Middlebury Congregational Church

Dear friends in Christ,

I hope you’re all doing well on this lovely day. We have a number of things going on in the life of the church:

Mission Opportunities

• Diaper Drive: We’re collecting diapers through June 5th to lend a hand to parents in need in our area. Diapers can be brought to worship and left on the Multiplication Table, or you can drop them off at the Church Office from 9-3.
• Operation Paperback:  Operation Paperback is an organization that collects gently used paperback books to send to U.S. troops overseas and military families and veterans here. Paperback donations can be brought on Sundays and left on the Multiplication table or brought by the church office.

Strawberry Festival 2022: June 5^th

The Strawberry Festival will be June 5^th from 5-7:30 here at the church and green. Strawberry shortcake is $8 a serving, and we do encourage preorders. Contact the church office to place an order. You can take your shortcake to go or you can eat indoors or outdoors. I’ve attached the flyer. Janine SW is serving as our festival chair this year, so if you’re interested in volunteering, let her know (you can also contact me, and I’ll put you in touch with Janine.)

I made a video looking back at pictures we have from the last few years of Strawberry Festival, if you want to take a look: https://youtu.be/sFNQRD5K3_w

Charles P. Luckey/Mission Board Scholarship

Applications are being accepted for the Luckey/Mission Scholarship. Church members who are high school seniors attending college or university in the fall are eligible to apply. The application can be found here: https://www.middleburyucc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/luckey_mission_2022_pdf_scholarship_application-1.pdf

Vacation Bible School Registration is Open!

Vacation Bible School is June 27th through July 1st. It’s open to grades K-5. I’ve attached the flyer with a bit more info. Registration can be found here: https://middleburycc.breezechms.com/form/VBS2022

For more information contact our Faith Formation Coordinator Valerie Beard: vbeard@middleburyucc.org

Open and Affirming Working Group Update

Our group has had an initial meeting, and we’re currently scheduling meetings with conference people who orient churches thinking about the Open and Affirming process and scheduling a meeting with leaders from the Watertown church, which just completed an Open and Affirming process.  This will help us get a better sense of what a possible Open and Affirming process might look like for MCC. (“Open and Affirming” is a designation within the United Church of Christ for congregations that have gone through a process of education and discernment to be officially welcoming and affirming of LGBTQ people in the full life, rites, and sacraments of the church.) Group members: Len and Valerie B., Kelly E., Katrina M., Liz O., and Sal Sena.

General Comments

The weather has warmed up, and the leaves are finally on the trees. I took a few pictures the other day of how beautiful the church and green looked in the spring light that I’ve attached.

I used to play in pit orchestras for musicals in high school, college, and community theater. One of the shows I played in was Carousel , a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein show. There’s a lyric from the show that says “the birds’ll make a racket in the churchyard trees,” and I always think of that line in the spring when the birds resume their singing around the church and parsonage. Birdsong is one of the yearly joyful noises of spring that creation lifts up to God.

Have a good week.

Peace,

Pastor Katrina