103 1st Street, Riverhead, New York 11901, United States
Beacon Light Newsletter
JAN/FEB 2022
THE BEACON LIGHT
MAY/JUNE 2022
First Congregational Church of Riverhead
An Open and Affirming United Church of Christ
103 First Street Riverhead, New York 11901
Web:FirstCongregationalChurchofRiverhead.org
Tel: 631-727-2621
PASTOR'S NOTE
Dear Friends and Family of our First Congregational Church, Spring has come and there is much beauty and bounty all around. Admittedly, it does my heart some good. In the garden or the patio, I can, for a while, forget the woes of our time. But then there come the sorry reminders of the illnesses that haunt us.
Yet still, there is reason to hold onto hope. As for Covid, we've come far. It's still with us, as even some of us know all too well of late, but we're better at treating it, and with vaccinations, we're better at fighting it off. The war in Ukraine is heartbreaking, but there too, much has been done to stop the madness and to help comfort, heal and house the victims. The resolve of the Ukrainians remains strong, and they've done much to fight back the Russians. That, too, is still ongoing, but there is hope.
Any wins on the violence of our times, in our nation, in our cities, are harder for me to see. But I know good people are working hard to curb it, to stop that madness. Government agencies and police are getting better at tracking the bad guys, strict protocols are in place to protect us, and many of us are hard at work to erase the many -isms that divide us. As a clergyman, I do see part of the problem to be the departure from God and church by many today, but I do hold there are other means to reach out, by word and example, and to teach each other what a world without racism could be like, what a world with more respect for all could look like, and what it means to let love flourish.
And yet my heart breaks with the news. Yet another mass shooting has come. Mental illness and racism have again linked hands and exploded in the lives of our neighbors. Respect, appreciation, and celebration of diversity has again been replaced by fear and loathing. We must teach better, connect with others better, show love better, but that road is a hard one. Too many are left alone to their illnesses and untreated. And so, we pray, and we work.
Thanks to all the families, the friends, the places of faith, the community networks and youth programs who actively reach out and help bring healing. Slowly, I do believe, we will get it done. But we too, must pause, and grieve, and pray again.
I share this letter from our Conference Minister:
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
Once again, we must face the grief, and anger at yet another loss of innocent life. Sadly, this time the tragedy has hit very close to home. All hearts of the New York Conference join in sorrow and sadness for those families who suffered loss or harm yesterday in Buffalo. Our minds cannot fathom that in the blink of an eye such a tragedy could occur again.
While we certainly offer prayers and words of comfort and encouragement, we must recognize that words and prayers are not enough. As people of faith, we are called to stand united against hatred of every kind, knowing that we are bound together as one human family and none of us are free, until all of us are free. Free from oppression, free from racism, free from the fear of senseless gun violence. Like many of you, I too am angry, but it is a righteous anger that will not allow hate and evil to have the final say.
Tomorrow your Conference staff, along with other New York faith leaders will meet in Buffalo with Governor Kathy Hochul, to strategize on what our next steps will be to address hatred and gun violence in our state. This is our sacred call and responsibility.
Yes, our hearts our heavy tonight, but we will not despair as people who are without hope. For we serve a God whose love knows no bounds, and we take comfort in knowing that “earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.” Be encouraged.
Lovingly,
Rev. David Gaewski,
Conference Minister New York Conference United Church of Christ
My blessings to you this day, ~Pastor Sean
TRUSTEES
Welcome Spring! Our church is up and running and we invite you to join us at our Sunday services. The Board of Trustees and Deacons continue to meet jointly once per month. We remain financially sound and continue to meet all expenses each month. In addition to our weekly offerings the thrift shop remains a welcome source of income. Thank you to all our dedicated volunteers who sort, stock the shelves and keep the shop running.
The trustees and deacons will be forming a committee to research local community charities to which we can consider making a donation. Our investments have done well over the past 2 years and some members feel we should help our neighbors in need. Maureen’s Haven (Homeless), Spirit’s Promise Equine Rescue (Veterans), Butterfly Effect Riverhead (Empowering Young Girls), Unwed Mothers and Habitat for Humanity have been suggested. If you know of a group in need or would like to join our committee, please let Nancy Repp know. ~Nancy Repp
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
Several building projects have been identified but we are having problems finding contractors to do the work. The west side exterior of the church is missing some shingles and needs some painting. In addition, two boards on the steeple need to be repaired or replaced.
The Parish Hall floors could use some buffing and wax and we are waiting to schedule that work. The soup kitchen will be looking into installing a slop sink due to Board of Health requirements. The gardens have been weeded, limed and fertilized and lawn cutting has begun. The carillon had to be sent back to the company due to some programming issues and we hope it is up and ringing again soon. A new microphone has been installed in the sanctuary and we hope this improves the audio. If you have any building concerns, please reach out to Allan Repp or to David Gruner.
~Allan Repp
PASTORAL RELATIONS
The Pastoral Relations Committee (PRC) met twice in the past month to fine tune their mission and process. As a result, they created a covenant statement which will aid as a guide to serve the committee moving forward.
The Covenant is as follows:
The Pastoral Relations Committee is to support the Pastor through healthy and direct communication with the congregation. It is a joint ministry that helps the Pastor as he/she comes to know how to help individual church members. The committee shall, periodically, encourage each congregant to ask themselves the question: “How can my relationship with God and my church be enriched?” If their answer is something concrete, they will be encouraged to present it, as a constructive suggestion, either to Pastor directly, jointly with a committee member to Pastor, or a committee member can act on their behalf.
The committee is currently reaching out to members of the congregation asking if they would like to take the step to enriching their relationship with God. One such meeting successfully took place last month.
Respectfully submitted,
~Marion Maino
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Our Christian Education offerings include Confirmation Class which meets after church every other week, and our Adult Bible Study classes. Those classes meet each Friday morning from 10 to 11. You are welcome to attend either in person or online. The Zoom ID is: 836 7040-4929 Password: 7272621. Presently, we are continuing our study of the Letters of John.
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
The Prayer Shawl Group (AKA “The Hookers”) continue to convene on Monday evenings via zoom to “solve the problems of the world”, while handcrafting prayer shawls for those in need of comfort. While crafting shawls for others in need, the group has often offered a great deal of support and comfort to each other when the need arises.
We are always looking for more people who are handy with a crochet hook or knitting needles to join us. If you are not into joining in on the chitter chatter of the meetings, you are still more than welcome to craft a shawl and add it to our dwindling stock displayed in the sanctuary.
If you know of somebody who is in need of some comfort, please select a shawl from our display and bring it to that person with our prayers. It is our mission to bring a smile to someone in need of one; even if it is for only a moment.
Respectfully submitted,
~Marion Maino
MISSION AND BENEVOLENCE
We continue to donate to a number of mission projects through the ministries of our church. Our next special offering, on Pentecost Sunday June 5th, will be for Strengthen the Church, a mission arm of the national UCC offices that helps to support local ministries in need.
BREAD AND MORE
Bread and More continues to serve takeout dinners on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 6:00. Our thanks go out to all the wonderful volunteers and to those who donate. Please keep Rich Babbino, one of our long-time cooks, in your prayers as he continues to recover from a recent operation.
LADIES NIGHT OUT
A few women of our church continue to gather the last Thursday of each month for a time of food and fellowship. For additional information, please call Janet Sanford: Cell, 516 507-7897; Home, 631 591-1063.
THRIFT SHOP
Our Alley Cat thrift shop is open three days a week: Tuesday and Thursdays from 10:00 - 2:00 and Saturdays from 9:00 - 1:00. Our thanks to all our dedicated volunteers. More volunteers are needed. Please know that even if you cannot volunteer for a full shift, an hour or two each week would be appreciated too. Thanks too to all who donate; the donations go far to make a difference in our church and community.
SOME CHURCH CALENDAR ITEMS
- Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday - Take out - 5:30-6:00pm: Bread & More/INN
- ALLEY CAT THRIFT SHOP: Tuesday and Thursday 10:00-2:00; Saturday 9:00-1:00
- Bible Study: Fridays 10:00 – 11:00AM. Both in person and via Zoom
