July 2007 Newsletter

It’s been nearly three years since I came to serve the good people of First Congregational Church, and I hope you feel as I do, that we’re making some progress. I’m always wary of making numerical comparisons, but sometimes we just have to look at our benchmarks to see whether we’re serving the Kingdom of God with all of our energy and trust. The obvious benchmarks for pastors and congregations are worship attendance, Sunday School attendance, Sunday giving and the level of satisfaction of the membership. But, as Paul Harvey is fond of saying, here’s “The Rest of the Story.”

On the last day, the only things that matter are the state of our spiritual health and the quality of our human relationships. Those are some awesome benchmarks to measure! Some people are really good at breaking electronic gadgets or cars. All of us, even though we try to be careful, break our communion with God and with other people. There is brokenness all around us, and the thing that our faith in Jesus Christ does best is heal our broken places—inside and outside.

Our spiritual health is difficult for others to see or measure. The quality of our relationship with God builds over time, with spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, study of scripture, listening for God, thoughtful giving and Christian service. Since three of those six are interior practices, who can measure spiritual health in another person? In fact, none of us wants to be in a position of judge over another’s communion with God.

In fact, the true nature of our relationship with God may only be seen by others in the ways it spills out into our treatment of other people. Is it possible to love God and not treat other people with kindness? One of the most important messages of Jesus is, “Love God. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Paul and James wrote at length about how our love of God is shown on the outside by our active love of others.

After visiting a friend in Illinois recently, I realized later that one congregation we talked about may not have the kind of fellowship we have developed. In fact, rarely have I seen elsewhere the quality of fellowship that we enjoy. It’s not something to gloat over, but something to treasure and nurture. That would be another benchmark, wouldn’t it? It’s hard to measure, but certainly an important element of our shared faith.

As Congregationalists, our phrase, “Faith, Freedom and Fellowship” captures all we are seeking in our shared life together. You do realize that fellowship heals wounds, don’t you? We often pray for healing and comfort to be delivered by God. Isn’t it true that many times God sends them through the encouraging words, smiling eyes and gentle touch of others in the congregation? Fellowship not only binds us together, but becomes one of the means by which God can offer grace and goodness in our lives.

As we begin our fourth year together, let me thank you and thank God for this grace-filled congregation, where the power of the Spirit and the redemption of the Son meet the grandeur of the Creator. Loretta, our family and I are blessed by you, even as all of you are a blessing to each other.

“Avalanche Ranch” is the title of our western-themed Vacation Bible School for this summer. The dates are July 9 to July 13, with a celebration Sunday on the 15^th. We’ll be meeting from 5:30 to 8:30, beginning with a meal together. It’s going to be a fabulous time for kids and adults!

This is a great way for us to reach out into the neighborhood around Pittsford and to involve grandkids and great-grandkids from our families. Invite your neighbor children and promise them a good time! We’ll make sure it happens!

Please volunteer to give us a hand this year. We have openings for crew leaders, skit participants, decorating, meal preparers and servers, game leaders and music leaders. Many of the activities will follow up on last year’s “Fiesta” VBS. Group Publishing puts together excellent materials that are fun-filled, colorful and Christ-centered. The kids will see Chadder and his silly shenanigans again, teaching important lessons of morality and faith.

Please consider supporting us with your time and gifts. We will be signing up folks the first weeks of June, to fill out our staff, and will be soliciting funds to help defray the cost of the materials. Last year, special offerings by the congregation provided nearly half the cost of the VBS. We’re expecting a good outcome again this year.

God is good (all the time!) and we’re blessed by God with a spacious building and adequate resources to serve God’s children of all ages. We are building decades into the future for our congregation and our hamlet with this important service to the community.

We hope you will invite your friends and family to attend the annual ice cream social! Sign-up sheets for food donations and workers will be posted on the Fellowship Hall bulletin board. The Ice Cream Making Fellowship Night will be Satuday, August 12th. hosted at Bev Borton’s home. Everyone is invited to attend.

Congratulations Graduates

Tyler Blair – Pittsford High School, son of Dan & Dawn Blair and grandson of Ken & Linda Hoard.

Ben Bobzien – Albion High School, son of Pastor Terry and Loretta Bobzien.

Carla Playford – D.V.M. from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State Universary, granddaughter of Ella Mae Sheffer.

Korin Spahr – Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Universary of Valparaiso, daughter of Steve and Betty Spahr.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO………

July

August

September

October

Our church family was deeply saddened by the recent passing of Rodney LaFollette, Robert Hoard, and Donald Draper…Our condolences to their families.

Ø Wednesday, June 27 – Tuesday, July 3 Pastor Terry on vacation. Call cell phone for emergencies.

Ø Sunday, July 1, 11:00 a.m. Worship and Sunday School, Kris Beyer will be preaching

Ø Monday, July 9 – July 13 Vacation Bible School, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Supper provided.

Ø Sunday, August 12 A fellowship night and potluck for Ice Cream Making at Bev Borton’s, 2911 W Hallett, Hillsdale.

Ø September 1 through September 30, Unique Women taking orders for pecans to be delivered by mid November.

The tuckpointing of the south side of our building has been completed by On the Level of Blissfield. The Trustees are asking them for a quotation for the final phase of restoration, to be completed in 2008. Look over the work and offer your comments, please.

Thanks to all who gave faithfully so this second phase of the project could be completed! Contributions continue to arrive weekly as people offer their support for this important project. We have been blessed by earlier generations with a worship space and fellowship area that are beautiful. We show good stewardship when we maintain and improve our facilities.

On Sunday, May 27, at the conclusion of our worship service, we dedicated the Memorial Garden to Richard Marshall, and offered thanks to God for the many improvements on the street side of our church in the last few years.

The congregation greatly appreciates those who contribute to the Memorial Fund for either designated or non-designated purposes. Money given in memory of a loved one or friend has permitted dozens of beautiful and functional additions to our property.

If you would like to make a contribution, honorarium or memorial to the Restoration Fund, please make your check out to “The First Congregational Church of Pittsford”, noting “Restoration Fund” and mail to P.O. Box 207, Pittsford, MI 49271 “Attention Marian Gier”. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated!

Pastor Terry is the incoming president of the Pittsford Lion’s Club. Congratulations!!!

Whoever said economics was for the folks in the ivory towers didn’t know much about business or jobs. The economics of our modern world hit hard for us in the last few months. Because a long-time manufacturing business in Hudson closed, our congregation has lost the immediate presence of two precious friends.

Brian and Lynette Brocht have moved to Kalkaska for a new job. Brian is a Quality Engineer for a fine company there,and he’s been very pleased with the good folks he works with. Brian and Lynette are living in an apartment until they find the right home in the area.

On April 22^nd, our congregation honored Brian and Lynette in the worship service and at a reception after the service. We had a great time, even though the occasion was tempered by our sense of loss. The positive sides of the move, a good job close to family (and close to a new grandchild!), help us to put this

These friendships will go on, of course. We all appreciated so much Lynette’s work with our committees and boards, most recently as Secretary of Trustees. Her editing of the newsletter was a valuable service to the congregation.

Brian was a willing helper on almost any project, and got more than his share of requests because of living next to the church. Brian served as Deacons chair this past year, and has offered capable leadership whenever asked.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to these two wonderful people. They contributed immeasurably to the progress of this congregation over the last 25 years. We miss them a lot, and hope to see them at least once or twice a year. Two finer people we’ll never meet; always with a smile; steady with support and encouragement.

We send you blessings in your new community, Lynette and Brian. We know you’ll come to mean just as much to them as you have to us. Come see us again soon!

Over ten years you have given of yourself for the good of our church community in publishing “The Congregational Messenger”.. You knew the perfect style of newsletter to bring to the congregation along with your friendship, knowledge, and dependability. Thank you so much Lynette. We will try to fill your BIG shoes.