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PASTOR’S NOTES Eric Kelley To vote or not to vote? As more and more people disengage from the democratic process of voting and use simple-minded solutions to justify their withdrawal we see our republic threatened by an apathy which allows minority rule. When there are millions of people voting we can easily say that our vote doesn’t matter. One of the good ones I hear goes like this. My partner always votes the opposite of me and we just cancel each other out so we just don’t vote. Does the majority of a minority speak the will of a people? I think not. Let’s get the vote out as good citizens and as Christians who are called to speak to the society in which we live. There are several important issues before us this November 7th. We will be choosing a new president to lead us over the next four years. How privileged we are to share in that process and what a loss it would be if that right was taken away. I cherish the right to vote my choice for president and wouldn’t give it up for anything. The democratic process has made our nation great. The abandonment of that process could spell our downfall. There are six referendum ballot questions that we should take very seriously. Three Citizen Initiative Questions, which touch us all personally, should be thought through thoroughly. First there is the so-called, ‘right to die with dignity question’. Do you want more control of your life at the end of a terminal illness? Secondly there is the land use question, which P.D. Merrill has described as, "a blunt instrument to deal with a very complex issue." Do you care about land use in Maine? If you do this is an opportunity to become informed and to speak your mind. Thirdly there is the question regarding the expansion of gambling in our state. Is more legalized gambling the direction we want to move in? Speak you mind on November 7. There are two questions proposing constitutional amendments. Here I must do more research and I assure you I will. If you have a sense about these proposed amendments please give me a call. Finally, there is the referendum question which asks if we favor ratifying the action of the 119th Legislature whereby it passed an act extending to all citizens regardless of their sexual orientation the same basic rights to protection against discrimination now guaranteed to citizens of the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations and credit and where the act expressly states that nothing in the act confers legislative approval of , or special rights to, any person or group of persons? Should people still have to fight for basic human rights in the United States in the year 2000? I think not, but the fact is the gay and lesbian does. Let’s put this issue to rest once and for all. Vote on November 7th. We are in this together my friends. Together we will rise or fall. Our forebears believed this and staked their lives on this truth. Vote your Christian conscience on November 7th. It really does matter! Grace and Peace, Eric
 MODERATOR’S MESSAGE Ted Malette What happened on Saturday and Sunday, October 7 and 8, 2000 at Rockcraft Lodge may well have a great impact on Williston-West United Church of Christ for many years to come. Over 20 church members gave of their time to work on issues that effect the day-to-day activities of the church and the lives of its members. Their groundbreaking work will be the foundation that the rest of the church membership will build upon. While no changes were made in the functioning of the church, a process of self-evaluation and goal development was initiated. This process is being brought back to the whole church community in a series of events that will culminate with an in depth look at our next five years and beyond. Our retreat will be repeated here in a series of events. We will have a Time of Historical Reflection. Here we will gather and record memories of our church from the earliest to the most recent. At the retreat we discovered some very interesting items about our church, and some very large periods about which we knew very little. This historical reflection will take place here after Worship on Sunday, November 12th. It will be held in conjunction with our celebratory brunch that will mark the completion of our annual giving campaign. The other events that will be held here at the church will occur over the next 6 to 8 months they will include: A) A look at our long-term pastorate. Eric’s tenure here has brought many wonderful things to our church, but the next five years may be our brightest or may cause us great concern. We will identify the 5 pillars of our church, have an in depth look at all five, and put into place a plan of action that will deny in action and complacency. B) We will have An Evening of Norm Identification. Here we will look at the unspoken, unwritten rules of church conduct that have developed and changed over time. These may be positive or negative. You may be unaware of them, but they are here. On this evening, we will do the difficult task of confessing our corporate sins. We will look at eight categories of Norms in small groups. The topics include:
C) Soon after this exciting and stimulating time of introspection and evaluation we will gather again to brainstorm possible goals. We will look to identify, through small and large group work:
D) The completion to this period of reflection and self-examination will be bringing all that we have identified into a coherent process that identifies our goals and our desires as a community of faith in Jesus Christ. Where do we go from here? How do we serve each other and our community in His Name? How do we move forward without losing our spiritual focus and spread the good news of the Lord. We are truly excited to embark upon this journey and realize that for it to have the most impact it must include all of you. When these events take place please evaluate your schedule and place these important faith-shaping retreats at the top of the list. You will have plenty of notice. This is the work that Jesus has asked us to do here on earth. Let us do it with both intense spiritual reflection and great joy. CHURCH WORLD SERVICE Missions Committee With the help of Williston-West Church a grand total of $1.7 million Was raised by Church World Service for the Blanket Program. With the monies raised blankets were provided for children and families in China that suffered from the summer floods. The fund also provided blankets, self-help kits, and other vital assistance for the victims of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY Gloria Tewhey An Update on the status of our Membership Directory – due to unforeseen circumstances on the part of United Church Directories and ours, we have not been able to meet the predicted schedule for delivery of our new directory to you. The draft was sent to United five weeks ago and should be returned to us momentarily for our review. It will again be returned to United for completion and the finished product should be in our possession in late December or early January. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.
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