FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Vol. 29, No. 11November 2020

FROM THE PASTOR

Service of Covenant and Installation

“What is an installation?” someone asked me recently. “I know we had one twenty years ago, but I don’t really understand what it’s all about.”

An installation is a service that celebrates the ministry of a local church and newly called pastor and reaffirms the covenantal relationship of all of the churches in an Association, Conference, and other Christian communities.

That’s a mouthful! Basically, an installation is a time to make promises or “covenants.” And of course, you already know that a covenant is a promise made before God. I like the language of covenant. Being “installed” makes me feel like a carpet or a carburetor! A service of covenant, on the other hand, is a time to make promises to be pastor and people. It is also an opportunity to reconnect with churches in our area and to recognize that we are all a part of the body of Christ. God provides for us people in various parishes to support one another. We are not alone in ministry.

When we needed help determining what kind of live streaming camera to purchase, I called a colleague in Henrietta who I knew was live streaming and asked for advice. Not only did we get advice, a volunteer from Henrietta UCC came and helped us to get our camera set up and our system connected to YouTube. Scott spent the better part of three days volunteering his time to get live streaming up and running at another church in his Association. He is a shining example of the kind of support that we as churches can offer to one another.

The commitments we make at our covenant and installation service are promises to be pastor and people, but just as importantly, they are promises about how we will be connected to other churches in our Association, Conference, and in the world!

Usually an installation/covenant service happens within the first year of a pastor beginning ministry at a church. We had scheduled this service for May 31, 2020 which is the day of Pentecost. And, as you know, COVID-19 struck and the service was postponed. This fall, as we marked my first anniversary as your pastor, we took up the question of whether we should reschedule this service given the fears about spreading the virus.

So, we decided to do a new thing. We are having the first virtual installation that the Genesee Valley Association of the United Church of Christ has ever had! We went through the pros and cons of a hybrid worship service with some people in person and some live streaming and we compared that to a completely virtual service.

For me, faces are important. I want to see your faces and to know who is present. If we live stream, we will know that a particular number of computers are logged on, but we don’t know who those individuals are. They don’t have the opportunity to speak and to see the faces of others who are also logging on virtually. When we meet via zoom, we have names and faces and people can participate from their homes. We decided at Church Council to hold this service via zoom!

On Sunday November 15 you are invited to participate in a Service of Covenant and Installation at 2 pm via zoom. We also plan to live stream this zoom event. A zoom link will be sent to the email list and posted on the website and Facebook page for those who would like to participate in this service. This also provides for the opportunity for family and friends from far off places to participate in the same way as those right here in Canandaigua. Live streaming the zoom service will allow those who don’t have zoom on their computer attend the service by clicking a link on the website. The service will also be recorded and uploaded to YouTube, as are all our Sunday Services, so that people those unable to attend can watch it later.

I hope that you will join me as we covenant together to be pastor and people, as we affirm our connectedness to the Genesee Valley Association Churches, the New York Conference of the UCC and to churches in the Body of Christ throughout the world!

The service ends with an ancient tradition of the laying on of hands. How does that work virtually? Each person raises his or her hand to the computer camera and as we pray you will see a variety of hands on the screen all joining together in prayer. We know that God’s spirit will be with us even if we are not all in the same room or able to physically touch for the laying on of hands.

Thank you for being one of those hands offering your prayers and your presence on Sunday November 15th at 2. See you then!

Grace and Peace,

Dawn

FROM OUR MODERATOR

New Traditions During The Pandemic

It looks like we are going to be in for a rough winter. I’m not sure what the Farmer’s Almanac says, but I know that social distancing and virtual events are going to be our new normal for a while longer.

Nine months ago, I don’t think many of us thought that we would still be semi-locked down. The reality is, we are heading into winter and many of the holidays and celebrations we look forward to will be different.

This doesn’t mean we won’t celebrate. We must! It just means that how we celebrate will look and feel different. And this requires some new ideas. I wish I had more to share, these are just a few I’ve run across.

For Thanksgiving:

· If the weather isn’t too cold, think about gathering outside for appetizers or drinks

· Organize a scavenger hunt

· Make a Thanksgiving craft or early Christmas craft and send it to family

· Write about your favorite holiday memory and send it to family

· Take photographs of your favorite views of Canandaigua or hometown

· Watch your favorite holiday movie

· Call a friend

· Make your favorite food or dish

· Join the family on Zoom

· Start decorating the house for Christmas

I wish we could all be together and see the smiles and hug. Just imagine how wonderful it will be when we can do this again! We’ll never take that for granted again.

Hannah Morgan

Church Moderator

Prayer List

Al (Kathi & Phil Nevin’s son in law who is deployed); Alice and boyfriend, Bill (Curt Bailey’s mother); Muriel Allemand (Jim & Connie Malone’s friend); Steve Beck (Heidi Schwarz’s brother); Keith Blaker; Brad Bliss; Marjorie Case; Cheryl (Dennis & Jennifer Maxfield’s sister-in-law); Cathy Coots; Peggy & Bob DeSantis (Dorice & Don Raw, Sr.’s friends); Julie English (Janet & Kim Tenreiro’s friend); Brian Fuscaldo (Mara Huberlie’s nephew); Jerry Gomez (Kathi Nacca’s friend); Carin Herren; Jim and Carolyn (Amy Ogden’s friends); Jim Kolesar (George & Carin Herren’s friend); Sue Kotalik; Mary (Nick Kogut’s mother); Michelle List (JoAnn Reed’s friend); Loren (Meg & Jack Radley’s friend); Lynn (Joan Ryan’s friend); Eileen McCarthy (Carla DeMeco & Betsy Dresser’s friend); Liz Nelson (Kathy Ward’s friend); Andy Platou; Chris Pritchard (Rick, Cindy Mullen & George Herren’s friend); Jack and Meg Radley; Sara (Meg & Jack Radley’s granddaughter); John Paul and Pat Smith; Smith/Dworetsky Family (Okke & Kathy Postma’s friends); Walker (Don & Dorice Raw’s friend); Gordon Wenner (George & Carin Herren’s friend); Merle Winn (Amy Ogden’s friend); Josh Yeo (Barb Stahl’s friend); Jason Zeller (Kathy Ward’s son); Linda Zeller (Kathy Ward’s daughter in law)

Congratulations!

To Holly Ralston-Weeks and her husband on the birth of their son, Joshua, born August 28, 2020.

Happy Birthday!

Nov. 2nd Beth GajewskiNov. 10th Amy Ogden Nov. 17th Katie Harris-Maxwell

Nov. 2nd Matt BerryNov. 10th Jack Ward Nov. 19th Mary Davison

Nov. 3rd Kathy WardNov. 11th Marilyn DeSmith Nov. 23rd Grady Francis

Nov. 9th Jim HiltonNov. 11th Mara Huberlie Nov. 24th Kevin Murphy

Nov. 9th Christine HenehanNov. 11th Nora Kogut Nov. 26th Sharon Day

Nov. 10th Marjorie CaseNov. 12th Quinn Morris-Smith Nov. 28th Betsy Cox

Nov. 10th Betsy Dresser Nov. 15th Fred Henry Nov. 30th John Spare

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS Nov. 1st:

Turn Clocks Back Sunday, Nov. 1st!

A Service of Covenant and Installation 

for

Reverend Dawn Garrett-Larsen

Called to be the Pastor of First Congregational Church UCC, Canandaigua

Members of the First Congregational Church of Canandaigua

join with

The Genesee Valley Association of the NY Conference

to covenant together

Sunday, November 15, at 2:00 PM

Via ZOOM

RSVP to: office@canandaiguachurch.org

Zoom link available at our website, canandaiguachurch.org

Celebrating Alicia Francis’ 10th Anniversary

We have been blessed to have Alicia Francis on staff at the First Congregational Church for ten years. The first two years Alicia was the Christian Ed director and for the past eight she has been the Church Office manager. Note new date: We will give thanks for Alicia and her ministry among us on Sunday, Nov. 22nd during worship.

Spotlight: The Schwab Family

When Ann was in high school, she was introduced to our church by her mom, Gloria, who worked at Thompson Hospital with Joan Herbek. As one might expect of Joan, she invited Ann's mother and family to one of our Christmas Eve services. After attending that service, Ann and Gloria knew they wanted to be a part of our church.

Ann grew up with her brother Jeremy and parents, George & Gloria, in Bainbridge New York. The family moved to Victor in the middle of Ann’s junior year in High School. Ann has fond memories of growing up in that small town of Bainbridge, where everyone knew everyone. After graduating from Victor, Ann attended Nazareth College where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Business. Ann also achieved her MBA from the U of R Simon School of Business, while working at Xerox. Ann is presently employed as a Director of Sales Automation at ADP, a provider of human resources management software and services. 

Jon grew up in the City of Rochester until the fifth grade when the family moved to Greece, New York. Jon is one of seven Schwab boys to Robert and Nancy Schwab. He and his fraternal twin brother Tim, are #’s 3 and 4, and Tim reminds Jon almost every day that Tim is the older of the two, by ten minutes. Jon graduated from The St. Thomas Aquinas High School of Rochester and attended The University of Rochester where he studies Optics and Mathematics. Jon works for Tompkins Financial where he is a Senior Telecom & Network Specialist, part of a small team maintaining the network infrastructure and phone system for Thompkins’ properties throughout New York and Pennsylvania.

Ann and Jon first met in 1998 at a place called “Matteson Ave.” Jon had been working there, as a second job, to help one of his good friends open the establishment. Ann’s friends from Xerox invited her to stop in at Matteson's with them after work where Ann and Jon became friends. Eventually it became more than a friendship, and Ann and Jon were married on May 11, 2002 at our own First Congregational Church. It was important to Jon and Ann to have the perfect place to bring the two families together. Jon’s family is Catholic and at that time, a friend of Jon's family was the pastor at St. Mary's, Father Thomas Mull. Fr. Mull was able to co-celebrate the ceremony with Rev. Herbek, and added a special blessing for Ann, Jon, and their families.

Jon and Ann live in Victor with their two children attending Victor schools. Ian, age thirteen, is in eighth grade and Chloe is ten and in fifth grade. Have you ever wondered about the significance of people's names? Ian and Chloe’s names have special significance to their families. The name Ian is said to be Scottish for “Jon” and Ian’s middle name, Matteson, is the name of the establishment where Ann and Jon first met. Chloe Elizabeth was named after both of Ann’s grandmothers. “Chloe” from Ann’s father’s side and Elizabeth, from Ann’s mother’s side.

The family loves their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, named Magic, and two cats, Stripers & Shadow. Ian enjoys playing video games and basketball. Both Ian and Chloe enjoy riding their bikes and skateboards. Ian and Ann are both tennis players while Chloe participates in Lacrosse and enjoys doing arts and crafts projects with her mom. The whole family likes to hike together. They have explored many trails in the area with their favorites often leading to interesting waterfalls.

Beginning September of this year, Jon took over the responsibilities of leading the Church Youth Group and Ann assumed the role of chairperson of the Christian Education Committee, a committee Ann has contributed to for several years now.

We are so fortunate to have Ann, Jon, Ian and Chloe as active members of our church family. ~ Submitted by Barb Kutner

Ian, Chloe, Ann & Jon on a family hike!

Veterans Day Recognition

On Sunday November 8th we will be recognizing our veterans for their service. We realize that many of our veterans are choosing to worship from home rather than in person.

If you are a veteran please send to the church office your name and the branch of service in which you served. If you know of other veterans in the congregation, give them a call and invite them to send us their information as well.

We would also love to put together a slide show with our veterans in uniform as well as a current photo. If you have a digital photo, you can send electronically that would be the easiest, but we also realize that not everyone has the capability to send a digital picture. If you have a print photograph we can scan it for use in the slide show. We, of course, also request your permission to use these photos in a slide show to be played during the service on November 8th. Thank you so much for helping us to compile a list of veterans and photos of each!

~ Dawn

DECORATING THE SANCTUARY FOR THANKSGIVING!

Please help us decorate the sanctuary for Thanksgiving on Saturday, November 14th at 10 a.m.! In addition, we need gourds, Osage oranges, and cornstalks. If you can help with any of these items contact Jerry Diver, Chair of the Worship Committee. (585-394-5625)

Christian Education

Calendar

November 1: Hybrid Sunday School; Youth Zoom

November 8: Hybrid Sunday School; Youth Zoom

November 15: Hybrid Sunday School; Youth Zoom;

Dawn’s installation

November 22: Thanksgiving Sunday; Hybrid Sunday School; Youth Zoom

November 29: First Sunday in Advent; Hybrid Sunday School; Youth Zoom

Sunday School has now shifted to a hybrid program! We have some kids coming to church, and others watching via Zoom. The Youth Group will continue to meet via Zoom, with occasional in-person, socially distanced events when possible. We are progressing based on the success of the local school re-openings. We will alter course as needed as we go forward.

Youth – Socktoberfest

Although Shantytown was not an option this year, the youth did get together in October to raise awareness for homelessness. Jay Garrett-Larsen gave a presentation on homelessness in general, and the efforts of Family Promise to address the myriad issues that contribute to this situation. The youth were asked to consider what they would pack in a back-pack if they had ten minutes to get ready, and were about to leave their homes, never to return. This was a very thought provoking exercise. Then they roasted hot dogs over a fire!

As part of the Canandaigua community’s Socktober effort, they collected and diapers to donate to Family Promise and socks to donate to United Way. Thanks to the support of our generous church family, they collected 1,943 diapers and pull-ups, 1200 wipes, a new baby monitor, and over more than 320 pairs of socks in only one week! Thank you for supporting our youth as they explore issues of social justice!

Christmas Pageant – December 13

Our annual Christmas Pageant will go virtual this year! On Sunday, December 13, you will be able to watch the next incarnation of the traditional telling of the Christmas story!

CALLING ALL USED COATS!  SALVATION ARMY COAT DRIVE

If you are a used winter coat for a person of any age or size and are in good condition,

clean and mended, you could help keep someone warm this winter. 

Tell your owner to bring you to church any Sunday from now until the end of November

and put in the large box under the coat rack at the top of the back stairs. 

These coats will be donated to the Salvation Army. 

The coat collection is sponsored by the Social Action Committee.  Thanks, and stay warm! 

 

Turkey Tree 

Please bring NEW mittens, gloves, hats and scarves for infants

and children of all ages and hang on the “Turkey tree” in the Social Room. 

Your Donations will go to the Salvation Army to pass out to youngsters

to provide some extra warmth this winter. 

The Turkey Tree will be up for the month of November. 

Thank you!  

  

A BIG THANK YOU!

I would like to say thank you to all who participated in the success of the recent Formal Coffee/Tuxedo Challenge in support of the What If? Foundation. With your generosity, we raised $, an amazing amount, considering it was virtual this year! We couldn’t have done it without the efforts of Jim and Karen DeMay and Jean Landes who coordinated the event! Thank you so much to all who donated!

Online Giving Options

As you have heard, the Resource Committee is setting up PayPal as an online giving option. This is NOT intended to be a way to pay pledges because there is a fee associated with each transaction. If you would like to set up a monthly Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) that sends funds directly from your bank to pay your pledge, there is no fee associated with that service. You’ll hear more about setting up Electronic Funds Transfers next month from the Resources Committee. If you are interested in setting up EFT please notify Alicia in the office. The PayPal option for online giving on the website is intended to be for special one-time gifts, events, and/or for people who do not pledge but want to support the church. For these type of donations, you will need to set up your own Paypal account, and use our email address of firstcongregationalcanandaigua@gmail.com in order to send the donation to the church. (Click on “Send money”) It is important to have an option for online giving but we encourage you to pay your pledge with Electronic Funds Transfer or by check. Thank you so much for your support!

~Barb Stahl, Resource Committee Co-Chair

Attention, ALL Voters!

COVID-19 is providing unique challenges for the election this November.

Ontario County is providing several options to vote:

· Absentee ballot (postmarked by Oct 27, or deliver in person by Nov 3)

· Early Voting starting October 24 (one location each in Canandaigua, Victor, and Geneva)

· In-person voting on Nov 3 (regular locations)

We all know how important it is to vote, and we don’t want anyone to be excluded because of a desire to stay safe during the pandemic. If anyone needs help in voting, please contact Debbie Lyon at ce@canandaiguachurch.org. I will put you in touch with someone who can drive you to a polling place, or deliver your absentee ballot for you.

Also - please contact me if you would like to assist in this effort!

Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner

Election Day! Tuesday, Nov. 3rd from 4-7:00 pm. American Legion, 454 N. Main Street, Canandaigua. Drive-thru Take out Service only! Tickets $10/each! Advanced sale tickets available at Canandaigua Bank, Lyons National Bank, Wolfe Insurance, or any Kiwanis member. Tickets also sold night of the event or buy online at: canandaiguakiwanis.org. Contact Karen Maxfield if you need tickets or have any questions!

Sacred Conversion on Race Planning Team

During the month of November, the SCR planning team continues to build relationships of trust. This month we are contemplating the following questions that church family members may want to discuss with family and friends as we seek understanding in our turbulent times.

1. When did you become aware of race or other ethnic groups? Was there a specific event or situation associated with you becoming aware of them?

2. How did your family influence your feelings about race/ethnic groups?

3. How did your neighborhood or community influence your feelings about race/ethnic groups?

4. How have your ideas, opinions, feelings and convictions about race/ethnicity changed over the years?  What led to these changes?

Upcoming Holiday Events

Messiah Sing A-long:

This year the Messiah will be a virtual re-broadcast from the performance in 2019, available with a link on our website: www.canandaiguachurch.org for your viewing pleasure on Sunday, Dec. 6th.

Salvation Army Christmas Families:

This year we will support needy families in the area. There are many ways to help with this: donate money for a Walmart gift card (as many do not wish to go out shopping amidst the pandemic and this replaces the need for clothing sizes and lists for each family that we will be supporting), order online, ship to your home and someone from the church could pick it up (for less stress!), and lastly, we could put a small group together to shop. If you’d like to participate, you can send a check to the church office with “SA Family” written in the memo line or contact Barb Henry if you’d like to be part of the small group to go shopping!

A Christmas Carol

It is confirmed that Kim Tenreiro will again bring his one-man presentation of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens to our Chapel. Kim plays over 30 parts and re-tells the well-loved classic in Dickens’ own words. The performance this year will be Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:00 Eastern Time.  It is hoped that a limited live audience will be allowed subject to rules in effect at that time. A simultaneous live stream will be available using the normal church service link (Insert link information here).  This will be a free will offering (suggested $10 per adult, $5 per child) and contributions may be made via the ‘Donate’ button on the church website (www.canandaiguachurch.org).  Since this is broadcast via the internet, we encourage you to share with any friends or family who might enjoy such a presentation no matter where they live.  Please consider posting on social media.

POP YOUR TOPS!

Don’t forget to save your pop or can tabs for the collection at church! The collection jugs are on the shelf in the hallway by the sanctuary. We donate these to the Ronald McDonald House charities.

What If Foundation – Feeding and Education the Children of Haiti

Thank you for your continued support of the What If Foundation. The need for funds is greater now than ever before. So many of the children live in the squalor of a slum where proper sanitation and clean water are only a dream. With your help the Father Jeri School can continue to feed 1,000 children a day and provide them with an education. For our virtual Coffee Hour and Tuxedo Challenge, we have collected $3082.37 so far. If you have not yet done so, please make a donation to help support some of the needs of these students. You may place your donation in the offering plate, mail it to the church office or donate online at www.whatiffoundation.org. Please make checks payable to the church and write “What If” on the memo line. Thank you for your continued generosity.

First Congregational Church Staff During COVID

I shared with a couple of committees the amazing job that our creative, flexible and committed staff has done during this pandemic and they said: “That should be in the newsletter so that everyone knows!”

It is likely that you have been able to hear and see the continued ministry that I have been doing with audio services, then recorded video services and now live streaming. I have had driveway or porch visits with many of you and you’ve had flowers delivered to your home. You are probably aware of the connection initiatives I’ve been working to put in place through the caring callers program and three different formats of Adult Education class.

Perhaps you don’t know how much time, effort, energy, and dedication that your staff has put in during this time of pandemic. I’ve asked each staff member to write up a short article to share with you how her job has changed and what she’s been doing in ministry since March. I hope you’ll be impressed by each one of them. I know that I am! We are so blessed to have such a fabulous staff.

Peace, Dawn

From Denise:

When we closed our doors in mid-March I continued my usual practice schedule. We had to go to online worship which meant for me recording the organ service music for the online order of worship. Usually, on Thursdays, I would record the organ music or video to my phone and send it to Alicia. After months of this we were, finally, able to open our doors once again to a limited congregation and eventually worked out the streaming of the live service.

Ours has always been a singing congregation. The most difficult thing for me is introducing the hymn expecting voices to follow only to hear the silence of those voices. That is the hard state of reality right now.

I miss the choir, choir practice, Edie's direction, and beautiful anthems. Some day the choir will return and we will have a new sense of gratitude.

With Dawn's organizational skills she, Edie and I talk regularly to plan the music of worship services and we hope the services are meaningful and helpful in this extraordinary time.

Stay well and I hope we will be back together very soon at church.

From Alicia:

Wow! Thank goodness for technology….it allowed me to keep my job in the capacity of serving the church and our congregation! In the summer, I was working from my dining room table, and relied heavily on Zoom, Wordpress (our website program), Church Windows (our accounting program) and my little laptop! I would gather and edit all videos from Dawn, Debbie, Denise and Edie. Those videos, sound clips, audio clips, etc had to be converted to use for the online worship. I then would create the online worship service with all of these clips, sound files, photos and videos and also post them within the bulletin on the website. This was no small task! Having little web experience, I relied on Google, our web hosting company, and Dawn’s friend Bonnie from NH for some help!

I was also able to process the church deposits, membership updates, financial duties, and compile the newsletter from home. I also posted daily quotes from Dawn, updated all of the website pages, mailed out food and gas cards, and I played “catch up” on filing as well! 😊 We would have a weekly Zoom meeting to touch base with Rev. Dawn and the staff and just to be able to see other familiar faces! Our AMAZING staff did such a wonderful job keeping the church active, and Rev. Dawn was our fearless and orderly leader!

While we are now back in the building, my duties have gone back to my not-so-typical office day and MORE technology! Thank goodness for the good men we are lucky to have like Steve Brooks and Don Raw, who spent countless hours working in the sanctuary to perfect the live stream! Now, my job is to edit the live stream of worship after every Sunday; upload it to the website and Youtube, and upload the bulletins and worship service to the website. This has also forced me to “expand” my computer skill repertoire even further! I maintain the website daily (events, daily quotes, online worship, photos, etc); research and list references for all music pieces and resources used during the online worship and post to Youtube; prepare weekly bulletins for in-person worship; collect, prepare, and edit monthly newsletter articles; prepare weekly deposits and quarterly statements; prepare all bulk mailings; handle the supply of food and gas cards to give out to the community; update membership info and directory; prepare pledge drive letters and pledge cards; assist committees as needed via email and printing; and basically, try to keep the office running!

While I am incredibly blessed to still be in your employ, this world we now live in has changed all of our positions greatly. We all roll with the punches and hope to continue to provide you with a safe place to worship that feels like “home!” Thank you all for your patience, support and appreciation during this transition! We couldn’t do it without ALL of you!

From Edie:

After the Covid pandemic forced us to discontinue in-person worship, we met as a staff, weekly, to discuss and work through the on-line services, as well as other church traditions and activities.  During that time, I arranged special music for each week, starting with audio recordings and moving to videos.  I personally recorded 4 piano solos and called on choir, congregation and my family members to supply other music.  Dan and I recorded the choir hymns used for the Maundy Thursday service, and we enlisted Matt Bond's help to put together the "Family Blessing" virtual video for Mother's Day.  I made a vocal solo video and a video duet with Debbie Lyon.  I also made some recordings for Sunday School to help with Debbie's lessons and to prepare for the upcoming Christmas Pageant. We met via Zoom as a choir several times last spring to catch up and sing some hymns.  I recruited youth musicians and, again, worked with Matt Bond to put together a virtual ensemble for Graduation Sunday.  As we prepared for in-person worship, I met with the Re-Opening Committee and arranged for some live piano and string music, as well as vocal and wind instrument videos.  I have continued to arrange for special music, even doing some accompanying.  I will continue to do this until it is safe to sing and our wonderful choir can be part of worship.  I have reached out to other church choir directors about copyright info for our streamed services, as well as FLCC to obtain a link to our Sing Along "Messiah" from last year to post on our website in lieu of a live performance this year.  We are working to arrange special string and bell music for Christmas Eve, as well as make adjustments to that traditional service to make it "Covid safe".  I really do miss hearing singing in our church building - congregation and choir, and I so look forward to that portion of our service returning.  

From Debbie:

This year brought challenges that no one could have anticipated! Along with the rest of the world, the Christian Education Committee had to adapt and overcome.

After a very brief pause, on Palm Sunday, Zoom Sunday School began! The wonderful world of Zoom (!!) was new to this CE Director, so it was not without glitches and hiccups, but we persevered! The youth also began to meet via Zoom. Without the Church Picnic in early June to wrap up the year, Sunday School continued all the way through to Graduation Sunday.

Children’s Time also took on a new dimension. For a brief period of time, the pre-recorded church service was audio only. But just when we were starting to get used to that, we pushed the envelope a little further, and made the big leap to video recordings. A steep learning curve did not level off for several weeks, but somehow, we made it work.

With a large group of active youth graduating from high school, Graduation Sunday could not be overlooked! Extra effort was put into honoring our graduates, including a slide show, pre-recorded videos for the Sunday service, participation in the parade up Main Street, and our own “special delivery” van, driving to each home, presenting the individual graduates with gifts and good wishes from the church.

A reimagined Rally Day welcomed back our young people with a picnic in the park, complete with an ice cream truck, and Rally Day masks. We then went back to Zoom Sunday School and Youth.

After a few weeks of Zoom, we are now transitioning to Hybrid Sunday School, with some kids present, others participating via Zoom. Advance prep and coordination are required to make this happen as smoothly as possible.

The youth group continues to meet via Zoom, with occasional in person, socially-distanced youth activities. An outdoor church clean-up day and Socktoberfest were attended by a significant portion of our youth group.

All of this was happening as we were transitioning to new leadership. Ann Hitchcock and Jon Schwab have graciously stepped up to take on the duties of CE chair and youth coordinator. They make a great team, and have infused fresh creativity and enthusiasm into those roles.

We are now embarking on producing a pre-recorded Christmas Pageant. Again, this requires a fair amount of extra effort. I am grateful for the help of many others!

Despite many struggles, the CE committee has faced the challenges boldly, and the program continues to flourish. We look forward to soldiering on into 2021, with a lot of valuable lessons learned, and a new appreciation for the gifts we may have been taking for granted. Thanks to all for the combined efforts.

Christmas Eve Questionnaire

If you haven’t answered the Worship Committee’s survey on Christmas Eve from the previous email we sent out, please take some time to read below:

As the worship committee thinks ahead to December there are many questions about what Christmas Eve will look like during the pandemic.

We are working hard to keep people who are coming to worship in person safe with COVID protocols and avoiding the parts of the service that have the most risk associated, particularly singing.

As we begin to plan for Christmas Eve the worship committee would like to know:

1) Would you attend a Christmas Eve service in person___yes ___no

2) If yes, how many people would attend that are in the same “COVID bubble”? ________

3) Would you prefer to attend via live stream? ____yes ___no

Please know that if we hold an in-person Christmas Eve service we will be taking reservations so that we know exactly how many people are in each group and can socially distance groups appropriately. Thank you for helping us to estimate how many people might plan to attend. Please send your responses to office@canandaiguachurch.org by Nov. 15th.

November

Sun. Nov 1 – All Saints Sunday, Worship & Sunday School; Curt and Molly Bailey, resource speakers

Mon. Nov 2 - Study Group 9 Chapel

Tues. Nov 3 – Men’s Group Gateway 8; Study Group 9 Chapel; Rughooking 10 Dining Room

Wed. Nov 4 - Study Group 9 Chapel; TOPS 10 Basement; Study Group 1:30 Youth Rm

Sat., Nov 7 -Light Hill Luminary Event 7 Kershaw

Sun. Nov 8 - Worship & Sunday School; “America” Choir Video: Veterans’ Day Celebration; Steve Brooks, resource speaker

Mon. Nov 9 – Study Group 9 Chapel; Trustees 4

Tues. Nov 10 – Men’s Group Gateway 8; Study Group 9 Chapel; Rughooking 10 Dining Room

Wed. Nov 11 - Study Group 9 Chapel; TOPS 10 Basement; Study Group 1:30 Youth Rm

Sat. Nov 14 – Decorate for T-giving 10 Sanctuary

Sun. Nov 15 - Worship & Sunday School; Cassellas Family, resource speakers; Dawn’s installation ceremony Zoom 2

Mon. Nov 16- Study Group 9 Chapel

Tues. Nov 17 – Men’s Group Gateway 8; Study Group 9 Chapel; Rughooking 10 Dining Room; Council 7:00

Wed. Nov 18 - Study Group 9 Chapel; TOPS 10 Basement; Study Group 1:30 Youth Rm

Sun. Nov 22 - Worship & Sunday School; Samaya Morse, resource speaker; Alicia’s 10 year Anniv. Celebration

Mon. Nov 23 - Study Group 9 Chapel

Tues. Nov 24 - Mens Group Gateway 8; Study Group 9 Chapel; Rughooking 10 Dining Room

Wed. Nov 25 - Study Group 9 Chapel; TOPS 10 Basement; Study Group 1:30 Youth Rm

Thurs. Nov 26 & Fri. Nov 27 – Happy Thanksgiving; Office Closed

Sun. Nov 29 - Worship & Sunday School; 1st Sunday of Advent

Mon. Nov 30 – Poinsettia Orders due; Study Group 9 Chapel

The Nominating Committee Needs Your Help!

As a follow-up to the Interests Form that church members were invited to complete last year, The Nominating Committee would love to hear from you again! Given the changes in our life styles and altered schedules due to COVID-19, The Nominating Committee is once again inviting anyone and everyone to submit updated information regarding your personal strengths and your interest in serving on any new or different committees. We will soon be working to fill vacancies due to term completions and having your updated interests will be most helpful. Please complete the brief form below and either drop into the collection plate, mail to the church office, or e-mail your interests to me, Debbie Wilbur at: deborah.wilbur@icloud.com Also, feel free to contact any member of the Nominating Committee to share your information.

On behalf of The Nominating Committee and with many thanks,

Debbie Wilbur, Nominating Chair

Don Raw, Kathi Nacca, Hannah Morgan, Jean Ingalls, Rev. Garrett-Larsen

Name: _______________________________________________________________

E-mail: ______________________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________________________________________________ Strengths/Interests: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________