+ N.E.W.S. CONNECTION Pittsford Congregational Church United Church of Christ 121 Village Green Pittsford, VT 05763 Vol. 11 No.

3 March 2014

God looks at the intention of the heart rather than the gifts he is offered. - Jean Pierre Camus (1582-1652) From the Pastors Desk Most of you are aware that the seasons of the church year, or the Seasons of the Spirit, vary in length from year to year, just as the date of Easter is variable (March 31, 2013 and April 20, 2014). Currently, we are in the season after Epiphany. In 2014 this season is unusually long, stretching from early January to early March. In recent worship services we have celebrated concepts such as God is my light and my salvation and Jesus is the light of the world. During a long, hard winter such as this one, we experience the gift of light, Gods light, the Light of Christ, sunlight earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon, as blessings. The word Epiphany has to do with enlightenment. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, the word comes from the Greek noun epiphaneia, manifestation, and verb epiphainesthai, to appear. Like the Magi discovering the Christ Child and discerning all He will mean to the world, during the season after Epiphany (January 6 through March 4, 2014) we can learn new things, think new thoughts, and be enlightened in all kinds of ways. Theres a movie you may have seen entitled, The Blues Brothers, in which Jake Blue experiences an epiphany. Just out of prison, Jake goes with his brother to visit the Chicago orphanage where they were raised. The Roman Catholic nun who heads the orphanage does not greet him kindly. She is consumed with worry because the orphanage owes the city of Chicago a lot of back taxes and will soon be closed. For consolation, Jake and his brother go to church with the African American man who works for the orphanage and who was their best friend there. Listening to the Pentecostal pastor (played by James Brown) and the choir, Jake becomes spiritually excited/experiences a spiritual epiphany. He leaps, cavorts, bounces, and dances all over the church, shouting, I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT! Jake and his brother are inspired to set out on a Mission from God to save the orphanage. Their fundraising methods are questionable, but their hearts are in the right place. For more details, check out the movie (which is often shown on television). At our Annual Meeting on January 26th, the congregation approved the 2014 budget, knowing they would be taking a small amount from the interest made from investments. As pastor I see us stepping forward in faith, followed by Gods light, despite this challenge. Our congregation is trending toward being more missionoriented. I am hoping that we will continue this trend and not be discouraged. May God enlighten us, may God give us good vision, may God show us the way, and may we be as receptive to seeing the light as Jake Blue (but wiser in our actions). Blessings and peace, Pat

Ushers
3/2 Gary Holseten & Jerry Skira 3/9 Nicha & Chuck McCuin 3/16 Bobbie & Allen Mills 3/23 Pat & Rod Drown If you would like to sign up to be an Usher please call Rebecca Davenport

Liturgists
3/2 Ann Buettner 3/9 Elizabeth Frost 3/16 Nicha McCuin 3/23 Dorothy Terwilliger 3/30 Ken Gagnon If you would like to sign up to be a Liturgist please call Paul Brown

Coffee Hour
3/2 Fat Sunday 3/9 Lean Sunday 3/16 Jody Liebhaber 3/23 Dorothy Terwilliger 3/30 Gary Holsten Call Stephanie Grimes if you would like to sign up for a time to do coffee hour.

Fat And Lean Sunday

Christian Education will be sponsoring a Fat and Lean Sunday event on the two Sundays surrounding the beginning of Lent Ash Wednesday. It will be our way of celebrating Mardi Gras. On Fat Sunday March 2nd we will celebrate the coming of Lent by indulging ourselves with special potluck treats for Coffee Hour. So be thinking about making your most decadent treat and bringing it to share on March 2nd. Then on Sunday, March 9th we will have minimal treats provided by the Christian Education Committee for Coffee Hour. Instead of treating ourselves, we will each bring on individually packed healthy treats that can be put into a childs backpack for snack or school lunch, ex., individual servings of pudding cups, granola bars, applesauce, raisins, juice boxes, etc. All items will be donated to the Pittsford Food Shelf.

Cleaning Out Closets

The Trustees are preparing to have the furnaces serviced and noticed that the two closets with the furnaces the one off the office and the one off the Fellowship Hall are over full. Please have your committee or group take time to check out what can be stored somewhere else. Some items can be put in plastic tubs and stored outside in one of the churchs storage sheds. Talk to Chuck McCuin or Rebecca Davenport about arranging for outside storage. It is essential that the furnaces are clear of boxes, etc. at all times for efficiency and safety reasons. Thank you.

Ash Wednesday
On March 5th we will set up several stations in the church sanctuary for personal reflection. Each station will provide a paragraph to read, something to reflect on, and an action to take. The stations will include: water, clay, ashes, and the Lords Table. Each person will move through the stations at his/her own pace and will end with communion. This is a drop by and do activity which should take less than 15 minutes total. The church sanctuary will be open from 5:00-7:00 and all are invited to drop in.

The Sunday school children will be taking a Joyful Noise collection the first Sunday of every month. The money collected will be used for the childrens mission projects. Please bring your loose change for the children to collect in their little metal buckets!!!!

Nursery Help
Christian Education is seeking people interested in helping in the Nursery for a week or a month at a time. Please see sign-up sheet on table in the Fellowship Hall or talk to, Ann Reed, Stephanie Grimes, Erma Rowe, Kris Harvey or, Carolyn Kingsley.

3 Pastor Pat 6 John Winslow 8 Priscilla Hard 11 Harold Anderson

Information
Information has been gained regarding replacing the flooring in the fellowship hall, kitchen and office. However, we are also checking into repairing and painting the sanctuary windows which have been waiting attention for some time. Please note our regular coffee cups can now be recycled. Any Styrofoam one would still go in the trash. The Trustees

12 Nathan Gagnon 15 Nora Enright 16 Harriet Humphrey 18 Susan Winston 20 Rod Drown 22 Feodor Skira 29 Louise Sanderson

SW Association Missions Day

The Southwest Association of the Vermont UCC will hold their Annual Missions Day at the Second Congregational Church of Bennington on Saturday, March 22nd from 8:30-2:30. All are invited to attend and participate in your choice of a variety of mission activities for the day. Lunch will be served at the church.

5th Sunday Mission Sunday

March is another month in 2014 that has a 5th Sunday in it. We will gather as a congregation in the Fellowship Hall on this day and work together on a project to provide dry cookie mix for the Pittsford Food Shelf. Look in the Fellowship Hall on the table for cards with ingredients you can pick up at the grocery store towards the project. Or if you prefer, you can contribute money towards the project and we will have someone do the shopping for you.

29 Kathy & Paul Brown

March 2014
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1

2
Fat Sunday

5
Ash Wednesday

Communion

Deacons 4:30

Knit Wits 7pm

9
Lean Sunday Daylight Saving

10

11

12

13

14

15

Trustees 7pm

Knit Wits 7pm

16

17
Saint Patrick's Day

18

19

20

21

22 Newsletter Deadline
Lions Pancake Breakfast 7-11

Council 7pm

Knit Wits 7pm

Spring Begins

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

PRC 7pm

Knit Wits 7pm

30

31

Missions Sunday