THE CRIER

Inside this Issue:

Worship Services

2

Prayers

3

NOVEMBER 2016 From your Temporary Shepherd......

Birthdays/ Anniversaries

3

Gratitude

3

Holly Fair

5

CE/Youth

6-7, 10

Giving Tree

11

Wellness Tips

12

Bell Choir News

13

Special Events: † Fall Clean-up Day, 5th † Holly Fair, 12th

I must admit to having mixed feelings about seeing all the decorations and lights that go up in November – sometimes even October. It seems to happen earlier every year, and Thanksgiving day itself has become the marker for the beginning of the holiday shopping season. The other side of this, of course, is that anything which reminds me of the birth of Christ is a welcome and wonderful thing. The world needs this reminder – this story – more than ever before. But I still agree with my father when he said that Thanksgiving got "short shrift", and that we need to wait until after that day to adorn our homes and ourselves for Christmas. In fact, this attitude carried over to his business life, and it's one of my favorite Thanksgiving memories.

My father owned a bookstore in my hometown, right in the middle of Main Street. (Yes, I grew up in a bookstore - explains a lot.) He sold all kinds of books, as well stationery, office supplies, newspa† Interfaith Thanksgiving pers, pens, and a variety of nice gifts. I spent many happy hours there as a child, and later worked in the store during the summer Service, 21st and Christmas time, as did my sisters. It was then that I learned one reason why stores put out Christmas stuff so early - it arrives Ministers: from the suppliers in July! Who knew? With things arriving that All of the Members of the early, many stores put them out in the fall. Church are called to serve in † Spaghetti Fundraiser, 17th

daily life Staff: Rev. Jerrie Shepard Matney, Interim Pastor Tom Evans, Treasurer Dave Hock, Custodian Kimberly Lewis, Music Director Susan Skoglund, Office Manager Email/Website:

colchesterfederate@ sbcglobal.net www.ColchesterFederatedChurch.org

But not my father. He was insistent that Christmas items not be displayed until after Thanksgiving. (This was before the invention of Black Friday.) He even had a ritual for doing this that involved his daughters. On Thanksgiving Day we often had a family gathering at Aunt Nellie's house. There was lots of food, lots of family, and lots of conversation. At some point after dinner, my father would take one or two of his daughters - often me - down to the store with him. I always thought it was a treat to be there after hours. Together we would get out all the Christmas stuff and arrange it on the shelves, displaying it in Continued on p. 2

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NOVEMBER 2016

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Continued from p. 1

windows, and putting up lights and decorations. So.....when the store opened the day after Thanksgiving, it had been transformed in to a beautiful Christmas shop. It is one of my favorite memories of my dad. But none of this happened until after Thanksgiving, or till most of the day was over. I'm not sure he could get away with it in today's culture. A colleague has referred to this season, which begins this week, as "Hallowthankmasnewbowl." Thanksgiving tends to get over-shadowed by Christmas, New Year's, and even Halloween. Let's be careful not to lose this holiday in the midst of everything going on these days, many of which are preparations for Christmas. However you celebrate it - whether gathering with family, eating everything in sight (or both), helping the homeless, traveling, or in other ways, be sure to honor Thanksgiving Day, and season, by being grateful for everything and remembering your blessings. Cheryl has a very good column on gratitude on pg. 12, and I invite you to take on at least one of her suggestions. I also look forward to seeing you at the Community Thanksgiving Service on Monday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m. Thanksgiving blessings to you all! Pastor Jerrie

Sunday, November 6—All Saints’ Sunday Scripture: John 17 † 8:30 a.m. Worship Services and Communion † Blood Pressures taken after each service † 11:00 a.m. Coffee Hour † 11:30 a.m. Adventure Club, Jerusalem Room Sunday, November 13—Bible Sunday † 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Worship Services † 11 a.m. Coffee Hour † 11:30 Pot Luck Lunch and Bible Trivia Sunday, November 20—Thanksgiving Sunday † 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Worship Services † 9:20 - 9:50 a.m. “’Tween Time Coffee Hour” hosted by Mission and Witness † 11 a.m. Coffee Hour Sunday, November 27—First Sunday of Advent † 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Worship Services † 11 a.m. Coffee Hour

Join your community in attending an interfaith Thanksgiving Service to be held on Monday, November 21, at 7 p.m., at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Church, 178 Linwood Avenue. There will be a free will offering, and donations to the Colchester Food Bank are also requested. Thank you!

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Greg Secon (Susan Skoglund’s brother) Hattie Turner Daniel Wood (Evelyn Plecan’s son)

Friends in Assisted Living, Rehabs, and Convalescent Homes: Those who are Ill/Recovering: Kaitlyn Accola Chester and Alberta Anderson (Rev. Cheryl’s parents) Evelyn Barr Tracy Bausum Austin Christiansen Jason Clarke (son of Jen and John) Ethel Derry Nancy Dooley Bernie Erickson Joan Frantzen Linda Glenn (Deb Howard’s sister) Maureen Granato Athena Grey (cousin of D. Howard) Joseph and Mary Hamel (parents of Shelly Hirsch) Heather (friend of Pastor Jerrie’s) Jeanine (Bette Ryan’s Daughter) Eleanor Keller Wildred Marvin Susan Mausteller Claire McCune (Mike’s mother) Jan McKelvey Cindy Michaelson (Nancy Dooley’s sister) Tiffany Nielson and her family Diana Norton Giles Dottie Olson (Barb Bosse’s mom) Rev. Chuck Redfern (Pastor Jerrie’s friend) Bonnie Rebillard Teri Sawchuk Clarence Schiebel (Evelyn Plecan’s dad)

Cecilia Rogers (Harrington Court)

...and for those who grieve.

Thank you to everyone who helps our Church every day. Thank you to all of our parishioners who make donations for the Food Bank and donate paper goods for our Church!

...and all of those affected by Thank you to Deborah Howard, Hurricane Matthew. Lynn Stefanowicz, and John Sawchuk for all their hard work in clearing out the Nazareth Room so it can become our new Youth Room!

Thank you to everyone who empties trash, closes windows, and locks up, and keeps the building looking nice for pastoral interviews.

Emily Tellar Ben Mausteller Bea Bradstreet Melinda Kelly Daniel Wood Samantha Lovering Audrey Morozowich John Clarke Cecelia Rogers Lynn Stefanowicz Jack Spaulding Steve Bradstreet Phoebe Nantz Kristen Delzell Heather Marvin Erika Peterson Jessi Badrick Joey Bradstreet

11/01 11/08 11/10 11/10 11/12 11/13 11/14 11/16 11/17 11/19 11/20 11/22 11/22 11/23 11/25 11/25 11/29 11/30

The greatest thing is to give thanks for everything. He who has learned this knows what it means to live. He has penetrated the whole mystery of life: giving thanks for everything. —Albert Schweitzer

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NOVEMBER 2016

The spirit of generosity is alive and well in the Colchester Federated Church. Many of you give freely of your time and energy and skills, without thought of reward, and some make donations and purchase supplies as gifts to the church. These are welcome and much appreciated, and they demonstrate the good hearts of the folks who make up this congregation. It is now the time for each of us to think about how we will support the church financially in the coming year. Our 2017 Pledge Campaign begins in November and more information will be forthcoming. Please also remember to get caught up on your 2016 pledge if you are behind. Thank you!

FALL CLEAN UP DAY Saturday, November 5th 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. We hope you can join us for the Fall Clean-up day on Saturday, November 5. Please come to help and bring yard tools. A pickup truck would also be very helpful!

Many Hands = Light Work

Thank you for your help!!

November 6

8:30 10:00

Gerry Caron and Mary Tomasi Steve Bradstreet and Tom St. Louis

November 13

8:30 10:00

Mitch and Lori Koziol Ted Sanford and Sean Stevens

November 20

8:30 10:00

Gerry Caron and Mary Tomasi Paul Goodwin and Brady Stillwell

November 27

8:30 10:00

Mitch and Lori Koziol Lynne McCune and Chris Wink

9/30/2016 Pledging: Pledged:

$10,640.33

Received:

$9,711.50

Difference:

($928.83)

% Received:

91%

September Total Income

$17,851.24

September Total Expenses

$20,427.24

September Net

($2,576.00)

Checkbook Balance

$22,538.33

Current Liabilities

$30,964.49

Year-to-Date Net

($8,426.16)

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CFC’s annual Holly Fair will be held on Saturday, November 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Returning to the Fair will be popular booths, including the Gift Booth, the Used Book Booth, the Vintage Jewelry Booth, and the Christmas Décor Booth, and the Bakery and Deli Booth, with goodies courtesy of the members and friends of Colchester Federated Church. Also returning to the Fair are the White Elephant Room, the Children’s Room, the Silent Auction, and the always delicious Holly Café. Come and get your Christmas shopping done! Contact Deborah Howard or Lynn Stefanowicz if you can help with set-up of the Fair or volunteer time to work during the Fair. As you can vegetables, make pickles or jellies, please keep us in mind. There are pinecones in the church office available for your use to make any crafts for the Fair. Jen Clarke will be coordinating the Silent Auction again this year. The money raised by this Auction is a fundraiser that goes directly into the church operations budget. If you are searching for donation ideas, past donations have included store or restaurant gift cards, theme gift baskets, artwork, baked items, jewelry, knitted items or hand-crafted items. Please let Jen know what you are planning to donate and the item’s $ worth prior to Tuesday, November 8th. Items can be dropped off anytime on Friday, November 11th, in the Lounge, or before that day in the Church Office. Anybody wanting to donate an silent auction item can contact Jen Clarke (860-537-9287) or drop it by the Church Office. Thank you for your donations! We’re guessing that you may have a box, drawer, or even a closet full of items that never made their way to the intended receiver. Maybe it’s a bath set, game, candle, tool, toy, book or an “As Seen on TV” gadget….Well, now is your chance to be one of Santa’s Elves and help find these items a forever home. Please consider donating at least one item to our Holly Fair Booth: The Elfin Express. We ask that the items be new and around the $10.00 range. We’re looking for items for men, women, children, youth, and don’t forget the pets. Tickets will be available during the Holly Fair: two for $1.00 or 15/$5.00. Donations may be left in the bin in the Church Office or in the bin in the Stage Room during Coffee Hour until Sunday, November 6. Thank you, in advance, for your support! Contact Head Elf Tracy Bausum (860–514-1181 or [email protected]) for more information.

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Baptism of Erika Peterson at Gardner Lake, September 25, 2016

It was a bit chilly and blustery, but the setting was beautiful. (The advantage of the beach at Gardner Lake in September is that hardly anyone is there.) Several friends and family of Erika gathered to witness her baptism in the lake that day. We rejoice with Erika in this most important step in her spiritual journey.

Our Sunday School Year is in full swing. Thank you to our teachers who volunteer to teach each week. Even they get sick sometimes or they just need a break once in a while. If you are willing to serve as substitute teacher or to help with some of the larger classes, please contact Christine Miskell (St. Louis), Ministry of Christian Education. Thank you to Bethany Avery for starting a Sunday School class for our high school youth. It is not too late to join the class if you haven't already. The more, the merrier! Thank you to Tom and Pat Culhane for coordinating an evening Adult Bible Study Program. The meeting day has been moved from Saturdays at 6:30 to Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in our Lounge, where we are currently studying the Book of James. November 13 is Bible Sunday: Our 3rd Graders will receive their Bibles during the 10 a.m. service. Everyone is invited to join us in the Stage Room after the 10 a.m. service for a potluck lunch with Bible trivia. All are welcome!

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Colchester Federated Church Youth Programs Adventure Club – Grades 3-5 Teen Time - Grades 6-12

Fun, Fellowship and Faith all in one! Adventure Club Calendar

November 6th – Cookie and Crafts for the Holly Fair (11:30am-1:00pm). Please bring a bag lunch. November 27th – Board Games with a Church member (11:30am-1:00pm). Lunch Provided.

December 18th – Caroling at Harrington Court w/ Teen Time kids (noon -2:00pm). More info to follow.

Teen Time Calendar

November 4th-5th – Soup Kitchen—See below.

November 18th – Dinner and Movie with a message (5:30 pm-9:00 pm)

December 18th – Caroling at Harrington Court w/Adventure kids (noon-2:00 pm). More info to follow.

More events planned for the second half of the year – stay tuned! There are registration and medical release forms required before participation in any event. The forms will be available at coffee hour following each church service beginning with Rally Day. Please contact our Youth Group Leaders with any questions: Lynn Goodwin 860-537-9588, Liza Ringuette 860-537-3424, and Marycia Malloy 860-537-0849.

The Teen Time Youth Group will be volunteering at St. Vincent DePaul's Soup Kitchen in Middletown on November 5th on behalf of Colchester Federated Church. We are making 150 bagged lunches to bring with us and each lunch will have two sandwiches. That's 600 slices of bread! We also need 300 slices of deli meat and cheese. And 150 pieces of fruit! If you are interested in supporting this service trip, you can swing by the Youth Group Table after the 10 a.m. service to see what items are still needed. Or, you can email Liza Ringuette ([email protected]) to sign up. The lunch bags will be assembled on November 4th at 6:00pm, so we will need all donated items by that time. Thank you in advance!

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NOVEMBER 2016

Mission and Witness is asking the Congregation to bring items for the Colchester Food Bank to be collected during worship on Sunday, November 20. Soup, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and toilet paper are the most wanted items at the Food Bank. Please remember that toilet paper has to be individually wrapped. Thank you!

Join us on Thursday, November 17, to enjoy a spaghetti supper fundraiser for Restavac Freedom Alliance in Haiti. Restavec takes children out of slavery and gives them loving homes and an education. The dinner will be served in the Stage Room from 5 to 7 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 per person, or $25 for a family of 3 or more. Donated tickets will be given to the Community Lunch Program clients as well as to Colchester Social Services for distribution.

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE The Red Cross has scheduled a blood drive to be held at Colchester Federated Church, Friday, December 9, 2016 in the Church gym, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. It is recommended you contact the Red Cross ahead of time to schedule an appointment. To make your appointment, you can call the Red Cross at 1-800-448-3543 or you can go on-line at www.bloodct.org. You can also schedule your appointment by calling Susan Skoglund in the Church Office, 860-537-5189, and she will sign you up. Walk-ins are welcomed but depending on how busy they are there could be a waiting time. If anyone from the Congregation is interested in volunteering some time that day to assist in the Blood Drive, contact Parish Nurse Cheryl Letendre, R.N. Volunteers are also needed to donate bake goods for the Drive as well. For more information, contact Cheryl at (H) 860-537-6516 or (C) 860-334-3342.

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Starting the first Sunday in Advent, November 27, Mission & Witness will have our annual Giving Tree decorated with giving tags. This year’s donations will benefit the clients of St. Vincent DePaul in Middletown by donating specific needed items to two of their programs. Please note that there are two different collection dates this year depending upon the item(s) donated. This is because one program we are supporting is their annual holiday party which will be held on December 8th, so items are needed the Sunday before that date (December 4th). Below is a description of this program taken from the St. Vincent DePaul’s website:

Gift Giving Program Needs Donations … we will serve almost 200 guests by sharing a meal, singing carols and giving a gift card attached to a candy box along with a bag of toiletries to each guest. If you miss this date though, never fear! We also are collecting warm winter hats, gloves and socks for clients. These items are much needed for the homeless population that St. Vincent DePaul serves. So, in the spirit of Christmas, please take a tag or two and purchase the requested items. Donations can be dropped off in the sanctuary on Sundays or brought to the church office during the week anytime during Advent. Donations for St. Vincent’s party will be delivered on December 6th. Items Needed by December 4th:

Items Being Collected through December 25th:

Razors (men’s and women’s) Deodorant Toothpaste Toothbrushes (Individually wrapped) Shampoo Soap (Individually wrapped) Stop & Shop Gift Cards in $10 or $20 amounts One-pound box of candy/chocolates

Winter Hats, Warm Socks, and Winter Gloves

Thank you & Merry Christmas!

Your Ministry of Mission & Witness: Bethany A, Melinda K, Erika P, Susan S, Lynn S

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NOVEMBER 2016

Youth Group Rock-a-thon October 15, 2016

Thank you to everyone who made a Rock-a-Thon Pledge and shared their rocking chairs. We are very appreciative of the wonderful support we have gotten from everyone at CFC!!!

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Thank you to the Stillwell family— Brady, Megan, Jack and Abby—for the beautiful poster welcoming back My Brother’s Keeper volunteers to its first gathering since the summer. My Brother’s Keeper is a national volunteer organization. Here is Colchester, we are celebrating 23 years of service. Our group of volunteers was started in the Spring of 1993 with four ladies: Barbara Pennington, Martha Paty, Evelyn Giordano, and Colleen Knowles. It has grown into an Ecumenical group of 8 to 10 ladies with an average attendance of 6 to 8 per week. We have ties with the Interfaith Sewing and Service Group from the First Congregational Church in Willimantic. We make sleeping bags for the homeless out of donated fabrics, blankets, comforters, mattress pads, etc. Donations of these items are always welcome. We pack each sleeping bag with a hat, mittens/gloves, scarf, sweatshirt, two pairs of heavy socks, sample-size toiletries, toothpaste, toothbrush and a comb. As of June 2016, we have distributed 1,203 sleeping bags amongst Hartford, Willimantic, New London, Danielson, Middletown, Marlborough, Colchester, Norwich, Lebanon, Bridgeport, Portland, ME, and Boston, MA. We meet weekly on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Jerusalem Room, where we bring our own lunches but the coffee pot is always on and there are usually homemade goodies. If you can tie knots or sew, please come and join us for fellowship and some important volunteer work. We are sure you will find our fellowship a worthwhile way to spend part of your day, whether you come for an hour or longer. Please stop by and visit us. Our members are Lillian Brown, Ethel Derry, Linda Hall, Melinda Karchner, Kathy Landry, Karen Monteleone, Karen Partington, Dolores Sawchuk and Donna Snell. Please contact Karen Partington if you have questions (860-537-4270, or [email protected].) We have more volunteers joining us weekly due to a Facebook post—It is on the “Colchester is Kind” Facebook site. Take a look at the post about My Brother’s Keeper and a great photo of Dolores and Kathy. The group is growing!

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Greetings From Your Parish Nurse This message appeared in the November 2013 Crier. Since we will be celebrating another Thanksgiving holiday soon, I thought it would be worth reviewing again. In America, gratitude is an important part of our history, with an entire day dedicated to giving thanks. In many spiritual traditions, gratitude is expressed before meals and during prayer. But if you don’t have a particular religious ritual that emphasizes gratitude and you’re looking for the health effects on more than just one day a year in November, consider starting your own daily gratitude practice. Studies have found practicing gratitude can increase your physical health and help you sleep better, release stress and even reverse the cardiovascular effects of persistent negative thinking! There are several ways to do it, none of which take too much time or effort to complete. As with anything, it’s committing to doing it consistently that’s the tough part. Create a bedtime gratitude ritual Before you go to bed, think about five things you are grateful for that happened during the day. They can be large or small. The hardest part about this exercise is remembering to do it, especially if you’re really tired when you plop down into bed. Start a gratitude journal Buy yourself a nice journal, or even just a cheap one, and start writing down one thing you are grateful for each day. You don’t have to do it at any particular time of the day, and you don’t have to stick to just one thing if you’re having a super grateful day. Sometimes, doing an activity at the same time each day will help you remember. Make your own gratitude box This one is fun and creative and can be a little more visible as a helpful reminder. Pick up a nice box at the store or decorate a shoe-box with a lid and place it somewhere prominent where you’ll see it every day. Next to the box, place a deck of index cards and a pen. Once a day, write one thing you’re grateful for and drop it in the box. Once you reach the end of the deck of cards, you can go back through and read about all the wonderful things that have happened to you in the recent past. Then recycle the cards and start again! Practice gratitude at dinner Every night at dinner make every person at the table name one thing he or she is grateful for. This makes it a family affair and is a great way to teach kids how to practice gratitude. It may even be a good excuse to spark dinner table conversation. If you don’t eat dinner together, choose breakfast, lunch or a different time of day when everyone is together (perhaps before you all sit down to watch your favorite TV show). I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! If you have any questions about the above article or other health related concerns, please call Parish Nurse Cheryl Letendre R.N., B.S.N., C.P.N. at (H) 860-537-6516 or (C) 860-334-3342. Source: Ritualizing Gratitude Can Make You Healthier: Author, Ashley Josephine

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We are still looking for Bell Choir members to reinstate our CFC Hand Bell Choir. Since the last newsletter, I have received 5 positive responses! As I stated in the last plea, we really need ten players to utilize all of the bells in the three octave set . Unfortunately if we don't get any more responses, it can't happen. Playing the bells is truly an enjoyable experience. I have been ringing with the St. Andrew’s Bell Choir since early September. We already had our first performance last Saturday. It is helpful to read music, but we can make adjustments by color coding your part. It is always helpful to count as well. The Hand Bell Choir at St. Andrew’s meets every Wednesday at 7:00. My thoughts are we could meet at CFC every other week. (I would be willing to miss my practice with them on those days.) We are already scheduled to perform at the Thanksgiving service on Monday, November 21st. If we don't get enough players for our church (boo hiss), perhaps those who would love to play could join me at St. Andrew’s and at least play for the Thanksgiving service. I know how much you all enjoy hearing the sweet, sweet sounds of the bells, so please consider giving it a try. Thank you for your consideration and if it doesn't happen, I gave it my best effort! Musically yours, Necia Stopa [email protected]; 860-537-2814

Come see the children of our church as they tell us the story of the birth of Jesus! Saturday, December 17, 2016 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary with a reception to follow Please see further information in November Sunday bulletins

Copy Paper Needed The church is in need of letter-size copy paper. Donations can be made to the church office or left in the Sanctuary on a Sunday. Thank you!

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5:30 GS Mtg (SR) 7:00 Deacons Mtg (L)

Office Hours: Monday—Wednesday, and Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pastor Jerrie is in the office Tuesdays-Thursdays. Her days off are Saturdays and Mondays. Pastor Jerrie’s e-mail is [email protected]. Her cell phone is 518-331-0390.

Rev. Jerrie Shepard Matney Interim Pastor, [email protected]; (860) 537-5189 Church office email: [email protected] www.ColchesterFederatedChurch.org

860-537-5189

60 Main Street Colchester, CT 06415

Colchester Federated Church

The

Crier 2016 A Monthly Newsletter