Summer worship services this year will begin at 10:30 a.m. as during the rest of the year….EXCEPT July 1, when we worship at UCC at 9:30 a.m.
A big thank you to…
All who participated in the Walk for Hunger, including, Linda Roscoe; Tara Goss; Debbie Mirabello; Mercy Agyapong; Vida Pipim’s sons, Sammy and Roderick; Sue McGilvray-Rivet; Caitlin Rivet and Baby Eddie! We raised ~$4805!
Three Great Things!
Our worship service on June 10th will highlight a trinity (how appropriate!) of celebrations:
Confirmation! – Eight of our youth have completed the confirmation class and will officially join the church.
Graduation! – We will honor our two graduating high school seniors, Evynand Akombi and Annabel Greco.
Appreciation! – We will offer thanks for our Sunday school teachers and assistants.
Deacon’s Corner
Earlier this year we collected winter clothing for the folks served by Elm Brook Place. Included in the several bags collected were some spring/summer clothes. Those were recently delivered to the site, along with a check for $300 from proceeds from the sale of Easter flowers. This is how the director replied: “Thank you so much for your community’s kind support of Elm Brook Place!! We use donated money to help fund our health and wellness program at the YMCA, pay for special recreational outings, as well as a slush fund to help people out in emergencies such as homelessness etc.”
Summer Celebration
So that our regular pre-school class teachers can take a break for the summer, we are asking for volunteers each Sunday to lead Summer Celebration, the class for 3-year-olds through 6-year-olds during the worship service. This is FUN & EASY, and we will provide you with everything you need to read & discuss a Bible story, then do a simple craft or game. Please say yes and sign up for a Sunday! Thanks.
New Sounds!
We welcome to our sanctuary a beautiful Knabe Baby Grand piano. This joyful addition to our church was made possible by memorial funds given in memory of Philip Harry Reisman Jr. & Anna Tiebout Reisman, Bill Piper, Bill Simpson, Bobbie Steeves, Patty Rosenthal & Lynda Graham-Meho. Let us remember the loving kindness of those beloved brothers and sisters of ours while we worship God through our music!
Summer Schedule
Summer is finally upon us and here are some worship dates and notes to mark on your calendars:
June 3 – Communion
June 10 – Confirmation of this year’s terrific confirmation class
and Teacher appreciation
June 24 – Special Worship Service to Honor Rev. Rod MacDonald as Pastor Emeritus
and enhanced coffee hour afterwards
July 1, when we worship at UCC at 9:30 a.m.
On August 5 we will host members of UCC and share communion at BPC
Stay tuned for some upgrades to the sound system in the sanctuary, approved by Session in May.
Trustees Report
During the week of May 28th, the men’s room was converted to a unisex handicap restroom. We will keep all the previous toilets and sink (new faucet and mirror) since they are in ADA compliance. A new 36” door with a new closure (one new closure for the women’s also) was installed with a new lockset. The wall as you enter the room was taken down and a new knee wall was built next to the toilet with three safety handrails. A new Pergo floor was installed over the tiles. A new electric heater was installed with a new baseboard. The room was painted a light gray and a baby changer was installed. If you are using the room, make sure you lock the door. We will have a key to get in if there is an emergency.
Women’s Bible Study
Womens Bible Study will be coming to an end at the end of May. We will be having an end of the year brunch on June 7. All the women of the church are invited to attend. It will start at 9:30 am.
Poor People’s Campaign – A Season of Moral Resistance
Most people don’t like confrontation, and many of us become wary when religious discourse threatens to become “too political.” The Old Testament prophets, however, specialized in moral and political confrontation. Consider this passage from the prophet Isaiah:
“Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead, those who are always instituting unfair regulations, to keep the poor from getting fair treatment, and to deprive the oppressed among my people of justice, so they can steal what widows own, and loot what belongs to orphans. What will you do on judgment day, when destruction arrives from a distant place? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your wealth?” (Isaiah 10:1-3 New English Translation)
Jesus, himself, did not shy away from confrontation with the leaders of his day:
“Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” (Luke 11:39-42 New International Version)
The Poor People’s Campaign initiated by the Rev. Martin Luther King fought for economic justice for poor people in the United States. The Campaign climaxed on June 19, 1968 as 50,000 joined a Poor People’s March on Washington. This was the only mass mobilization of the Campaign, which faltered after Dr. King’s assassination of, and whose legislative agenda was never realized. Today an estimated 43% of Americans are classified as poor or low income.
Fifty years later a new Poor People’s campaign has been organized to draw attention to the needs of America’s poor during a season of “Moral Revival”. The campaign includes public demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience. The Rev. William J. Barber and the Rev. Liz Theoharis, a Presbyterian minister, are co-founders of the new Campaign. The Presbyterian Church (USA), has endorsed the new Poor People’s campaign, and members of Boston Presbytery are participating in local events. Over 200 people joined on the Boston Common in a May 14 rally and sit-in at the Boston State House, demanding lawmakers confront systemic racism. Six weeks of engagement will lead up to a mass mobilization at the U.S. Capitol June 21.
For more information on the PCUSA’s involvement with the Poor People’s Campaign see the following links:
Anderson pledges PC(USA) support for Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival
Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival kicks off on Mother’s Day
The Mission and Advocacy Committee has identified poverty as its theme for the year, in conjunction with the mission focus of the Presbytery of Boston. Each month, we will lift up a different organization working to alleviate or combat poverty in some way. For the month of June, Project Bread is our focus organization. We are asking that each group or committee lift up Project Bread in prayer at the beginning of your meetings this month, and that we also pray individually for the work of this organization, and so many others, who are helping to meet the needs of those who struggle with hunger and food insecurity, here in Massachusetts, and across our nation and world. Linda Roscoe has written the prayer below, which you may use in your meetings and in personal prayer.
Prayer for an End to Hunger
Almighty God, it is difficult to see people go hungry. We ask you to give them daily bread and end their persistent hunger. Pour out your grace on hungry families, especially parents straining to feed their children.
We pray for cooperation and support for life saving assistance to people struggling with food insecurity around the world. Here in Massachusetts we pray especially for the work of Project Bread and its mission to prevent and end hunger.
Thank you for those who are currently working to end hunger and please call forth others to make a difference. We pray for the church to advance the gospel by working for justice and an end to hunger. We lift up the leaders of our state and country, and ask that they will make ending hunger and poverty a priority. We pray for an end to global hunger in our lifetime. Amen
Pastor Emeritus
All are invited to attend a special service, honoring Rev. Rod MacDonald with the title of Pastor Emeritus.
Please join us on
June 24 at 10:30 am
A reception for Rod and Cathy will immediately follow the service.
News from the Presbytery
Cindy Kohlmann and Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri will be standing for Co-moderators of the 223rd General Assembly, which is meeting in St. Louis, Missouri June 16-23, 2018.
Donations may be sent to The Presbytery of Tropical Florida, 1919 SE 5th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. Please note in the memo field of your check that the donation is to offset expenses for Vilmarie & Cindy as they stand for co-moderator. Any funds received in excess of what is needed will be donated to the Theological Education Fund and the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance efforts in Puerto Rico.
If you would like to give online, click here. You will be redirected to the Presbytery of Northern New England’s online giving portal provided through the Presbyterian Foundation. Enter the amount you’d like to give under “Special Offerings” and then put GA223 in the Note/Memo box.
Cindy Kohlmann graduated from Whitworth College in 1995 with a B.A. in Theatre and Religion and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary with an M.Div. in 1999. While in seminary, Cindy served in the U.S. Naval Reserves as a Chaplain Candidate, where she learned to go to where the sailors worked and gathered in order to do ministry. Discerning a call to parish ministry, she was ordained in 1999 to serve as the solo pastor of the New Jersey Presbyterian Church in Carlisle, OH. In 2005, she married the Rev. Eric Markman and moved to Massachusetts, where she served the Clinton Presbyterian Church for 8 1/2 years. During her pastorate in Clinton, Cindy helped the church become multicultural in worship, leadership, and fellowship, welcoming immigrants from West Africa and Brazil into all aspects of the church’s ministry. In 2010, Cindy added a temporary position with the Presbytery of Northern New England (PNNE). After PNNE went through two years of visioning and reorganization, Cindy was asked to stay on in the newly designed role of Resource Presbyter. At the end of 2014, she said goodbye to the Clinton church, and began a full-time position shared between the Presbyteries of Boston and Northern New England on January 1, 2015. As Resource Presbyter, Cindy provides leadership to both Presbyteries, facilitating conversations about vision and structure, designing opportunities for leadership training, planning programming during Presbytery meetings, and connecting congregations and pastors with both local and denominational resources. To provide balance, she loves walking and running, watching birds and animals and being outside, and reading. In addition to her husband Eric, she has two amazing adult step-daughters and two extremely opinionated cats.
Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri is a teacher and a Presbyterian Ruling Elder. A life-long Presbyterian, she considers serving as a Youth Advisory Delegate (YAD) to the 205th General Assembly (1993) a pivotal experience in understanding for the first time the scope of being a connectional church. Soon after serving as a YAD, Vilmarie was ordained as a ruling elder at the Iglesia Presbiteriana en Caparra Terrace, San Juan, Puerto Rico. At some point in her life, she has served at the session, as a member and chair of several presbytery committees —including the Committee on Preparation for Ministry and Nominating Committee—, vice moderator of Synod Boriquén and council member, a commissioner to the 212th General Assembly and as a member of the General Assembly Committee on Theological Education. Vilmarie has found great joy in working as an interpreter (Spanish/English) at the biennial General Assembly meetings since 2006 and at the past two Presbyterian Women Churchwide Gatherings. At a professional level, Vilmarie holds a B.A. in Education (English as a Second Language) from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master’s in Education (Curriculum and Teaching) from Turabo University. Dedicating most of her adult life to education, teaching high schoolers and adults, she began her teaching experience as a Sunday School teacher. In 2011, Vilmarie and her husband, Rev. José Manuel Capella-Pratts, moved from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Miami, Florida, where he is the pastor of First Spanish Presbyterian Church. Since moving to Miami, Vilmarie has taught ESL to adult students from all over the world in a language school in Miami. A member of First Spanish and a PW (Presbyterian Women), she has served as the Moderator of the Presbytery of Tropical Florida (2017), is currently a member of the Leadership Council, serves as clerk of the Presbyterian Hispanic Latino Caucus, Synod of the South Atlantic chapter, and is a faculty member of a CREDO team. An organizer at heart, she loves arts and crafts, decorating and…Christmas! Vilmarie also enjoys spending time with friends and family relaxing over a good cup of Puerto Rican coffee.
Food Pantry Needs
We receive donations for the Food Pantry on the 1st Sunday of each month. The Food Pantry needs donations on a continuing basis. Please consider purchasing some 20 oz. dish detergent, individually wrapped bars of soap or bottles of shampoo. Your help is appreciated. Thank you!
YARD SALE!!!
June 30, 2018 9:00am until 2:30pm
Please put aside items that you want to donate to the sale. Make sure items are clean and in good repair. Please let us know if items need small/easy repairs. If you have items to donate you may bring them to the church during the week of the 24th. If you are dropping things off, please put your name on them in case there is a problem we will know whose “stuff” it is. We need volunteers to help sorting and pricing items for the sale, Tues – Fri. On the day of the sale, we need helpers to set up, tear down and work as cashiers and general staff. There will be sign-up sheets at the church. Please help, if you are able!!!
Yard Sale Donation Suggestions
Appliances Radios, mixers, bath scales, CD players, (must be
in good working order). No TVs, no computers or
computer components.
Arts & Crafts Pictures, supplies and/or creations.
Baby Furnishings Pac-n-plays, potties, porta-cribs, safety gates,
back packs, baby monitors.
No child safety seats.
Books Children’s books are good sellers…
Camping Equipment Tents, stoves, lanterns, sleeping bags, back packs.
Clocks & Watches In working order or only needing a battery.
Household Items Lamps, rugs, chairs, kitchenware, wall hangings,
curtains, dishes, pots and pans, crystal, etc.
NOTE: Do not bring large items to the church until a few days before the sale. Any large items that do not sell must be picked up by the donor after the sale.
Jewelry Earrings, bracelets, cufflinks, necklaces, tiaras. Please separate items into plastic baggies..
Musical Instruments From Kazoos to Trombones.
Pet Supplies Toys, beds, crates, leashes, collars.
Plants All sizes, fresh (indoor or outdoor) or silk.
Records, CDs, In good condition. NO VCR TAPES
Sports Equipment (Small Items only), tennis rackets,
basketballs, footballs, baseball
gloves, roller blades, . No
weight benches or barbells. No skis, poles or boots.
No hockey equipment.
Tools Hand and power, garden, mechanic, tool boxes.
Toys Fisher-Price and Playskool items, dolls, balls, board
games, puzzles, outdoor play equipment, sleds,
video games.
Vehicles Bikes, trikes, big wheels, wagons.
Clothing Is Not a Big Seller and Will Not Be Accepted
Please Be Sure All Items Are Clean!!
Presbyterian Church in Burlington 