As we enter a new year, let me suggest the following as our theme for the year: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

Thankful. It’s a word we hear a lot, but the question is: how well do we live it?

We will learn a lot about how we live in the midst of thankfulness in the coming weeks and months. As in so many other churches, we have a lot going on and a lot to figure out. One of the most pressing issues is in regard to our budget. How can we align expected revenues with anticipated expenses? How can we get the most out of the funds that are so faithfully offered, as well as the use of our endowment, while also following the ways of trust, love and justice?

At the start of the new year, we gather in the midst of what will likely be several issues that may be difficult to resolve—issues that call to our deep feelings about the church. But we are called to enter into this time in the spirit of thankfulness. Though we really shouldn’t need any reminders, we have plenty of reasons for thankfulness.

First, we are not alone. I have not spoken to even one clergy colleague—in the UCC and in other denominations—whose church is not experiencing problems, especially financial ones. It’s a difficult time to be the church.

Secondly, as I talk to my clergy colleagues, I discover that many churches have been dealing with difficult times for several years. We, on the other hand, have been doing fairly well financially, even during a time of great national economic trouble. This is something for which we must be very grateful.
Thirdly, and significantly, the difficulties we face, though not easy, are entirely solvable.
One of the most daunting issues we face is the likely need to reduce the time of the pastor from full-time to three-quarter time. After years of trimming the budget bit by bit, there’s nothing left to cut, while revenues are likely to be lower than 2010 (one area of decline is the portfolio income which is derived from a strict spending rule). Although a few have suggested that the Christian Education Director be cut, the amount of savings generated would not actually be enough, plus it would leave an enormous hole in our mission as the church of Jesus Christ.

So, we will consider the reduction of the pastor’s time, and her compensation package.

Where does gratitude fit in this situation? Put aside your panic and your distress and you will see it, and feel it. You have a pastor who can live with a

pay cut. You have good lay leadership that can fill the gaps, when the pastor’s time is reduced by twenty-five percent.
It’s important to realize, through this process, that this new arrangement does not need to be permanent. During the time I have served as pastor, I have raised many points to illustrate the challenges of being the church today, but I’ve also tried to point to some opportunities that may help us witness to our community in a more effective way, which may help us grow in numbers.
Perhaps it is time to accept the invitation to a new beginning, to work together to be the church. Difficulties should not undo us; instead, they should make us stronger. It all starts with thankfulness.
Be thankful. Allow the peace of Christ to rule in your hearts. And the spirit of God will lead us.

I’ll see you in church.

Editors' Column
by Warren and Christine Bartlett

It’s a new year. It’s time to take down the 2011 calendar and put up the one for 2012. As we were undertaking this task, we were struck by the calendar we’d had hanging in the kitchen all year. It’s the one where we keep track of all the things we need to do and to remember each day and each month. It was a Christmas gift from one of Christine’s sisters last year, and we read each of the sayings as we turned them month by month. But somehow, the cumulative effect was much greater as we looked through it today, preparing to put it away. It is entitled “Messages for Peace” and has a quote from Buddha on the front and for the month of February, “Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.”

So, to send us into this new year, we’d like to share each of the messages in hopes that this year, indeed, will become one of peace – for our world, our nation, our state, our community, our church and each of our families.

“Peace demands more, not less, from a people.” Richard M. Nixon

“Little things seem nothing, but they give peace, like those meadow flowers which individually seem odorless but all together perfume the air.” George Bernanos

“You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.” Jeannette Rankin

“The service we render others is really the rent we pay for our room on the earth.” Sir Wilfred Grenfell

“Touch the earth, love the earth, honor the earth, her plains, her valleys, her hills, and her seas; rest your spirit in her solitary places.” Henry Bestan

“Peace is liberty in tranquility.” Cicero

“We must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history.” Sonia Johnson

“There is no joy like the joy of freedom.” Buddha

“It is good to realize that if love and peace can prevail on earth, and if we can teach our children to honor nature’s gifts, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here forever.” Jimmy Carter

“Peace and freedom walk together.” John F. Kennedy

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” Matthew 5:9

From Down in the Basement
by Sara Brobst, CE Director

During the months of January and February, the children at Old South will be learning about the life and teachings of Jesus. We will be exploring what Jesus taught, what life might have been like for him and those around him. We will continue to use crafts, inter-active projects and cooking to teach. We welcome adults who would like to join us!
Over the past month, the youth in Sunday school have worked really hard. They learned about Ruth and Naomi and David and Jonathan. We used both stories to talk about the importance of friendship. As always craft Sunday was a great success! We made snow globes, popcorn balls, painted figurines and ornaments for presents. The youth also used the story, “Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect” to develop a pageant they could call their own. They came up with all the ideas for costumes and hymns. They enjoyed it so much that they have started working on ideas for Children’s Sunday! They are a joy to work with.

I wish you all a very blessed New Year!
Sara

An Invitation
from Nancy Ruark

The members of Gamma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma invite you to our January 7th meeting that will be held in the Parish House at 10 a.m. We will be welcoming Kate Braestrup, Maine author and Chaplain to the Maine Warden Service and discussing her book, Here if You Need Me. No time to read the book? Worry not. I’m sure Kate will bring us many interesting tales of her life as Chaplain and her journey to that position.
Ted Ruark is our chef for the day and will provide a soup luncheon for $5 following the presentation. We do ask you to contact Ted or Nancy Ruark at tnruark@aol.com or 622-4943 if you plan to attend the lunch. We want to make sure to have enough.

What is Delta Kappa Gamma? We represent women educators throughout the world. Our mission is to promote professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. Gamma Chapter includes women living and/or working in the Greater Augusta area. Want to learn more? Check us out on the web at www.dkg.org or ask Melanie or Nancy Ruark. (Ted can answer most questions, too. He’s been with us to Burlington, Spokane, and Hershey)

ATTENTION!

There are more ways than one to find out what is happening at Old South!
Did you know that we now have a face book page? It's still under development, but it is there! So, if you like your communication on line and up-to-date, check it out. You can get there by going to Facebook, public access, and look for Old South Congregational Church.

Now, if you prefer a print medium and have been missing out on Susan's weekly e-mail, News & Notes, did you know it's posted weekly on the bulletin board in the vestry ( where we have coffee), in the Parish House front entrance and on the Parish Hall bulletin board? Yes, and so is the Maine UCC Conference
e-news, ACE. So, if you're not a fan of technology but still want to stay in touch, check out the bulletin boards for all the latest!

Annual Meeting

Mark your calendars now! The Annual Meeting of Old South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ is scheduled for Sunday, January 22. There will be a soup and salad luncheon, sponsored by the Diaconate, following morning worship. The meeting will take place after the luncheon.

It’s your chance to help choose the direction of our congregation for the coming year, so please plan to attend.

THE WIDER CHURCH NEEDS YOU
by Joel Johnson

The image is of a stern, distinguished white-haired gentleman wearing a top hat adorned with a hatband of stars, a red hand-tied bow-tie, a blue coat, and a white goatee. Although the attire is fashionable, it is clearly old-fashioned and likely would have been considered so even when the image was first created. What is most noticeable is the intense directness of the gentleman’s stare and his finger pointing right at the viewer. This image was first used as a magazine cover for Leslie’s Weekly in 1916 with the question, “What have you done for preparedness?” However, most of you are no doubt familiar with this image and its later widespread use as a recruiting poster with the emphatic statement, “I want YOU for the U.S. Army (or Navy or some other branch of military service).” The man in the picture was “Uncle Sam” and James Montgomery Flagg’s illustration captured a spirit of America.

Although we often speak of hearing or responding to the call of God, we don’t have such an iconic image to graphically show this as created by Mr. Flagg. God is, however, issuing a call seeking those who would serve Him through the wider church in the form of the Kennebec Valley Association and the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ. He is pointing at you and saying, “I want YOU to serve the Wider Church.”

The Kennebec Valley Association, during its spring meeting, will be electing new people to serve as Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Scribe, Representative to the Coordinating Council of the Maine Conference, and Representative to the Commission on Witness Life of the Maine Conference. Although the Executive Committee has recently filled two lay positions on the Association Church and Ministry Committee, there continues to be one lay vacancy still to be filled. These are important positions that will help chart the direction of our Association and the Maine Conference. If you are interested or have questions, please contact your minister and/or your Association delegates. If they don’t have the answers, they can direct you to those who do. Ministers should be aware that they can have an essential role in making the finger of God be that much more apparent to those whom God is calling. Important work needs to be done and God needs YOU.
 
Music Notes
by Christine Bartlett, Chair, Music Committee

It’s hard to believe but it’s already January. The Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services, for which so many worked so hard over the fall, are done and behind us. The music was beautiful for both services. Many thanks for the hard work of the chancel choir, bell choir, our director, Bunny Stanley, and our occasional accompanist, Don Reutershan. Without all their talents, our worship experience would be so much less. Special thanks to Sarah and Tom Cifani, Christine Bartlett’s sister and brother-in-law, for joining us on Christmas morning. Along with Jay Wiley, Warren and Christine Bartlett, and Cynthia McGuire, they made up a small orchestra for the morning carols. It made for a joyful Christmas service. Thanks also to Cynthia McGuire for once again sharing her multiple talents and playing the piano for all the “interlude” music Christmas morning. And last, but not least, thanks to John Reisert for sending us off with his saxophone rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

Now it’s time to look forward. The chancel choir is back in its regular rehearsal slots of Tuesday evening from 7-8:00 p.m. and Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. We always welcome anyone who would like to join us. Since Lent begins on Feb. 22nd, it won’t be long before we start working on music for Easter. Even if you can’t commit to being a regular member of the choir, maybe you’d like to join just for this season, leading up to Maundy Thursday and culminating with the celebration of the risen Christ on Easter. Or maybe you’d rather take a turn at learning how to play the hand bells. Watch for an announcement of when rehearsals start for those, and then plan to be part of the music for Easter morning.

Or maybe you don’t feel you can sing or play well enough to join one of the choirs, but you do enjoy the music, including the hymns. Think about volunteering to join the Music Committee and help discuss how to make our good music program even better. Whatever you decide, be a part of the music which enriches our worship experience here at Old South.

AROUND THE VALLEY
by Joel Johnson, Moderator, KVA

It has been, and will be, quite busy in the Kennebec Valley Association during the last few months of my second term as Moderator.

Our fall meeting was held in Winslow on November 6th. Following the business meeting, there was a presentation by Betty Palmer of the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter on homelessness and the shelter’s plan to be better able to meet the needs of those who are homeless as well as those at risk of becoming homeless.

We recently held an ordination service for Bill Walsh on December 10th which happened to be the eve of the beginning of his tenure as the settled pastor at the Hampden church. This was a lovely service at which it was my privilege to participate and officially declare Bill to be an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Bill completed a mentored practice here at Old South in 2008 working first with Reverend Alice Anderman who was filling in for Susan during her leave to travel to Europe with her family and then with Susan after she returned. Over the last few years Bill has been preaching at several churches within the Association and his ordination service included excellent representation from the Association as well as from family and friends.

Danielle Bartz is approaching ordination. An ecclesiastical council will be held in Waterville for her on Sunday, January 8, 2012. This will be the final step in her road to ordination. She will selectively present portions of her ordination paper and then entertain questions from the Association. Danielle is originally from Minnesota and attended Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. She had been seeking ordination in her native Minnesota, but was hired as a chaplain at the Thayer Unit of MaineGeneral Medical Center in Waterville before this process could be completed. She has been working with the Association Church and Ministry Committee to complete the ordination process. All are welcome to the ecclesiastical council.

Reverend Anne Roundy accepted a call to be the settled pastor at the church in Monmouth. She is the first United Church of Christ minister to serve at the Monmouth church in several years. An installation service will be held for her sometime over the next few months.

The Novel Jazz Septet
Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn: Sacred + Secular – A Life Mix

Bangor Theological Seminary is hosting this concert on Tuesday, January 10, 2012, at 7 p.m. The concert will be at the Gracie Theatre, Husson University, Bangor, ME. Tickets are $10 per person. For more information, contact Patricia Annis, 1-800-287-6781, Ext. 114 or at pannis@bts.edu.

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December 2011 Calendar

Choir rehearsal every Tuesday night in the Sanctuary, 7-8:00 p.m.
and Sunday, 9:00 a.m.