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THE EPISTLEVolume 13 Issue 3 MARCH 27, 2008
On March 9, five new members joined our congregation. Welcome to:
MARCH 9, 2008
MEMBERSHIP RECOGNITION SUNDAY
Theodore Avgerinos
941 Whitney Road W. is a retired School Administrator. Hes interests
are golf, volleyball, cooking, antiques and framing nostalgic images. He
is also starting a new handyman business and is a volunteer for Habitat
for Humanity.
Deborah Cutter
941 Whitney Road W is a legal secretary. She enjoys cards, games,
reading and baking. She is joining by letter of transfer from the First
Congregational Church, Norwood, MA.
Janice Ruesch
60 Clarkes Crossing is a retired nurse. Her interests includes home care,
gardening, her cats, Jack and Jill and dog, Jennie. She is transferring her
membership from Browncroft Community Church.
Jennifer and Dale Worrall
13 Stoneleigh Trail, Victor are transferring their membership from the
First Congregational Church in Ithaca, NY. Jennifer grew up in our
church. Her maiden name was Lyons. She is presently a stay-at-home
mother, but is also an attorney. Dale is also an attorney. Jennifer is in-
terested in swimming and reading. Dale enjoys football and running.
They have three children, Alexis (5 yrs), Olivia (3 yrs) and Zachary (5
months).
March 30
at
Church5:00 First
seating6:30 Second
seating
Silent
Auction
(Cont. on p. 7)
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THE WORSHIP PAGE
March 30, April 6, 13, 20, 27,
May 4, 11, 2008Sunday Worship at 9:30 AM
Fellowship Time and Christian Education follow
March 30
Second Sunday of EasterActs II:14a, 22-32
Psalm 16I Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31
Second Hand Faith
April 6
Third Sunday of EasterThe Eucharist
Acts 2:14a, 36-41Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
I Peter 1:17-23Luke 24:13-35
Strangers in a Strange Land
April 13
Fourth Sunday of EasterGood Shepherd Sunday
Acts 2:42-47Psalm 23
I Peter 2:19-25John 10:1-10
Guest Preacher: Dr. Tim Dwyer
April 20
Fifth Sunday of EasterActs 7:55-60
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16I Peter 2:2-10John 14:1-14
What am I Here For?
April 27
Sixth Sunday of EasterActs 17:22-31Psalm 66:8-20I Peter 3:13-22John 14:15-21
Were not Alone
First Congregational United Church of Christ
26 East Church Street Fairport NY 14450
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First Congregational United Church of Christ
26 East Church Street Fairport NY 14450
THE WORSHIP PAGE
(continued)
March 30, April 6, 13, 20, 27,May 4, 11, 2008Sunday Worship at 9:30 AM
Fellowship Time and Christian Education follow
May 4
Ascension SundayThe Eucharist
Acts 1:1-11Psalm 47
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:44-53Ripples on the Pond
May 11
PentecostRite of Confirmation
Acts 2:1-21Psalm 104:24-34, 35bI Corinthians 12:3b-13
John 20:19-23
Dont Worry or Dont Fear
TAIZE SERVICE
APRIL 6The monthly service of prayer and meditation in the style of Taize will be held
on Sunday April 6 at 5:00 PM, directly before the pot luck dinner. This is atime for centering our hearts and minds on Christ. The chants and simple re-
frains help us come together in a powerful way, joining energies uniting body,
mind and spirit.
Michele Brooks and Betsey McCrory are planning the service.
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PastoralPerspective
Change is the word this political season. The candidates of both parties promise change in one
way or another. Sometimes there are explanations of what that change might be and other times
it is more the idea of change itself. All of us know that things change and sometimes change is a
good thing and sometimes it is not. The way it is being used in the various campaigns point tothe positive aspects of change. Many people see change in negative ways. Things are not the
way they used to be and for many that is not a good thing. Sometimes change is even associated
with decay, as in the line from the old hymn Abide with Me.
Change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
Here the changing order of things is contrasted to the changelessness of God, who abides with
us through it all.
The season of Easter which began on Easter Day continues on for what the church has called
The Great Fifty Days, ending with the festival of Pentecost. During that time, we seek to
understand and appreciate the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If the resurrection is
nothing else, it certainly is change. H e who was dead is alive and nothing will ever be the
same.
Steve Savides, the pastor of the First Congregational Church in Appleton Wisconsin, where
Jane Weeden, our former associate is on the staff, writes in his latest newsletter about a story
which came out of the Nuremburg War Crimes Trials at the end of World War II.
A witness appeared who had lived for a time in a grave in a Jewish grave-yard, in Wilna, Po-
land. It was the only place he and many others could live, when in hiding after they had es-
caped the gas chamber. Well, in a grave nearby a young woman gave birth to a boy. The
...knowthat things change
and sometimes change is agood thing and sometimes it is
not...
(Cont. on p. 5)
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eighty-year old grave-
digger, wrapped in a
linen shroud, assisted.
When the new-born
child uttered his firstcry, the old gravedigger
prayed: Great God,
hast Thou finally sent
the Messiah to us? For who else than the Messiah
Himself can be born in a grave.
The Christian faith is born in a grave in a garden.
The stone is rolled away and the one who was cru-
cified on Friday israised on Sunday, and
nothing is ever the
same. The resurrection of Jesus Christ lets loose life
on the world; new life which brings the church into
being and gives us the gospel of reconciliation. We
are all called on to proclaim that Jesus is alive and
is loosed on the world and that through the power
and presence of the Holy Spirit gives new life even
today.
This is really change and sometimes it is uncom-
fortable to change. The old order has passed away
and a new order is born, not the new world order of
this or that political party or thinker, but the new
world
order
which is the Kingdom of God. As those who follow
Him we are to seek to live it out here and now.Now that is change!
Your pastor,
John
Pastoral
Perspective
(cont.)
...and nothing isever the same...
...the Kingdom of God
Adult Education in April
To Focus On
Real Life Faith IssuesBack by popular demand! Adult edu-
cation classes in April will focus around
two DVDs featuring pastor and author,
Rob Bell. Led by Pastor Cedarleaf, these
classes will look at issues that are impor-
tant to us and are presented in an easy-to-
discuss and easy-to-understand format.
On April 6, well focus on loving eve-
ryone around us. Jesus said that the most
important thing in life is to love God with
everything weve got and love others the
same way. This class will look at the diffi-
culties we have in carrying out this com-
mand. Sometimes we strongly disagree
with other peoples political views, reli-
gious beliefs, behaviors, or something else,
and it makes it hard to love them espe-
cially when we feel that were right andtheyre very wrong.
On April 27, well talk about what
makes us happy. Well look at the times
when we wanted something badly, only to
find out when we got it that it wasnt so
great after all. Well also discuss how we
feel when we ask God for something, and
He doesnt deliver right away.
Join us! Wed love to hear your thoughts.
***NOTE: There will be no adult educa-tion classes on April 13 or April 20, due to
Spring Break.***
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REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS:
Martha Bowman, St. Johns Home
Barbara Cobb, Fairport Baptist Home
Louise Deller, Aaron Manor
Geraldine Stearns, Perinton Manor
Thank You to All!
Thank you to our church family for all your
prayers and support throughout our adoption
process a two and one-half year paper preg-nancy. We were overwhelmed by all the people
who came to the airport to welcome Lily home.
We appreciate the cards, meals, gifts and good
wishes that have been sent our way.
We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful
church family.
The James Family
Roger, Carol, Hannah and now Lily!
TOOL RAFFLE
The Trustees are holding a tool raffle to
raise some of the money needed to offset the
fact that the Antique Show has been can-
celed. The intention is to raise the money out-
side of the church and not present the congre-
gation with another donation request.
However, if any church member is in-
terested in purchasing a $10.00 ticket to win
four DeWalt cordess tools (with case battery &
charger), they can contact Pastor Cedarleaf or
any trustee. 200 tickets will be sold.
Our second Pot Luck - Just For Fun is set
for Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 5:30 PM.
The first one was a lot of fun, so be sure
to join in for a time of good company and
great food!
Sign-ups are on the rolling bulletin boardin Fellowship Hall (just so we know how
many tables and chairs to set up). Bring
your own service and a dish to pass - and
a big appetite.
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NEXT EPISTLE DEADLINE 3 PM APRIL 24, 2008.
Also on March 9, our congregation recognizedpeople who have been members who are cele-brating 5th year anniversaries (5, 10, 15 etc) andthose that have been members for 40 years or
more. They are:
Five years
Walter Adams, Ashley Ciccarelli, Deirdre andDon Eaton, Andrea Johnston, Deborah Mabry,Teddy Mierzwa, Douglas Osovski, Juliana Ties-
link, Emily Wright
Ten years
Margaret Daves, Paul DeLong, Elizabeth
Donaldson, Angie Last-Meraw, Gregory Lelek,Caroline Lizzio, Jessie McGrattan, Carol andMike ONeal, Tyler Obenaug, Kyle Preston,
Laurissa Prystaj
Fifteen years
David Cedarleaf, Tucker Henderson, Sherry
Jackson, Janice and Martin Stiles
Twenty years
James and Patricia Bradford, Jim Brush, Ray
and Annette Ciccarelli, Arthur and Sue Gable,Janis and Ralph Harper, Cheryl and ThomasHirsch, Leslie and Michael Morgan, Marion
Pieramico, Diana and Steven Smith
Twenty-five years
Bruce and Sharon Barmore, Joan and ThomasBigelow, Lisa Footer, Henry and Nancy Ral-
ston.
Thirty years
Sandra Allen, Laurie DeLong, Freda Sheldon,
Douglas Strong.
Thirty-five years
Sandra Blanchard, Janet and John Hecker, Jean
and Paul Jacoby, Barbara and Frank Strong.
Forty years or more
Marjorie Brooks
James and Mary Castor
Barbara and William Cobb
Dorothy and Richard Dudley
James Dudley
Jerry and Lois Evans
Sally Forgensi
Mary HoagMartha Holmes
Charlotte Jackson
Dewey Jackson, Jr.
William Jackson
Carol and Ed Johnston
David Mosher
Donald and Dorothy NaetzkerMichael Root
Eileen and Lester Slocum
John and Winifred Smith
Arthur and Catherine Steffen
Shirley Sumner
Janet Torrens
Ella WeirichDouglas and Jean Whitney
Arthur and Jean Wilson
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NEXT EPISTLE DEADLINE 3 PM APRIL 24, 2008
YOUTH MISSSION TRIP
NEEDS YOUR HELP!Our youth need to raise $6,500 to cover the
cost of the mission trip. We need silent auction
items for the upcoming Spaghetti dinner on March30.
Do you have an item or service to offer? If
so, signup on the rolling bulletin board in fellow-
ship hall or call Brian Sherry at 425-7336 or 233-
Spaghetti Dinner on
March 30 at Church
There will be a spaghetti din-
ner at the church on March 30 to
benefit the youth mission trip. There
will be two seatings- one at 5pm
and one at 6:30pm. A silent auc-
tion will also take place. Our youth
will be selling tickets in church dur-
ing the month of March.Our junior and senior high
youth will be traveling to Ohio in
July to repair and rebuild homes for
low income families through Reach
work camp. All proceeds from the
dinner and auction will reduce the
cost of the trip for the participants.
March 30 at Church5:00 First seating
6:30 Second seating
Silent Auction
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An extraordinary concert to celebrate
and support the Southwest Coalitions Habi-
tat House project will be held on Saturday,
April 26th
from 2 to 4 PM at Rush United
Methodist Church, 6200 Rush-Lima Rd.
(Route 15A, just south of the vil-
lage). Brighton UCC, First Congregational
UCC of Spencerport, Henrietta UCC, Union
Congregational UCC of Churchville, and the
Protestant Chaplaincy at UR are among the
supporting congregations.
Musicians and
groups will focus on
the themes of home
and community, the
values that motivateevery Habitat building
project. Musicians
will include a five-
octave handbell choir,
inspiring worship
band, percussion en-
semble, musical com-
edy, and an all-clergy
band put together forthe occasionthe
Holy Rock & Rollers.
A free will offering will be requested
during the performance. Dont be surprised
if donations are collected in empty paint
cans, or if the greeters are wearing work
clothes and tool belts. Our Habitat Coali-
tion is serious about building the house this
summer and the concert is an important way
of raising the funds to make it a reality.
Multiply the fun and the support for
this project by bringing your friends. As an
added bonus there will be a huge garage sale
going on in another part of the building, and
an opportunity to
see the beautiful
quilt that will be
raffled later this
year.
Our Habitat
House will be built
in the JOSANNA
area of Rochester
near PAETEC
Park. Some houses
have already been
started in that area
by other Habitatgroups. The goal is
to transform an impoverished neighborhood
into a safe, family friendly commu-
nity. This concert will help make that goal a
reality.
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Family News
FAIRPORT VACATION
BIBLE SCHOOL
SAVE THE DATE!!
The annual Fairport Community Vaca-
tion Bible School program will be held
each morning on August 4 8 in par-
ticipating churches (including ours!) on
Church Street in the village of Fairport.
Following the theme, GODS BIG
BACKYARD, children will learn how
rewarding service can be. They will
explore how to serve family, friends,
neighbors, the community and Jesus
while enjoying interactive Bible sto-
ries, fun crafts and snacks
Fairport Community Vacation BibleSchool is a fun-filled week of music,
games, crafts and growing in Gods
love! Children from age 3 to entering
7th grade are welcome to come spend
five action packed mornings in GODS
BIG BACKYARD! Teen and adult
volunteers are always needed and ap-
preciated! We have a job for every-
one! This year, FCVBS will held fromAugust 4 through August 8. Look for
registration and volunteer forms at
your church or the Fairport Public Li-
brary starting in April. Contact
Heather Moore with any questions
April Rotation Studies:
Kings of Israel
Saul and DavidThrough our drama, storytelling, art and
movie classrooms, our preschoolers and ele-
mentary school students will learn about
Saul, the first King of Israel, and David, his
successor.
Junior High and Confirma-
tion Class To Discuss Apply-
ing Their Faith in REAL
Time
Our junior high and confirmation class willconclude the church school year with a DVD
series featuring pastor and author Rob Bell.
The series will focus on faith principles and
how they might apply to our lives today.
******NO CHURCH SCHOOL
CLASSES WILL BE HELDONAPRIL 13 OR 20 DUE TO
SPRING BREAK. CLASSES
WILL RESUME ON APRIL
27.****
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Family News (p.2)
May 11, 2008
After a year of study, discussions with our pas-
tor, and participation in a community mission
project, a church project and the class project
a Passover Seder meal, our confirmands will
stand before the congregation and make the
faith their own on Sunday, May 11.
College Scholarship
Each year the Board of Family Ministry in conjunction with the Memorial Committee
offers a $500 scholarship to a graduating high school senior planning to attend a two or four
year college in the fall. The criteria that will be used in considering applicants are: member of
our church, graduating senior with plans to attend college in the fall, demonstrated involvement
in the church, quality of essay, and strength of letters of recommendation. Information and ap-
plication packets are available in the church office and on the Family Ministry bulletin board in
Fellowship Hall. All eligible students are encouraged to apply. All applications must be com-
plete and submitted to the church office by May 1, 2008.
Please contact Felicia Johansen at 377-5211 if you have any questions.
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Senior High To Ex-
amine Music Choices
and Their FaithThe Senior High class will begin a new study
examining music choices and how they align
with our faith. During the classes, students
will be encouraged to think about what they
choose listen to versus simply being
unconscious consumers.
JYF & SYF
NEXT EPISTLE DEADLINE 3 PM APRIL 24, 2008
YOUTH GROUP EVENTS COMING UP.
Games Night Scheduled For March 28All 6th 12th graders are invited to attend a Games Night in Upper Fellowship Hall on Friday
night, March 28, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Watch the youth group bulletin board for more details!
Spaghetti Dinner Mission Trip Fundraiser March 30Come help with a spaghetti dinner to raise money for our upcoming mission trip! Sell some
tickets, work a shift, donate a silent auction item, and enjoy a delicious meal. Sign up to help in
Fellowship Hall. All hands are needed!
Pancake Breakfast Mission Trip Fundraiser April 26Another opportunity to defray mission trip costs! Watch the youth group bulletin board in Fel-
lowship Hall for ways to help with this fundraiser.
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JYF & SYF30 Hour Famine Report
Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will
be blessed for it. (Proverbs 22:9)
The 30 Hour Famine participants surely feel
blessed to have shared in this awesome experi-
ence and thank the congregation for its support.
We begin our fast after lunch on Friday, Feb.
29. Our group of nine senior high students and
two adults met at our church at 5:30 p.m. Fri-
day evening for the opening ceremony. The
sanctuary was filled with 150 youth from 8-10
area youth groups. We opened with music,
singing and a prayer from John.
Following the ceremony, the youth divided into
six groups and traveled throughout the church
to listen to various speakers talk about life in
areas around the world that suffer from poverty,war and hunger. Speakers represented Mexico,
India, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Niger, Kenya,
and Zimbabwe. A big Thank You! to
Deirdre Eaton for her compelling speech about
Zimbabwe.
After enjoying some late-night bowling at Fair-
view Lanes, our youth group concluded the
evening with a midnight candlelight prayer ser-
vice and sleepover at our church.
Saturday morning was dedicated to service pro-jects. Our youth divided into two groups, withone group going to Bethany House a home-less shelter for women and children, and theother group going to Saints Place a refugee
resettlement organization. At BethanyHouse, we cleaned, sorted and shelved toys,shoveled snow, and learned about Bethanyhouse. At Saints Place, we had a tour andlearned about the services provided and therefugees they serve. We also helped organ-ize storage in Saints Place garage.Throughout the Famine, participants wereallowed to drink as much juice and/or wateras they wanted.
Back at church, we played Tribe Indone-
sia, an awareness-raising game. Each par-
ticipant took on the identity of an actual
child in Indonesia, complete with various
handicaps such as eye patches, heavy back-
packs to illustrate being weak and tired from
hunger, wearing a heavy winter coat to rep-
resent fever from malaria, and one partici-
pant couldnt speak due to past trauma.
Tribes had to complete various challenges,
while learning about life in Indonesia and its
difficulties. Bible study and journaling were
part of this activity.
The closing ceremony at the Fairport United
Methodist Church included a band, singing,presentations from the many participating
youth groups about service projects, and
comments about where the participants saw
Jesus during the Fast. The event ended
with a delicious meal of water, rice and
chicken broth.
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NEXT EPISTLE DEADLINE 3 PM APRIL 24, 2008
The Epistle is printed once a month
By the First Congregational United
Church of Christ, 26 East Church St.,
Fairport, New York 14450
Office Phone: 585-223-0224
Fax: 585- 223-4264
Pastors Phone 585-223-8172
E-mail: [email protected]
Webpage: fairportucc.org
Office Hours: M-F 9:00-3:30
Church Service 9:30AM
Sunday School: 10:50AM
Pastor: Rev. Dr. John Cedarleaf
Christian Ed. & Family Ministries:
Kelly Weidman & Karen Hamill
Admin. Asst: Cathy Kinton
Church Moderator: Hank Ralston
Organist: Beatrice Benedict
Choir Director: James C. Jefferis
Business Administrator: Sue Brooks
Epistle Editor: Bill Lindsay
Wedding Coordinator: Sue Bickel
First Congregational United Church of Christ
26 East Church Street
Fairport NY 14450
Address Service Requested
Dated Material
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDFAIRPORT N.Y.PERMIT NO. 61