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A Sense of Vocation Central to Protestant thought and theology is the notion that we are saved by the grace of God alone. This grace is revealed through Jesus Christ and manifested most powerfully in his death on the cross. Protestants have typically elevated the idea of salvation by grace over the older tradition of salvation by works–the claim that we participate actively in the saving work of God by performing certain rites, such as the Sacraments in the Catholic tradition, or through acts of charity and compassion that reflect the love and mercy of God. All well and good, of course, but our tradition suffers at times from a sense of passivity in the face of this idea of saving grace. We have a tendency towards spiritual navel-gazing that misses at least part of the message: we are indeed saved by grace, but we are also invited to live and act as if this matters. Living like it matters is really what saves us, I suspect. I heard a wonderful story during our travels this summer about a Ukrainian rabbi, who lived and taught in the city of Bratslav in the early years of the 19th century. So beloved was Rebbe Nachman that thousands of followers came to learn from him.

The Meetinghouse News The First Congregational Church of Madison

September 2018

From Rev. Todd C. Vetter

Preaching Schedule-September September 2 Communion Todd Vetter preaching Scripture Mark 7.1-9 September 9 Rally Sunday Todd Vetter preaching Scripture Mark 7.24-37 Galvanized Jazz Band Children are invited to bring their school backpacks to be blessed during worship. Everyone is welcome to join us on the Lawn for the annual Church Picnic fol-lowing worship. September 16 1000am Sarah Vetter preaching Scripture Mark 8.27-38 Commissioning of New Deacons September 23 1000am Todd Vetter preaching Scripture Mark 9.30-37 September 30 1000am Loryn Pinney Preaching Loryn was raised at FCC Madison and currently serves as the Director of the Village Mountain Project, a faith-based nonprofit serving rural communities in the Dominican Republic.

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Shortly before Rosh Hashanah, in 1808, one of Rebbe Nachman’s followers, the Ritual Slaughterer of Teplik – who among us is not envious of that title – brought Nachman a beautiful chair, handcrafted, as a gift. Everyone marveled at the chair, at the care and skill required to create it. Rebbe Nachman loved his gift; he sat in that chair all the days of his life. Af-ter his death, the rabbi’s disciples kept the chair in his memory. It remained in the synagogue in Bratslav until the start of World War II. With the approach of the Nazis, the descendants of the disciples of Rebbe Nachman realized that in order to survive the Holocaust, they would have to scatter. But they couldn’t bear to leave the chair behind. It was too large for any one of them to carry, so the decision was made to cut it into pieces – and each disciple took one piece of the chair. Before setting out their various paths, each disciple promised the others that when this war came to an end, they would meet again in Jerusalem to reassemble the chair. Despite the horrors that followed, every single person who carried a piece of that chair survived and came finally to Jerusalem, and the rabbi’s chair was put back together. It remains today in the Bratslav Synagogue in Jerusalem. What strikes me most about this story is the power of vocation, the sense that given a mission, our lives take on a deeper sense of urgency and purpose. In-vested with a task, a vocation, we are able to overcome challenges and trials that might have overcome us otherwise. As true as this might be for each of us as individuals, it is perhaps equally true for our church. In a time when the life of a congregation is under considerable threat from the pressures of much more competitive marketplace of activities, a considered sense of mission and purpose cannot help but invest us with a great-er sense of meaning, passion and vigor. As the new church year gets under way, we might venture some time and en-ergy towards determining how God is calling us to a renewed sense of vocation as a community. We might think some about our strengths and our resources, and how we might come to think of ‘Church’ as the act we undertake to open ourselves to the myriad ways in which God seeks to make use of all that we are to bring to ourselves and our world the fullness of God’s hope for us. Peace to you all. Todd

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It is a joy to get settled and started as your Minister of Community Life! I am so grateful for all the conversations, questions, time and prayer that helped us discern this calling together. Thank you –all those who worked to form this position, those who served on the search committee, especial-ly the chair Kristen Skonieczny, and all of you who came to the congrega-tional conversations and raised your thoughtful questions.

I am grateful as well to the Properties team, Cathy Hopkins, Tim Lunn, and Wally Stone who worked hard to renovate office space and provide a welcoming environment. It is so good to be settled in a functional and beautiful office! Come by and see me, downstairs in the Church House.

And, thank you to all the staff here, who have welcomed me graciously, and with whom I am excited to engage in meaningful ministry!

Speaking of which, there are a number of exciting programs happening already:

Strengthening Mind and Body for Middle School Boys

This is a program coordinated with Life Full Yoga to help give boys in grades 5-8 skills in strengthen-ing resilience, calming the mind, and clearing mental and physical tension –much needed skills for surviving middle school! The instructor, Sean Weir, is president of Mindful Responder, a non-profit that works with police and fire departments and returning veterans.

Let me know if you have questions or know someone who may be inter-ested in participating.

From Rev. Sarah Vetter

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Family Date Night A new opportunity for families to connect and spend meaningful time together. We will meet one Saturday night a month, gathering with other families for a simple meal, then breaking into our own family units for a guided activity designed to

playfully build our skills in self-expression, listening, and tending to one another. I have practiced these activities in my own family and found that they help us see one another with kinder, more patient eyes; they build skills of self-expression and compassion, and they make us happier together! This program was designed with families with school-aged children in mind, but many forms of family would benefit from partici-pating. To register, please let me know of your interest. We will meet from 6:00-8:00 on the following Saturday nights: October 13, November 10, December 8, January 12, February 9, March 9, April 6, May 11.

Healing Prayer

Our Healing Ministry continues to grow and dis-cover more ways that God is at work in our midst. Beginning in September, we will be meeting on the second and fourth Monday of every month to pray with one another and continue to develop our skills in prayerful listening and being fully present to another. We have had opportunity to

pray with a number of people and feel called to make this opportunity more readily available to the whole church. So, members of the healing ministry will be in the parlor after worship on the last Sunday of each month to pray with whomever would like to receive prayer.

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We are also excited to be planning a joint retreat with the newly forming healing ministry at North Madison Congregational Church. Our retreat leader will be Rev. Tilda Norberg, who wrote the book that we used to get us started on this journey. If you are curious about healing prayer or may be interested in joining this ministry, please let me know.

There are other programs in the works as well. Be on the lookout for an evening Bible Study or Book Club, a forum for families to learn about and act on social justice issues together, and more.

Yours in shared ministry,

Rev. Sarah Vetter

Healing Prayers

Are you curious about healing prayer? Come to the parlor after worship Sunday September 30th. Members of the healing ministry will be there to greet you, ask you simply, “How can we pray for you?” and share in a time of prayer, laying on hands if you wish. Let yourself be surrounded by caring souls and held in God’s loving presence through prayer. Join us !

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You are cordially invited to attend the Service of Installation for the Rev. Sarah Vetter,

Minister of Community Life Sunday, September 23rd at 3:00 pm, Reception following.

Join us in worship Sunday, September 30th to hear an inspiring sermon from our own Loryn Pinney on her work with the Village Mountain Mission project in the Dominican Republic. The Village Mountain Mission is one of the four foundational missions on which our Outreach team has focused our giving. Come and learn more about our connec-tions and ways we can deepen our work together. Loryn grew up in Madison. After graduating from Cazenovia college in 2006, she began as a full time teacher at Madison Learning Center. In 2007, Loryn began to co-lead the high school youth group at FCC. Loryn first became involved with Village Mountain Mission when she brought the youth group down as a construction crew for 2 trips. On her third trip down with the group, she stayed on as in-country staff.

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She spent her first year in the Dominican observing in a few public schools as well as teaching in two villages. Her second year in the Dominican, Loryn opened the doors to the school house in La Sabana and led the first class of 3 and 4 year old Dominican children. Her third year, she continued with teaching 2 classes in the school house along with administration work and helping the director in many ways. In her fourth year working with the mission, she was involved in teaching and overseeing 4 classes in 2 vil-lages. She also assisted with starting work on the property, monthly ex-pense reports, running camps in the summertime, and helping new staff become acclimated.

Blessing of the backpacks - Rally Sunday

Hi Friends!

I am so excited to welcome you all back to our new school year at Rally Sunday, September 9th.

Please bring your backpacks to Worship for a special blessing.

Although our backpacks carry all the physical stuff we need to be success-ful in school - pens, pencils, notebooks, calculators, etc. - it is important to remember and acknowledge all of our past learning, the qualities that make each of us special, and the social and emotional tools that are both God-given and collected on our journeys so far, because all together these are our building blocks that will enable us to make a difference in our world. I am so proud of each of our children and teens and am eager to continue to support you all as we jump into an array of new beginnings. Please feel free to invite your friends to check out our Sunday School and meet new friends at our Family Picnic following worship.

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The Fall at a glance

United Nations International Day of Peace: Our Junior and Senior Youth will kick off the year on September 21st by attending The UN Day of Peace on the Guilford Green. Activities begin at 3:30 pm, with mu-sic and speakers at 4:00. Our Sunday School classes will be making peace mandalas to display at the Day of Peace on Rally Sunday. The mandalas will depict what peace looks like to each of us.

This event is open to anyone who would like to attend, and I am happy to announce that our own John Amol will be speaking. John will be sharing the story of how he fled South Sudan on foot and eventually arrived in New Haven, how he sees education as the key to freedom, and why we must all work for peace in our world.

All ages are invited! UN Day of Peace, Guilford Green, 3:30pm activities, 4:00pm speakers and music. Join us locally to participate in this world wide event!

Please Note - Youth Meeting Times

Thank you all who participated in our Doodle Poll regarding youth activi-ties and meeting times. As of now, Senior Youth would like to meet bi-weekly directly following worship, and Junior Youth will meet on Saturday or Sunday evenings approximately once a month. Our prelimi-nary schedule of events will be available for Rally Sunday and online. Look out for my weekly Constant Contact newsletter that includes upcoming events for Children and Teens. Please let me know if you would like to be included in the email list.

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Teen Gatherings During Worship

Our Teen Gatherings will reconvene on Sunday, September 23rd, in the Parlor during Worship. Going forward, we will meet every third Sunday when the calendar allows. 8th graders and above, please join me and Carol Robbins for a time to discuss issues that matter to you, and explore ways to respond as Christians in today’s world. No topic is off limits.

In the Works

We are in the midst of working with our UCC Connecticut Conference Racial Justice Ministry to bring discussions about white privilege to our community this Fall/Winter. It seems that incidences of racism are be-coming more overt in our country with each passing day. How do we best use our voices to quell the oppression, and acts of violence, that are increas-ingly being perpetuated against our brothers and sisters because of their race or ethnicity? Please stay tuned as we set a date to bring our racial jus-tice ministry leaders to us.

More information on CT UCC Racial Justice Ministries can be found at: http://www.ucc.org/justice_racism_racial-justice-in-the-ucc.

Invitation to Confirmation

Confirmation provides our 8th graders and above with space, time, and guidance to explore and develop their personal faith while learning more about the United Church of Christ and experiencing our church communi-ty more fully. We will welcome our Confirmands into full membership of our church as they affirm their faith in May. Classes will begin in mid-October. Please let me know if you have a student who is interested in the rite of Confirmation. Church membership is not required.

Please note that I have moved my office down the hall, next door to Na-than. My new extension is 24 and Debbie Edward’s is 26. Please feel free to reach me on my cell at any time: 203-843-6206. The best email address to reach me is stimonyhall@hotmail.com

With love and gratitude,

Sue

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Here’s where to get the latest scoop on what’s happening musically in the church! For even

more information, call Nathan at: (203) 245-2739, ext. 21.

CHOIRS ARE STARTING UP AGAIN!

Pretty soon, all five choirs of the church will be back in action, and you are invited to take part! Here

is a little more information on each choir:

TREBLE CHOIR: Kindergarteners-3rd graders have the opportunity to learn music on Sunday

mornings. During certain times of the year, the first ten minutes of Sunday School will be devoted

to learning music which will then be sung for special occasions

in worship, often in an intergenerational group setting. This

provides a great experience as they work together within their

own church community to praise God through music.

CHANCEL CHOIR: Interested singers from the 4th-8th

grades rehearse more advanced music, incorporating vocal

techniques and singing a wide variety of musical styles, such as classical, gospel, and jazz. They

have a fantastic time singing together, singing in church about once a month. They also

participate in annual ecumenical children’s choral festivals along the shoreline. Rehearsals

begin Sunday, September 16th from 11:30-noon in the Chapel.

ADULT CHOIR: This choir is open to high school students and older with an interest in singing

multiple-part music. Having the ability to read music is an advantage, but not a requirement. We

sing almost every Sunday and also for special music events such as the Interfaith Thanksgiving

Service and joint choir festivals. Rehearsals begin Thursday, September 6th in the

Chapel from 7:00-8:30 pm.

SPIRIT CHOIR: The ultimate in flexibility and simplicity! The Spirit Choir meets for only ten

minutes every Sunday at 9:30 right before the church service to rehearse easy yet fun music to

sing that morning and the following Sunday. There is a special emphasis on modern music as

well as familiar Spirituals. Simply show up as you are able and join in! They sing nearly every

week during the regular choir season. Rehearsals begin Sunday, September 16th in the

sanctuary at 9:30 am.

HANDBELL CHOIR: The Handbell Choir operates on a four-week rotation; we practice four

Wednesdays in a row up in the church balcony, then we play in church the following Sunday.

(You must be able to make at least three out of the four rehearsals.) It is open to anyone age

twelve and older, and we always have a ton of fun! Rehearsals are Wednesdays from 6:00-

7:00 pm.

SOLOS AND ENSEMBLES: Both students and adults are encouraged to participate in the

music life of the church as their schedules allow! Do you play an instrument? Do you like to sing?

All those interested are welcome to contact Nathan to see what might be possible!

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GALVANIZED JAZZ BAND FOR RALLY SUNDAY

Fred Vigorito’s “Galvanized Jazz Band” has played for the

Rally Sunday church service for a number of years. For the

past seven years, they have also played outside for the

picnic, an added treat! This year, Rally Sunday is September

9th, and we look forward to having them play again.

The Galvanized Jazz Band is a dynamic group of

Connecticut musicians devoted to the energetic

performance of hot dixieland, New Orleans jazz, blues, rags,

stomps, struts, spirituals, swing, and classic popular songs from the past century. In addition to

public concerts, private parties, weddings, funerals, school programs and fund-raising events, they

perform at Jazz Festivals from Maine to New Orleans and throughout Europe. Recognized by

Connecticut Magazine as "Best Jazz Band in the State", the GJB has thrilled fans since 1971.

THANKS FOR SUMMER SPECIAL MUSIC

Thank you to all those who sang and played during the

summer weeks of worship! Your music was greatly

appreciated by the congregation. Special thanks to organist

Fred Imbimbo for substituting for me during my vacation

days. A resident of Guilford, Fred holds a Masters degree

from the New England Conservatory of Music. He is also a

Registered Nurse and works at Hartford HealthCare.

SHIFTING OF OFFICE HOURS

My office hours will be shifting once again this fall as I

continue pursuing my Organ Performance degree at Central

Connecticut State University. I’m looking forward to

continuing my studies for my final year at Central and with

Ezequiel Menéndez, organist at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Hartford. I still plan on being here full-time

at the church, however, and my hours at the church starting August 28th will (generally) be:

Mondays: 4:00-8:00 pm

Tuesdays: 2:00-8:00 pm

Wednesdays: 1:00-7:00 pm

Thursdays: 2:00-9:00 pm

Fridays: 10:30 am-5:00 pm

Sundays: 8:30 am-12:30 pm

I will also be working remotely from the New Britain campus when not attending class. If you need to

get in touch with me outside of those hours, please feel free to leave me a phone message at 203-245-

2739, extension 21, or e-mail me at nbayreuther@fccmadison.org. Thanks very much.

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Sunday, September 9th,

Rally Day Picnic and Jazz Band

Following the Worship Service, Fellowship will host a picnic on the front lawn of the church. Fellowship Committee members will provide ham-burgers, hot dogs, and desserts. Those attending the picnic are asked to bring a salad (green, fruit, potato, pasta) or deviled eggs.

Rally Sunday at the First Congregational of Madison

The First Congregational Church of Madison invites everyone to the opening worship service of the fall at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 9th, at 26 Meetinghouse Lane, Madison. All children, of any age, are welcome to bring their backpacks to be blessed for the new school year. The Galva-nized Jazz Band will play their mix of Dixieland, New Orleans jazz and blues throughout worship and during the picnic and barbeque that follows on the front lawn. During the picnic, parents will be able to register their children for Sunday school and meet their teachers. All are wel-come. The First Congregational Church of Madison is an Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ. No matter who you are or where you find yourself on life’s journey, you are welcome here.

For further information visit: www.fccmadison.org

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Fellowship Committee

Our appreciation to the Fellowship Committee members who orga-nized, contributed food, set up, and cleaned up for Lemonade on the Lawn over the summer-Kathleen Bidney-Singewald, Marcia Nye, Candy Guer-rette, Liz Wilson, Tom Looper, Jim Bamber, Lianne LaTorre, Caryl An-derson,Stephanie Cavanaugh, Linda Tutschulte, Donna duTrieulle, and Robert Becker. A big thank-you to Lianne LaTorre for organizing our Children's Day Picnic in June, Lianne and Rick LaTorre for organizing and hosting our Pool Party in July, Candy Guerrette and Stephanie Cavanaugh for organizing, set up and clean up of our Ice Cream Social in August, Kathleen Bidney-Singewald for organizing and Donna and Peter Larkin for hosting our Lobster Bake on the last weekend in August.

Reminder: Starting again on Sunday, September 16th, we will need eight volunteers each Sunday to provide refreshments such as cookies, fruit, cheese and crackers, bagels and cream cheese, deviled eggs, dessert bars, brownies, coffee cake, vegetables and dip, muffins, cupcakes, banana bread, or donuts for our Coffee Hour.

Meals on Wheels

Can you help? ...The need for Meals on Wheels drivers in Madison has grown. This Fall we need to expand our current 3 routes to 4 routes. The new routes will be Concord/West, Central, South/East and North. We need approximately 30 more volunteers in order to cover all the routes.

To deliver Meals on Wheels, you would pick up meals at 11:00 am at the Senior Center, and deliver for an hour +or-. Returning the cooler, hot bag, and used containers back to the Senior Center. It is not hard and very rewarding. We prefer drivers who drive once a week, but will take drivers who drive once or twice a month as well. Since we are early in the request, we can find a day and route that works for you.

Please call Vicki at 203 245-2121 Vicki@ShorelineHomesCT.com or you can call Heather Noblin 2033 245 5687 for further info.

Thank you for volunteering.

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Worship on Wednesday

WOW will be held on Wed., September 19th at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel. Rev. Todd Vetter will give the message, "A Bible Study Sampler". Participants are needed to give a prayer, read a scripture or poem, and sing a solo or in a small group. If you can help, please contact alisonhubley@gmail.com. The service will be followed by refreshments and a fellowship time.

Nine to Dine

The fall session is here! Nine to Dine is open to any adults from our church, whether single, married, widowed, divorced, or separated. Those signing up will be placed in groups of nine. Each group will meet at someone's home once a month for dinner in October, November, and December. You do not have to host it at your home. The group leader will assign each person part of the meal to bring, such as appetizer, salad, entree, vegetables, dessert, or wine. Nine to Dine is a great way to meet new people and to become better acquainted with others while enjoying a meal together. Sign up on the Fellowship bulletin board throughout September or email alisonhubley@gmail.com.

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Memorial Garden

The First Congregational Church has a Memorial Garden in which church members and their families may have cremated remains buried. The gar-den has flowers and plants and is peaceful, beautiful, and lovingly tend-ed. Members of the Memorial Garden Committee hold a service on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend each year for the family members of those interred in the garden. At the service, which is held in the wooded chapel adjacent to the garden (or in the indoor chapel if raining), the names of those interred are read, the pastor gives a message, and there are songs, poems, and scripture. Afterwards, family members of those in-terred are invited to a luncheon in Angela Hubley Hall. If you are inter-ested in purchasing a plot, the cost is $500 for a single plot or $900 for a double plot. For more information, please contact adamhubley@aol.com.

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We are updating our

mailing lists again.

If you receive a

printed version of this

newsletter by mail and do

not want it, or if you

prefer to

receive it on-line, please

send an email to the

church office with your

request to

mainoffice@fccmadison.org

Sunday Worship Service

10:00 a.m.

In the Meetinghouse

Communion Served First

Sunday of Each Month

Our Worship Service is

broadcast on

Madison Access TV

Channel 18, Sunday at

noon and at other times,

check their listings.

Sunday School

During Service

The First Congregational Church

of Madison

26 Meetinghouse Lane, Madison, CT 06443 Overlooking the Green

The Meetinghouse News September 2018

The Rev. Todd C. Vetter Senior Minister

Phone: 203-245-2739 Fax: 203-245-3341 E-mail: mainoffice@fccmadison.org Website: www.fccmadison.org Facebook: First Congregational Church of Madison, CT Church Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday - Friday

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