Williston-West Church

PASTOR’S NOTES
Eric Kelley

I learned from the morning news that our days have shortened by more than two hours since early June. We know that the shortening of the days ends a summer season and spells the opening of a more active time in our church when we all come back together to continue our theological journey in a more structured way. I hope that your summer has refreshed you as well and that you are ready to bring your uniqueness to some of the many opportunities of service and reflection offered by the good people of Williston-West.

A special offering I am making this fall is a study of Bishop John Shelby Spong’s book, Why Christianity Must Change or Die. This book is not an answer book but it sure raises questions for us to explore as we grow in our own faith and seek to build a church equipped to answer the needs of our children and all who will come after them. This has been a challenging book for me and I am excited to have an opportunity to explore it with those of you who chose to do so.

The meetings will run on consecutive Tuesday evenings beginning September 18^th and concluding October 30^th starting at 7:00 PM in Memorial Hall. The first meeting will be an orientation time with an overview of the book as well as a time for you to decide whether or not such a study would meet your needs. Give me a call at the church office if you have any questions.

Grace and Peace,

Eric

Christian Education
Tom Riddell

What a great summer at Christian Education. We were really pleased with the level of participation of the children as well as teachers. Thank you all for helping out.

Although we will be open for business on Sunday September 9^th, we are looking forward to kicking off the new season on September 16^th with Family Sunday. We are inviting the entire family to participate in Sunday School that day were you can: sign your child up for the school year; observe what is happening in class; and see the different ways you can help out on this exciting adventure. In addition, we will be holding an open house for the Congregation after Church so you all can have a chance to see what is happening with Christian Education on your way to coffee fellowship. We have a great committee that’s invested in providing the best Christian Education for our Children. We are really looking forward to this coming year and hope you will all find a way to share your talents with the kids. Remember it isn’t genetics that makes us a family at Williston West---all are invited and welcome.

Challenge Grant – $400 From Goal
Stewardship Committee

To date forty-nine members and friends of Williston-West have stepped forward with pledges or contributions totaling $26,600 to the Challenge Grant for the Endowment. Originally a $25,000 challenge, as a result of our success, the donor has agreed to match all pledges and gifts to date and will continue to match donations up to $27,000 or $9,000 per year.

This increase in the Challenge leaves us with only $400 to raise. We would hate to "lose" the addition of these funds to the endowment, so we encourage your participation.

The Stewardship Committee is very appreciative of all donors to this Challenge. The anonymous donor made a payment of $9,000 in December of 2000, so with the gifts from our community, the Endowment was enhanced by $18,000 in 2000.

Inside the cover of this months newsletter is a Challenge Grant pledge form, for your convenience. The pledge form can be returned to the office or placed in the Sunday offering.

Thank you to those listed below who have recognized this opportunity to increase our endowment:

From the Moderator
Marion Hopkins

Welcome back from a glorious summer. I hope yours was as delightful as mine. Although I am not entirely out of vacation mode, I am trying to get up to speed again.

It’s time to start thinking about our post Labor Day schedule. One side effect of having committees function well is that the Moderator has very little to report. You will read all about what is going on in other places in this Newsletter.

I want to mention three committees that are approaching peak activity time. You will hear from Stewardship as they prepare us for the annual giving campaign. The Nominating Committee will want to know what committee work interests you. Christian Education will begin a new session of Sunday school classes.

Council appointed a special committee to arrange the remaining sessions of the Alban Institute study of our Long-term Pastorate. I can't emphasize enough how important your participation is to the success of this process. Please read Sidney Hodgdon's article for details. After this in-depth study of our church is complete, we will be ready to evaluate our mission statement. This is exactly what we intend to do at the Rockcraft retreat the weekend of October 20th. I hope for especially good participation as we put pen to paper to redefine our faith community.

It's Really Quite Easy!

Several church members have suggested that they might like to include Williston-West in their will, but did not want to go through the time and expense to draft a new will.

One simple solution is the "codicil." It is relatively easy to make a codicil. Defined as an addition to or alteration of a will, it is a formal legal instrument and must be executed with the same formalities as a will. To make changes, write out in your own words what you want to accomplish and give it to your attorney. The attorney can then put it final form ready for your signing. It can be as short as one page.

This discussion raises the question of how often a will should be changed. There is no set rule, but at a minimum, it should be read every few years to see if things need to be altered. Situations in a family are fluid and there are many changes over time that may prompt a review and modification of your will.

If you are one of those that does not have a will, perhaps it is time to decide what you want to for your family and community, rather than have the state decide for you. As always, consult your attorney for legal advice and guidance.

MISSION COMMITTEE
"Seeds of Peace"
Linda Shiminski

Since our Mission Committee adopted the Seeds of Peace program as part of our Olive Tree outreach I have personally visited the Seed’s of Peace camp five times this summer. I found an idyllic setting and a typical summer camp in every way except that, in addition to the usual camp activities, this camp is dedicated to bringing teens together from conflicting countries in an effort to transform enemies into friends. After seeing first hand what takes place at the camp I can only say that it is a magical place where you find bright, energetic young people from India and Pakistan, the Balkans, the Middle East, and northern and southern Cyprus struggling to learn how the other side feels and ultimately walking arm in arm. In addition, I met young people from the Portland area, selected to take part in this unique camp. Our local teens are learning to embrace diversity and work through conflicts. Through the "Portland Project" they bring the skills they learn at the camp back to the Portland schools. Others from our Mission Committee and church family have visited the camp with similar experiences.

You may have heard about the Seeds of Peace through this newsletter, church announcements or the numerous headlines in the local papers prior to and during this summer’s sessions of the Seed’s of Peace camp. The news articles contained many speculations, from whether or not the Palestinian teen-agers would participate in this year’s sessions to whether or not the camp will remain in Maine. Maybe you thought about getting involved in supporting this program where the hope for peace comes alive. Here at Williston West our focus is on outreach programs that involve our young people because this is where change takes place and where the future lies. If you would like to get involved in the Seeds of Peace program or simply want to learn more about it, please feel free to talk with Becky Gratwick or myself, along with any other members of the Mission Committee.

There is a group here in Maine that you can become involved with called "Friends of the Seeds of Peace". The goal of the group is to support the Seeds of Peace program and camp. If you are interested, call Merle Nelson at 781-4939. You will receive information on events and fundraisers for the Seeds of Peace and requests for helping, along with "The Olive Branch", a youth magazine of the Seeds of Peace Program written by the teen-agers involved in the Seeds of Peace. Let’s help keep this program alive and the Seeds of Peace camp here in Maine. You can make a difference.

Missions
Madeline Bates

On Sunday, September 23, 2001 our church will receive the 2001 Neighbors in Need offering of the United Church of Christ. Gifts to NIN are used to benefit our disadvantaged neighbors in the United States.

Every year, on third of the offering goes to the Council for American Indian Ministry to support the leadership of our 26 Native American congregations.

The other two thirds goes for programs that reflect some of the pressing issues of the day, including children and families, health and wellness, inclusiveness, halting violence, and inner city ministries.

Please bring your gift to Sunday Worship on September 23, 2001.

..and More Missions
Madeline Bates

Church World Service

Democratic Republic of Congo - Millions of people are living in misery because of civil war, displacement, and lack of health care facilities. With the support from the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the U.S. Agency for International Development, they are re-establishing supply lines to 28 health zones in the Congo. CWS has recently provided $33,750 worth of baby blankets for new mothers.

Peru – An earthquake hit southwestern Peru on June 23, affecting some 225,000 people and damaging people and damaging or destroying around 80,000 homes. CWS has provided $10,000 in Tools of Hop and Blanket Program funds.

Bolivia – Campesino families in Vacas, Bolivia, are learning to raise and market mackerel with the help of CWS and local partner (Arani Peasant Training Institute). The fisher families have improved their fishing and processing practices. The families are finding new markets in larger towns, such as Cochabamla.

CWS has funded training in organizations, production, and marketing for the fishing families, and has helped to re-populate Lake Parko Khocha with 10,000 mackerel, fingerlings, and 500 reproducer fish.

A REQUEST FROM THE FLOWER COMMITTEE

Would you like to donate flower for the Altar one or more Sundays during the months of September, October and November, perhaps to honor a friend or relative? If so, please complete the form below and bring or mail it to the church. You may provide the flowers yourself, or include a check for $25 or more and we will purchase the flowers.

Regardless, you will be recognized in the church bulletin and the newsletter for your kind contribution.

Flowers were generously donated on August 11^th from Susan Pettingill and August 26^th from Wes Stone. On September 23^rd flowers will be donated by the Aylward family in memory of Nat.

I would like to donate flowers in honor/memory (circle one) of:

Name:_______________________

PLEASE CIRCLE DATE
On Sunday,
September 30
October 14 October 21
October 28 November 4
November 11 November 18
November 25

Name:_______________________

Phone:_______________________

_____ I will provide flowers

_____ Please purchase. Enclosed is a

check for $_________________

September 23, A New Opportunity
Sidney Hodgdon

(In case you missed the first two!)

Remember the wonderful meeting a few months ago at which we learned bout the history of our church? We heard some wonderful stories of social events, such as potluck and progressive dinners. Many of us heard the names of former pastors for the first time and learned about the early days of the youth movement at Williston West. All of us discovered a rich past that not only lives in memory but also continues to guide our actions today. This meeting gave us a fine snapshot of what we looked like in the past.

At a more recent gathering we considered the norms of our Williston-West family. What are those unspoken "rules" that long time members know and newer people soon absorb in an unconscious way? Do we expect everyone to gather every Sunday? Is it more acceptable to skip worship in summer than in winter? Are some of these norms hurtful or negative? Do they hinder the sense of welcome we are trying to create for visitors? How have these informal rules changed over the years? Are our values of acceptance and love reflected in our norms or is there a conflict between the two? In a sense, we tried focus on a picture of the Williston West community today and how we might be perceived by folks both in and out of our community.

If you missed both or either of those earlier meetings, don’t feel left out! You have an opportunity to help decide how our church community will look to future generations. On September 23, directly after worship, we plan to brainstorm church goals for the next few years. We’ll use the Alban Institute formula to provide the necessary structure and focus on five categories--

1.   What are the strengths that we can build on? Do we have effective lay leadership? Youth involvement? A strong committee system?

2.   What is broken and needs to be fixed? Any of the above?

3.   What social justice projects are we involved in that we want to continue? Are there some that need to be added? Dropped? Should we be more "socially" involved?

4.   What do we want to see our church look like years from now? Are we seeking to enlarge our congregation so that the sanctuary is filled? Or are we content with a small, close knit group? Should we continue to seek diversity in our membership? How many and what types of worship service are we seeking?

5.   What are our building needs? Do we have an adequate plan for upkeep and renovation of our historic physical plant? Is THIS place important or should we consider carrying on our mission as a Christian community in a less expensive location?

Our plan is to begin the September 23 meeting directly after worship—just grab a cup of coffee and a cookie—and end within 60-90 minutes. In order to meet this time frame we’ll have to think about those five categories before hand and come to the meeting with suggestions in each area. Phil Crane will be our facilitator and discussion will be in small groups.

Phil is a thoughtful, creative, wonderful facilitator but he will need to have a large group of thoughtful, creative and wonderful participants. So please give some thought to what you would like our church to look like in 25 or 50 years and then give an hour to shaping that future.

Christmas is not THAT far off!

It may feel that we are still in the heat of the summer. But the "Best little Church fair in Portland" is not far off. At least not the planning. Think now of items that may be a great addition to the Silent auction or Grannies Attic. We all have things that we do not need, but others would enjoy. If you ant to get them out of the house now see Charlotte at the church and she will store them for you. And many thanks.

Gleanings From A Machias Baptist

TO: Jesus, Son of Joseph
      The Woodcrafters Carpenter Shop
      Nazareth 25922

FROM: Jordan Management Consultants
          Jerusalem 26544

RE: Personnel Evaluations

Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests, and we have not only run the results through our computers, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocation aptitude consultant.

It is the opinion of the staff that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you

are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capacity. We have summarized the findings of our study below:

Simon Peter is emotional, unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no quality of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interests above Company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale.

We believe it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, definitely have radical leanings. Additionally, they both registered high scores on the manic-depressive Scale. However, one of the candidates shows great potential. He's a man of ability and resourcefulness; he is a great networker; has a keen business mind; and has strong contacts in influential circles. He's highly motivated, very ambitious and adept with financial matters. We recommend Judas as your Controller and Chief Operating Officer.

All the other profiles are self-explanatory. We wish you the utmost success in your new venture.

What if Jesus had chosen the twelve based on the modern methods of leadership selection? Most of them would have never had a chance to participate.

Jesus chooses people not for who they are, but for what they can become in Him. Aren't you glad that when Jesus looked at you, He didn't take you for what you were (a sinner); but He took you for what you could be? Jesus sees the potential in all of us, and has called us to be disciples.

Jesus is still saying, "Follow Me!"

Mucic Notes
Ted & Judy Malette

The Williston-West Choir will resume singing on Sunday, September 9^th. The first choir rehearsal will be Wednesday, September 5^th at 6:30PM. Anyone interested in joining is asked to contact the Music Director, James McGirr, through the chusch office. Being a choir member involves hard work, but is very rewarding. As a member you are invited to the famous choir retreat at Rockcraft Lodge each June.

On September 7^th at 7:30PM we will be having another contra dance in the church dining room. If you have never been to a contra dance please put this event on your calendar. All dances are taught, so no experience is necessary, and all ages are welcome.

Those who attended this years Jonesport retreat got a taste of contra dancing, and we want to have them and many others come and enjoy this unique opportunity for a good time and great exercise. Admission is $5.00 and $2.00 for children 12 and under. Refreshments will be sold, and music will be provided by Maggie Robinson’s band "The Mere Mortals".

We have received some disturbing news from Anna Parker, a former choir member and co music director. (A copy of her letter is on the church bulletin board.) Long time family friends, Ken and Joanie Palmer of Portland are facing a tragedy. An armed robber shot Ken while he visited his son in New Orleans. As a result Ken is now a quadriplegic. A trust fun has been established to help the Palmers. Anna is the Trustee. If you would like to make a contribution please send it to:

The Kenneth Palmer Family Trust
C/O Peoples Heritage Bank
883 Forest Avenue
Portland, ME 04103
ATTN: Sarah Wilson, Office Super.