Second Congregational Church, UCC*
Hillside Street, Bennington, Vermont (802) 442-2559
"resolutely inclusive, spiritually alive, and empowered for ministry in the world."
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Newsletter September 2010
THE OPEN DOOR

"Behold, I have set before thee an Open Door"

"We are called by God to be resolutely inclusive, spiritually alive and empowered for ministry in the world."

Mary's Message

Lessons from the “Ebbing”
My husband Bruce figured out that this was his 39th “first day of school” this week, between the years he was a student and the years he’s been teaching. Even those of us who haven’t had that many “first days” (or maybe who have had more!) feel a certain change in the air this season, a certain quickening of our bio-rhythms, maybe a change in the rhythm and patterns of our days. School buses rumble down the streets; traffic–even in the not-so-huge towns where we live–gets crazy between 7:30... [Read More]

View Past Messages
Profile – Pepper Morrison
This month we profile one of our best known and much loved member – Pepper Morrison. She started working as Church Secretary in 1974 when Tom Steffen was pastor, and then served under our present pastor, Mary Lee-Clark, until retiring. Her retirement came in September 2009 when she was diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumor. Thanks to the love and support of her family, neighbors, and church friends she is recovering and states that she could not have recovered without the support of so... [Read More]

View Past Profiles
September Birthdays 2010
Happy Birthday to you!!

See who's got a September Birthday or Celebration, let us know if you're not listed.... [Read More]

Sunday Suppers–
One of the important ministries of Second Congregational Church is hosting the Sunday Suppers each Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. Folks looking for a delicious hot dinner and good fellowship are invited to come, often gathering from 4 o’clock on for conversation and warmth. Various area churches take turns providing supper, some every month, some every other month. We as a church must make sure all the Sundays are provided for and have committed to covering the 5th Sunday of the month,... [Read More]

School Bags for CWS
Supplies are coming in for the Church World Service school bags. However we are still in need of certain items. Please be on the lookout for the following: large erasers, hand-held pencil sharpeners, 12-inch rulers, and boxes of 24 crayons. And as always Pat Lafontaine or Trudy Durfee will gladly do the shopping for you if you prefer to give a donation. Thank you for your continued support.

CROP WALK –
Are you willing to be part of the planning and coordinating CROP Walk team this year? Please let Mary Lee-Clark know so that we can find a mutually convenient time to meet.

A Heartfelt Thank You....
To our very dear church family for all the love, support, hugs, and prayers during the most challenging time our lives, the death of our beloved son, Ian. For bakers, and food preparers, coordinators of the food, shepherds to all those who came for Ian's celebration, we thank you for your time, endurance and patience. As we experienced the week following Ian's death, we entered our church home and we were truly at our most peaceful time. We knew you all were there in spirit or in deed and... [Read More]

First Wednesday Fellowship Lunch
On Wednesday, September 8th at 12 noon - join friends for lunch, conversation, and companionship in Webster Hall. Lunch is provided by the Deacons and other congregation members. Please sign up on the sign up sheet in Webster Hall (on the same board with the Sunday Supper sign ups) if you would like to bring a salad, a plate of sandwiches, or a dessert for September or future luncheons.

Attention All Singers!!
Are you looking for something to enrich your life without taking up too much time? We have just the solution for you! The Adult Choir is always looking for more singers to join our congenial group. Rehearsal times are: Thursday evenings from 7:15 – 8:15 p.m. and Sunday mornings from 9:15 -9:45 am. There are always a few people who are unable to make Thursday rehearsals but we are always working ahead so that they feel comfortable joining us on Sundays. We also have snowbirds whose time... [Read More]

Rally Sunday is September 12th!
Kids of all ages come and sign up and enjoy a craft activity with Emily Umphlett.

Rally Sunday, September 12th, Middle and High School Youth Group Meets
We will see the first meeting of our middle and high school youth group here at Second Congo. Do you like to eat? (we do a lot of that....) Do you like to laugh and play ridiculous games? (Yep, we do a lot of that too...) Do you like to be around other kids, like you, who are trying to figure out what it's all about? Well, since we have none of those answers, but we LOVE to wonder, talk, think, and have fun, we would like to extend an invitation to all 6-12 grade students. We meet at the... [Read More]

Cabinet Meets Tuesday, September 28th 7 p.m. in the Clayton Room


Deacons and Trustees Meet Tuesday,
September 14th at 7 p.m.

Christian Ed Board Meets Thursday,
October 7th at 6:15 p.m.

Church Mouse Tidbits:
On August 7th during Arlington’s 16th Annual Norman Rockwell’s Attic Craft Fair and Town wide Tag Sale, one of our members, Mary Immen Hall was present. She was a model as a child for some of Norman Rockwell’s cartoons. A number of the models spent a portion of the day talking with visitors about their experiences. A picture of Mary appeared in a recent Vermont Magazine. Quincy Campbell Named USAA Winner. Quincy Campbell, son of Ty and Janice Campbell who now live in Buckingham,... [Read More]

IS ANYONE INTERESTED ???
Recently the Trustees have been contacted by several groups that provide automatic electronic transfer systems for churches. A church member can sign up via the internet for specified funds to be transferred from a credit or debit card or a bank account on a weekly/ monthly/ quarterly/ or yearly basis or for a one-time amount for a specific fund. It may be changed or cancelled at any time; etc., etc. But, before we explore the options, contact references, set up accounts, etc....we’d like to... [Read More]

HOW ARE WE DOING ????
Summer and vacations have gone too quickly and we are getting ready to restart many of our regular church activities. We have been able to keep current with most of our regular accounts payable. We are hoping that the usually larger weekly deposits in the fall will make it possible to pay the balance of our OCWM and Per-Capita obligations (c. $4500) without having to borrow any funds. Our fuel oil and propane tanks are both full and paid for. Our wonderful gardener, David, and Cushman’s... [Read More]

Rev. Tom Steffen and Dr. Dundas to be honored by SVHC
(Taken from press release issued by SVHC) BENNINGTON - In September, Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is honoring two individuals, a physician, and a community member, for their efforts to advance the health system’s vision of healthier communities. The honoree for SVHC’s Health Care Leadership Award is Dr. Richard Dundas and the Reverend Thomas Steffen is the recipient of SVHC’s Distinguished Community Service Award. For the awards, SVHC sought nominations from the public, the... [Read More]

Open Door Deadlines:
To ensure news is not missed for the monthly Open Door publications the deadlines through the end of the year are as follows: September 26th for October’s Open Door October 24th for November’s Open Door November 21st for December’s Open Door December 26th for January’s Open Door

Reaching out for a healthier community
P.I.N.S. (Partners In Service) is a community outreach program operating under the auspices of UCS and the VT State Department of Children and Families. Its mission is to provide healthy socialization opportunities for children in foster care throughout the greater Bennington Area. Jane Norrie is our Congregation’s liaison to PINS. This summer our congregation provided donations for a campership to attend Covenant Hills Christian Camp for which we thank David Durfee, Doug Krause, Michelle... [Read More]

Looking way ahead –
The Seafarer Ditty Bags are small tokens of appreciation for the work of merchant mariners who are detained on ships. Items will be collected During December. Since December is such a busy month, we thought it would be helpful to provide the list of contents needed early: Knit Hats Gloves Memo Pads Floss Cologne Toothpaste Razors Combs Hair Brushes Tooth Brushes Socks Postcard First Aid Kits Scarves Calendars Deodorant Kleenex Nail Files Shoelaces Shoe Polish Writing... [Read More]

Need new school clothes?
Center for Restorative Justice (CRJ) located at 439 Main Street, Bennington has opened an Emporium with back to school clothes. They have a lot of teen friendly clothing for FREE! The Emporium is open to all youth ages 10-17. They will also gladly accept your donations of gently used, “in style” teen clothing. Dress clothes for boys are especially in need. This is a great opportunity for those you work with who may be in need of some nice clothes to get the school year started off right.... [Read More]

Preview of Next Issues Items, Please Check often for up to date information


Congratulations to Patricia Johnson!
Patricia Noel Johnson earned a Master of Science degree in leadership management from Springfield College, in the 124th graduate commencement ceremony on May 15. Patricia is a 2008 graduate of Southern Vermont College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and 2001 graduate of Mount Anthony Union High School. She is the daughter of Leon and Patricia P. Johnson of North Bennington.

Your Information Can Be Posted Here
Can't wait until the next issue of the Open Door, have something you just want to tell everyone about... [Read More]











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