered community. We have much

to be grateful for. The Welcome Table con-

tinues to serve the needs of our neighbors.

Our congregation has stepped up and

continues to offer their financial support for

our Church.

As we begin to think about how we are

going to move forward I hope that all of us

might ask, “What does our faith ask of us in

responding to our new realities? We are

alive here and we are ready to greet the

days ahead.”

God is still speaking! I pray that we

might listen together and respond in ways

that are pleasing to God.

ADULT FORUM 8:30 a.m. Sundays

via Zoom

Meet & Greet

at 8 a.m.

Contact Tom MacDonald for information

about the Forum. Call Kristen Cartier for

assistance with connecting Zoom using

phone or computer.

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Dear Members & Friends of the Congregation,

Thank you very much for your generous gift of

$226 to the Maine School of Ministry (MESOM), an

essential educational program of the Maine

Conference, United Church of Christ.

Your gift helps us in so many ways—from

student scholarships, to the development of new

programs, and towards empowering the out-

reach and growth of the Maine School of Ministry

overall. Thank you!

Blessings, The Rev. Dr. Ron Baard

Sundays via Zoom

11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.

Contact Rev. Priem

for details

First Congregational Church will volunteer

staff the food pantry June 15-19, 22-26, & 29.

Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. We need

1 Driver who can lift things

Mondays 7:45-9:30 a.m.

Wednesdays 7:45-10 a.m.

Fridays 7:45-10 a.m.

2 Pantry workers

Wednesdays 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Wednesdays 3:30-7 p.m.

Fridays 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Pantry workers will package items and carry

boxes to clients’ cars

OR

Answer the phone and take orders.

Only five people can be in the building at a

time. Everyone must wear a mask and ob-

serve 6-ft physical distancing.

Following regulations set by the State of

Maine, a volunteer over age 70 must have a

Medical Release Form from a physician

saying that the volunteer has no underlying

health conditions that put them at risk.

Contact Ginny Davis 667-6304, to sign up or

ask questions.

PILGRIM LODGE All summer camps cancelled for 2020

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M I S S I O N S – C W S T O O L S

Look up and imagine there’s nothing between you and

the sky on a stormy day. Would your church be a palce of

safety and warmth? Would you feel peace?

Elmicia and her husband’s mud-and-stick house was not a

place of safety or warmth. Every time it rained, the roof

and walls leaked. Elmicia’s family used buckets to catch

rainwater as people scrambled to find dry spots. “I would

cry becauase I didn’t have a place to receive them, “

Elmicia says.

Then, things got worse. During high hurricane winds, their

roof was completely torn off, forcing the family to move to

a shelter made out of bed sheets. “I was not in a good

place at all,” Elmicia recalls.

“But after that, God sent you my way.

God walked a beautiful road with me.”

That road was made possible by CWS Tools. Congregationas like yours lined that road, helping

Elmicia’s family build a concrete home that will stand strong against the next storm. And, her

husband adds, “Now…even if it’s raining, we won’t get wet.”

Look around and imagine there’s nothing between you and your neighbors on a stormy day. Will

your congregation be a place of safety and warmth? Will you offer peace to families? Provide a

stronger future today with your gift to CWS Tools.

Send your CWS gifts to the church. Make out the check to First Conregational Church and write

CWS TOOLS in the memo. Thank you for your generosity!

Sunday Worship is currently broadcasting

on WDEA AM 1370 and Zoom

Sunday Zoom schedule

8-8:30 a.m. - Adult Forum's Socializing Time

8:30-9:30 a.m. - Adult Forum

9:30-10 a.m. - All Members Socializing Time with Announcements

10-11 a.m. - Worship

11-11:20 a.m. - All Members Socializing Time

11:30-12:30 - Kids' Church

Zoom will be available for boards, committees or subcommittees starting at 12:30.

The bulletin will be a follow-along slide presentation if you are using video. The

bulletin will also be available on EllsworthUCC.org for audio-only listeners.

The Zoom “waiting room” opens at 9:30 a.m. for the 10 o’clock service.

Zoom allows conversation before and after the service. We hope it will allow for

prayer requests during the service.

Church members and friends have received an email or letter with Zoom directions

and passwords. Please contact Kristen Cartier, 669-2004, for assistance connecting

to Zoom by phone or computer.

______________________________

All FCC Zoom events use

the same meeting number and password

JUNE CHURCH MEETINGS

Trustees – Thursday, June 11, 6:30 p.m.

Deacons – Sunday, June 14, 12:30 p.m.

Missions – Thursday, June 18, 6:45 p.m.

Christian Ed – Sunday, June 21, 1 p.m.

Council – Wednesday, June 24, 6:30 p.m.

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JUNE 2020 EVENTS AT FIRST CONGO UCC

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 OFFICE CLOSED

2

3 3 pm Welcome Table take-out

4 9 am Bulletin deadline

5 OFFICE CLOSED

6

7 White

8:30 am Adult Forum 10 am Worship Service 11:30 am Kids Church

8 OFFICE CLOSED

9

10

3 pm Welcome Table take-out

11 9 am Bulletin deadline 6:30 pm Trustees

12 OFFICE CLOSED

13

14 Green

8:30 am Adult Forum 10 am Worship Service 11:30 am Kids Church 1 pm Christian Ed

15 OFFICE CLOSED

16

17 3 pm Welcome Table take-out

18 9 am Bulletin deadline 6:45 pm Missions

19 OFFICE CLOSED

20

21 Green

8:30 am Adult Forum 10 am Worship Service 11:30 am Kids Church 12:30 pm Deacons

22 OFFICE CLOSED

23

9 am July Steeple deadline

24 3 pm Welcome Table take-out 6:30 pm Council

25 9 am Bulletin deadline

26 OFFICE CLOSED

27

28 Green 8:30 am Adult Forum 10 am Worship Service 11:30 am Kids Church

29 OFFICE CLOSED

30

M-W-F V O L U N T E E R A T L O A V E S & F I S H E S F O O D P A N T R Y

M-W-F V O L U N T E E R A T L O A V E S & F I S H E S F O O D P A N T R Y

VOL at L&F

Please help us conserve paper and ink. If you received this newsletter by snail mail and have

an email address, please contact the church at 667-8321 or fccellsworth@myfairpoint.net.

You may also leave a note on the secretary’s desk. Thank you!

Sunday Worship Service 10 a.m.

Church office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Rev. Cynthia Priem, Pastor - RevPriem@gmail.com; study phone 207-412-2035

Joyce B. Cornwell, Secretary

Daryl Whitaker, Sexton

Lynn Hall, Organist

Nancy Sargent, Choir Director

Jack Lacey, Moderator 745-1348

Tom MacDonald, Vice Moderator

Sue Fuller, Clerk 610-1626

Sidney Emerson & Lynn Hall,

Financial Secretaries

Leita Zeugner, Treasurer

Cathy Lacey, Asst Treasurer

Troy Tainter, Trustees 802-1102

Katharine Schrader, Deacons 266-2541

Ginny Davis, Missions

Cathy Lacey, Christian Education

Bonnie Carter, Music

Council Members at Large:

Joyce Johnston

Rhyne Robidoux

Our purpose,

First Congregational Church, UCC, Ellsworth, Maine: To embrace the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus Christ

In meaningful and dynamic ways through creative worship,

supportive fellowship, compassionate outreach, and

stimulating Christian education for all ages; To be a faithful community which, led by the Holy Spirit,

expresses hospitality, nurtures spiritual growth, and

promotes a deep sense of belonging; To strive to build on commonalities while seeking to

understand, accept, and celebrate our differences;

To stand as a beacon of hope in a hurting and troubled world by

sharing the Good News of the Gospel, and practicing God’s love as embodied by Jesus Christ. We welcome all to walk with us on the journey of faith.

As adopted by the Congregation at its Annual Meeting – January 22, 2012

First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ PO Box 12, 2 Church Street, Ellsworth, Maine 04605

207-667-8321 fccellsworth@myfairpoint.net ellsworthucc.org facebook.com/fccellsworth/