103 1st Street, Riverhead, New York 11901, United States
Beacon Light Newsletter
November/December 2025
November/December 2025
Pastor's Message
Dear Friends and Members of our First Congregational Church,
I’m not sure that even Halloween had arrived when I first saw Christmas lights on the dark neighborhood streets. Now that November has come, they’re even more abundant. They are pretty, yet it did seem to me, at least at first, like folks were rushing things. But maybe that’s just me. Maybe I shouldn’t think of them as Christmas lights but rather as Dark Nights of Fall Light and in that light, they do make more sense.
Light in darkness is, of course, a very theological theme. In the very beginning of the creation story we have: “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3), and perhaps even more fittingly, we have from John’s Gospel, “In [God] was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5). Even on the earliest and longest nights of this new season, the lights can serve as a gentle reminder of hope and warmth in uncertain times. And with the current crises of suspended paychecks and the loss of public assistance for food, uncertain times they are, and any added signs of hope are welcome.
At church, we’re gone to work to do what we can to bring some hope and relief. Following the catastrophic damage of Hurricane Melissa, we’ve been collecting funds to help and not only in Jamaica. After devastating the western half of Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa made a second landfall in Cuba where it also caused catastrophic damage, and the extensive rainbands brought devastating flooding to Haiti. The UCC, through the Global HOPE team, is working with ACT Alliance, Church World Service, and our Global Ministries partners to provide immediate relief to affected communities across the region. Money raised through the appeal will be used to support both immediate relief activities and long-term recovery efforts for years to come.
With an eye on more local need, we’ve also stepped up our hunger-action efforts. There’s now a cardboard box with a big turkey decoration in front of our sanctuary. The box is filled with bags and shopping-list ideas for donations. The local pantries, specifically of St. John’s Parish Outreach, Open Arms Food Pantry, and Church of Harvest, all have increased needs of late. Plus, donations for Bread & More Soup Kitchen are also always welcome. Now we’re seeing 100 guest or more on a regular basis each of the three nights (Mon., Wed., and Thurs.).
November also offers times to thank and honor those around us who do much for us. Veterans Day is Nov. 11, and I’ll again be joining our local veterans and servicemen and women in offering prayers at local observances which begin at 11:00am at the World War I monument downtown. Then, of course, Thanksgiving comes, which Lord willing, will have lots of people giving thanks.
This year, I’ve been privileged again to work with Long Island Ice & Fuel Corp. to coordinate the distribution of 150 Thanksgiving boxes which they are generously donating to our community. This year, the recipients include the Butterfly Effect Project, Church of the Harvest, Open Arms, the Salvation Army, St. John’s, Maureen’s Haven and Bread & More, and the need is even bigger than the supply. I’ll be doing similar work with the Rotary in December (donations to Riverhead Rotary are also always welcome).
In church, our Thanksgiving Sunday will be celebrated at 10:00 in our sanctuary on Nov. 23, complete what we hope will be a nice coffee hour to follow the service. If you can contribute, please speak to Barbara Parsons who’s coordinating that event. Later that same day, the Riverhead Clergy Council is hosting our Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. This year, it’s at 3:00pm at Temple Israel of Riverhead, (490 Northville Turnpike). We are hoping that we’ll see a good showing from our communities of faith.
Then, immediately following Thanksgiving, our Season of Advent begins. The first Sunday of Advent is Nov. 30. We’ll again light our Advent Wreath and then as Advent continues, we’ll coordinate the decoration of our sanctuary for Christmas. Many hands are always needed for that.
Christmas Eve is a Wednesday evening this year. Our Service of Carols and Candles will be at 8:00pm.
The hope is that you will discover and act on the ways that our God is calling you to help bring light and hope into our community in these days of approaching winter. May our God illumine your heart and grace you with abundant hope and peace.
-Pastor Sean
Join Zoom Meeting -- for Friday morning Bible Study classes or Worship:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86897065711?pwd=a0FZcDg5MnRqKzJMQXRLVzlBTGZFQT09
Meeting ID: 868 9706 5711
Passcode: 7272621
Trustees Report:
The Trustees have called a Congregational Meeting after our worship service Nov. 19 for the sole purpose of approving the needed expenditures for repairs to the front of our church. Details of the work will be presented. Please make an effort to attend.
Jim Wooten
Buildings and Grounds:
The new air conditioner unit for the fellowship hall will be installed in the Spring. It has been ordered and we have a company to complete the work. A vote by the congregation to complete the exterior repairs will be held in November. Following the repair work on the exterior of our church this fall, staining will begin in the Spring. Otherwise, we have had no major repairs.
The gardens have been “put to rest” for the winter. We continue to have an issue with the homeless sleeping on our church porches and leaving garbage on the grounds. Our thrift shop helper and myself try to keep up with this problem.
-Allen Repp
Public Relations & Evangelism:
Possibly the most important Committee in the church, I ask that you each consider yourself a member. This Committee is vital to the life and growth of the church. We need to work together to try and bring others into the glorious community of faith that we share. We thrive with the help of God and we want others to know that joy. Please think about ways we can spread the love of God to others in our community. We share what is going on by announcing events on WLNG radio. Many people came to the half price sale at the Alley Cat Thrift Shop because they heard it on the radio. We are hoping to have a walking tour of downtown Riverhead with a guide from the Historical Society. We know it gets dark early, so we hope to do this soon. We'll let you know as soon as it is planned. WE are also talking about an organ concert with our new Minister of Music, Kim. Any ideas that would help to build church membership would be welcome.
-For the Committee, Sandy Gruner
Stewardship:
In the coming weeks, we will be reaching out to members and friends to make a financial commitment by completing the enclosed stewardship card. Many who read this have been pledgers for a long time. Others have given but haven’t made the pledge commitment. Thank you to all of you. We realize making long-term financial commitments can sometimes be worrisome, but your pledges are necessary for the development of our 2026 budget. Any amount you pledge will help the trustees create a realistic fiscal estimate for the coming year. All pledges are kept confidential.
Please make a commitment to God and our church with a generous and thoughtful pledge. The pledge card can be returned in the self addressed envelope provided or dropped in the church plate by November 30.
-The Trustees
Thrift Shop:
The Alley Cat Thrift Shop continues to thrive providing low cost clothing, bedding, shoes, knick knacks and household items to all. Many thanks for all our volunteers who regularly come to help sort, price and display items. We are especially grateful for Dee Martin who examines, prices and displays the jewelry. Dee sells the more valuable donated jewelry to a local jeweler. Dee and Patty B. examine, research and price our antique items which are sometimes sold on Facebook Marketplace providing additional income.
The next two months will be very busy as we display and sell our Christmas items. Throughout the year we store donated holiday decorations. We have hundreds of items which will go on sale in early November.
Please consider giving some of your time to help in the shop. It is our only source of fundraising. Volunteers are welcome to come any day we are open and you do not have to stay the whole time.
Nancy Repp
Christian Education:
Adult Bible Study meets on Fridays from 10:00-11:00. We are studying the book of Daniel and we welcome everyone to join us. Church membership or affiliation is not required. It is possible to Zoom in if that is easier. Please call the church office for the link. On Rally Sunday, we began with Flat Jesus, modeled after Flat Stanley. Each family in the congregation was given a Flat Jesus to color, cut out and place in different places where one would go. We asked that you take pictures of Flat Jesus and bring them to church to share. Flat Stanley is a classic tale from the 1950's where a boy is flattened by a bookcase falling on him. The flatness allows him to go anywhere and do anything that a real boy could not do. The purpose of the lesson was to emphasize that Jesus is always with you wherever you may go. Check out the bulletin board in the fellowship hall to see some of Flat Jesus' adventures. There is still room to add your Flat Jesus and pictures to the bulletin board.
We hope that by including the congregation in our lessons they can appreciate what we are doing in Sunday School. We also invite anyone to be a guest teacher who has an idea for a lesson. We will be working on lessons discussing how God sees us and how that knowledge will help us see others in a more authentic way. We are also learning to recite the Lord's Prayer so that we can share in the recitation in church each Sunday.
-Respectively submitted by Sandy Gruner
Worship and Music:
Although George will continue to be sorely missed by many, we are delighted to have a new Minister of Music, Ms. Kimberly Kang. Kimberly is currently a graduate student at Stonybrook School of Music and is well gifted on the keyboards, both organ and piano. Her music is a blessing to all. Welcome Kimberly!
Melinda Topping
Fellowship:
Our fellowship time is going very well. We have people signing up and a lot of the church members and friends stay and have time to connect with one another. We are having a Thanksgiving theme coffee hour on November 23rd. It is going to be a group effort. We only have 7 more weeks of coffee hours to sign up for, so don't miss out. Sign up soon.
-Barbara Parsons
Fundraising:
Due to the forecasted nor'easter on October 12, the annual quilt show was cancelled. It has not been determined if the quilters will choose to do the show another date.
No fundraising will be necessary for the exterior repairs and staining thanks to the generous donations by Don Wylie’s family (a former member who passed away) and a member of our church. We are beyond grateful for their generosity.
-Nancy Repp
Payer Shawl Ministry:
We continue to meet via zoom on Monday nights at 7:30. If anyone is interested in joining us please feel free to contact me. You don't have to have a project going every week. Some weeks only a few ladies are crocheting or knitting. We enjoy the fellowship.
In October Sue Hubbard gave a prayer shawl to her cousin Greg Burns and on October 8 we received a very nice thank you card from Elizabeth Burns. She thanked us for the beautiful shawl and all of our continuing prayers for Greg.
The prayer shawls are on the pews for anyone to take a give to a person in need.
-Barbara Parson
Visitation:
Pastor, Sandy Gruner and Janet Sanford, try to visit and or call anyone who needs to know we are thinking about them and praying for them. We will be sending Thanksgiving cards to friends and members near and far. Please call the church office if there is someone who would appreciate a call or a card.
-Sandy Gruner
Pastoral Relations:
We meet quarterly and are set to meet again before the end of the year. If you have any concerns, complements or suggestions , please speak to someone on the Committee so those ideas can be mentioned and discussed. Communication is the key to healthy relationships. Please talk rather than complain or harbor resentment. Committee members are Jim Wooten, Sandy Gruner, Susan Hubbarb and Jeanne Vecchio.
-Sandy Gruner
Bread and More:
Bread and More Kitchen continues serving takeout dinners which include hot soup, a complete meal, dessert, and water on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 6:00. The number of guests has been ranging from the 80s to over 100. All are most appreciative of the meal received. St Mark’s Church in Shoreham continues to supply peanut butter and jelly sandwiches twice each month. Anderson’s Farm, Northville Farm, and Cornell Research Farm have been providing farm fresh vegetables each week. Beach Bakery in Westhampton and the Riverhead Stop & Shop continue to donate baked goods. Much appreciated financial support comes from grants, organizations, and individuals.
- Jane Kulesa
Ladies Night Out:
As the year draws to a close, our group which has now made the change from meeting in the evening to meeting at lunch time will now gather one more time. This will be midway between Thanksgiving and Christmas to avoid holiday conflicts.
Our next and final lunch will be on Friday, Dec. 5th at 12:00 at the Cooperage. Do hope everyone can make it.
At that time we'll decide when we want to meet again. We've usually taken a winter break to avoid bad weather, but we'll see what the weather forecast is predicting.
It's been a successful year of continuing our get-togethers, getting to know each other better and sharing meals. If you've not yet joined in, please know that you are welcome. Just let me know ahead of time so we can provide the restaurant with an approximate headcount.
-Janet Sanford (H) 631 591- 1063 (C) 516 507- 7897
Missions and Benevolences:
Our most recent collection for UCC Neighbors in Need was $354.00. The Neighbors in Need offering supports ministries of justice and compassion, with one-third of the offering given to the Council for American Indian Ministries and the remaining two-thirds supporting UCC justice ministries.In 2025 the Neighbors in Need Offering supported 26 grant recipients across the UCC who were engaged in projects of direct service and advocacy.
As part of our church missions, we will be collecting food donations during the month of November. Non-perishable items may be left in the church office or brought to the sanctuary each Sunday. All donations will be given to the Open Arms Food Pantry at the Riverhead Baptist Church and Church of the Harvest Food Pantry in Riverhead. As always, we collect food donations throughout the year. In these difficult times, with the price of food and limited resources, please consider making a difference by donating generously!
-Shirley Bergman and Nancy Repp
- Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday - Take out - 5:30-6:00pm: Bread & More
- ALLEY CAT THRIFT SHOP: Tues. & Thurs. 10:00AM – 2:00PM; Saturday 9:00AM-1:00PM
- Bible Study: Fridays 10:00AM – 11:00AM
First Congregational Church of Riverhead 103 First St.
Riverhead, New York 11901
