103 1st Street, Riverhead, New York 11901, United States
Beacon Light Newsletter
March April 2026
Dear Friends and Members of our First Congregational Church,
Thank God. Thank God the snow is almost all melted. Thank God a taste of Spring has come. Thank God that Easter is almost here. Thank God for the newness that is and is to come, and even for the old that was.
In this Lenten season of our we have that mix of old and new. The old standard is that our local churches continue to worship together each Wednesday. The new is that we’ve been holding those services at 11:00am. It seems to be working well as many prefer not to go out in the dark and even those who are still employed have been joining us. By the time this arrives, we’ll have two midweek services left in the season: March 18, when we’ll be at the Salvation Army, and March 25, when we’ll be at Old Steeple.
We return to Old Steeple for Maundy Thursday which we’ll celebrate with our sister UCC congregations, and that, too, is an 11:00 service. The service on Good Friday will be at Baiting Hollow.
As far as Sundays go, the last Sunday of March is Palm Sunday. We’ll again have donkeys and will process from the front (Main Street side) to the back of the church. The new this year is that we’ll be treated that day to a visit from the Rev. Barbara VanOplen, Associate Conference Minister for Clergy & Congregations. (More on that in a minute).
This year, the first Sunday of April, April 5, is Easter. We’ll again celebrate with a “sunrise” (-ish) Communion Service on the west end of Grangebel Park at 8:00am, and then will have our festive Easter service in our sanctuary at 10:00am. The services are sure to be joyful ones. We do hope you can join us.
The big news is two-fold. After a recent meeting with the Pastoral Relations committee, it became clear that some are calling for change. As I’d been musing about retirement, it provided me with a push in that direction. Yet as mentioned at our Annual Meeting, I would like to take a sabbatical before that. So, first will be a summertime sabbatical, after Father’s Day, and then a return for Communion Sunday, September 6.
The plan as it stands now is for us to worship with the Old Steeple congregation in July and August. We’d likely host in July, and Old Steeple would host in August.
For my sabbatical, I am aiming to do a study on the local food pantries. The goal is to make suggestions for better efficiency and coordination.
As September 6 falls on Labor Day weekend, I’ve been persuaded to not make that my last Sunday. Sunday, September 20 is the date I’ve set for that.
Rev. Barbara’s visit will help with all of the transitional elements. She’ll get us all on track for the changes to come. They’ll be quite a bit of doing that will be required, but I’m certain, with God’s help, we’ll do it well, and can even strive to do it joyfully.
Blessings,
Pastor Sean
ZOOM
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
TRUSTEE Report
The Church as always continues to manage whatever is thrown at us. We had one of the furnaces in a two-furnace system malfunction. This event of course happened while we were experiencing the coldest and snow packed winter. The one furnace was able through working constantly to keep the temperature at least above freezing in the sanctuary as well as parish hall. We thank Allen Hubbard with his professional contacts was able to find someone to repair the problem. We are now enjoying weather that is unseasonably warm, and with that brings the much-anticipated scraping and painting of our Church. We hope to start in early May. The Church continues to be healthy financially, through investments and volunteerism. The Thrift shop is an outreach program that is rewarding not only in the revenue it generates, but as a blessing to many in our community where quality items at a fraction of the cost benefits everyone. The Trustees look forward to working with our assets and listening to the congregation as to ways to ensure our future as a downtown Church.
-Jim Wooten
BUILDINGS and GROUNDS
The cold, snowy winter has caused a few challenges. On the coldest night of the winter, one of our gas burners broke. Luckily, we have two burners in the basement which heat the sanctuary and fellowship hall. Although the temperature plummeted, the temperature did not fall below 45 degrees which meant we didn’t have to deal with frozen pipes. Alan Hubbard and Jim Wooten met with a repair man who has had problems getting the necessary parts to make the repair but I expect this to be resolved shortly. An additional expense has been shoveling the show several
times this winter. Church services were cancelled twice because of the snow and once because of the heat.Once the snow disappears, we will start a cleanup of the grounds and prepare for the Spring.Funds have already been approved to stain the exterior of the church as temperatures and weather improves.
Allan Repp
FUNDRAISING
At this time we have no fundraising events planned. If you would like to coordinate an activity for church members and friends to raise funds for the church or a charity, please feel free to bring your idea to the church board members or Pastor. Fundraising is an important part of any organization and can bring members together for a good cause while building relationships.
-Nancy Repp
ALLEY CAT THRIFT SHOP
The Alley Cat Thrift Shop is up and running after closing for the month of January. During that time, volunteers cleared our shelves and cleaned the shop. New items were displayed and are swiftly being sold.
We are so grateful for our thrift shop volunteers who make our shop a successful venture. All funds received are used to keep our church afloat. We had a banner year…selling over $50,000 worth of clothing, jewelry, knick knacks and more. All earned money is used to support the church and our missions.
In addition to supporting the church’s everyday expenses, up to $2500.00 each year is donated to local organizations like Maureen’s Haven, Open Arms Food Pantry, Bread and More Soup Kitchen and the Butterfly Effect.
The thrift shop is always looking for volunteers to sort, price and display items. If you have time, speak to any volunteer to find out how you can help.
-Nancy Repp
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Adult Bible Study meets in the Fellowship Hall on Friday morning at 10:00. We are beginning the study of The First Letter of John (1 John). The lesson is available on Zoom if you are interested. In Sunday School, we continue to work on learning the Lord's Prayer with the hope of leading the congregation in prayer. The girls made prayer boxes into which they will add their prayers. We included this poem to help them remember to turn to God in prayer, especially during this season of Lent. "When your head starts to worry, and your mind just can't rest. Put your prayers down on paper, and let God do the rest." We once again welcome the donkeys to church on Palm Sunday. We talk about the donkey's importance as Mary rode a donkey carrying Jesus into Bethlehem before he was born, and how Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Our time together is short, but Jane Kulesa and I try to bring the girls closer to God in all of our lessons.
Respectively submitted,
-Sandy Gruner
WORSHIP and MUSIC
Since March has finally arrived and spring is around the corner, going forward, our Sunday services will not be interrupted by snow and ice and malfunctioning heating systems. Our choir has been blessed to have Scott O’Hare return to join our group for the last two weeks. He is recovering from very serious injuries to both
legs, but he is finally mobile and is able to get back to church. He says he is slowly improving and we look forward to the time, in the near future, when he is back to normal. In the meantime it is great to have his voice back in our group.
The choir will be working on music for Easter Day, since that is another sign that spring is around the corner. And Easter will greet us early this year, since it arrives on April 5th. Also there is news that prior to the Easter bunny, we will again be visited by donkeys on Palm Sunday. And one final note, our wonderful organist Kim is working on inviting a couple of other musicians from Stony Brook University to provide us with a concert sometime after Easter. She has mentioned a tentative date of April 19th, so we all have something to look forward to after Easter.
-Melinda Topping & Jeanne Vecchio
FELLOWSHIP
As we are currently in the Lenten season we have been going to services as our fellow UCC churches. On Wednesday the 11th of March the First Congregational church hosted service and coffee hour. Almost everyone who came to the service stayed for coffee hour and stayed around for quite a while. It was very much appreciated.
On Easter Sunday we will once again have the Breads of the World which is always a great food and great time
Our coffee hours have been a little light on the sign-up sheet. Hopefully with the warmer weather (eventually) we will have more people signing up. I make the coffee and set up the tables so all that needs to be done is to bring a little something sweet and or savory. Thank you to all that have signed up.
-Barbara Parson
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
Our Prayer Shawl group meets via zoom on Monday nights at 7:30. If anyone would like to join our zoom (Meeting ID 723 9879 8990 Passcode Hookers ) new hookers are always welcome. Not all of us crochet or knit every week but it is a good time catching up with all the ladies who used to live here but have since moved away.
Please feel free to join in at anytime
-Barbara Parson
VISITATION
The Committee is available whenever we know of someone who needs a phone call, a card or a visit. Pastor and Janet Sanford help facilitate this mission. Please let Janet or Pastor know if you know of someone who needs a caring touch. The Committee will be meeting to write Easter cards to members and friends near and far. Please remember the people on our prayer list and please include them in your prayers during the week.
-Sandy Gruner
PASTORAL RELATIONS
The Committee is made up of Jim Wooten, Trustee, Sandy Gruner Deacon and Jane Kulesa and Susan Hubbard, Members at large. We want to thank Jeanne Vecchio who served on this Committee and now is serving as a Deacon. It is the job of this Committee to serve as a liaison between the Pastor and the Congregation. Any issue or concern that affects that relationship should be brought to the Committee so it can be resolved. As Pastor mentioned in his report, he will be retiring in September, after sharing thirteen years with us. We are planning a celebration of that time together on Sunday, September 20th after worship. Please reflect on our time together and consider writing a small letter talking about something you and Pastor have shared. We will put all of the remembrances together in a book for him. You can give your letter to a member of this Committee.
-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 70s into the 80s . Everyone is most appreciative of the meal received. St Mark’s Church in Shoreham continues to supply peanut butter and jelly sandwiches twice each month. 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
Our last get-together was before the Christmas holidays and we have not met through the cold, snowy weather in January or February. Now, as the warmer days are coming (hopefully), we plan to resume our gatherings.
If the weather in March is favorable, let's plan on the last Friday (March 27th) to meet again for lunch at 12:30. We can discuss the restaurant and decide on a place to eat. This is really a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other better and share our thoughts and ideas. If you would like to join us, please let me know.
Looking forward to our next meeting.
-Janet Sanford (H) 631 591- 1063 (C) 516 507- 7897
Missions and Benevolences
The new year has brought changes to our church committees. Some people have retired from their previous positions and other members are taking their places. This is true for Shirley Bergman who has been our Benevolence Chairperson for many years. Shirley has carefully kept track of the many benevolence offerings that are made by our church each year and also the benevolence donations that we provide to many other organizations in our community, such as the food pantries, Maryhaven, and other groups in our town and on the East End. We all owe our thanks to Shirley, who filled this position for so long and doing it well.
I am going to be taking Shirley’s job and I will be providing updates of the benevolence gifts made by our church. We closed 2025 with the Christmas Fund donation of $250.00. This offering is collected at Christmas, and the funds go to the United Church of Christ as additional support for retired ministers in our church denomination.
Our first benevolence offering for the new year coincides with our Souper Bowl Sunday soup luncheon. This year’s lunch was delayed by a week, due to one of our furnace boilers deciding to go on a mid-winter break. On Saturday evening it was determined that meeting in a building in the 40’s, with temperatures in the teens outside was not a good idea. But the following week we had a wonderful lunch and fellowship. In terms of benevolence, a big variety of soup and other non-perishable food was donated to be distributed to food pantries and cash donations were also received.
-Melinda Topping
Benevolence Committee
HISTORY
Hello, Friends!
I am (Rev. Dr.) Bonnie Miller. I am your new Church Historian, so I thought it might be nice to introduce myself. I just became a member (again) on February 2, so my name may not be familiar to you. However, you might remember me as either Bonnie Worm, or Bonnie Toboika!
I was baptized here at the age of five, in 1953, and I often tell people that First Congregational Church raised me. I was a member until I left for college, married, and then returned in 1971. I started seminary in 1987 and was ordained right here in our sanctuary in 1992. Some of you may have been present that day.
My membership ended then as I began my pastoral career at Chatterton Church UCC in White Plains, New York. When I retired in 2020, I moved to Aquebogue. Now I am back where I started, as part of our wonderful church family.
As you might imagine, I have an unbelievable collection of stories about the last seventy-plus years of our church. I am sure that you do, too. I also have done a good amount of research on the establishment of our denomination here on the East end of Long Island.
Church history helps us understand how the past shaped us, provides context for who we are today, and informs our future journey of faith. That means that everything we do at here as God’s faithful people becomes a page in the amazing story of First Congregational Church.
Please feel free to share your stories of our past with me. You may contact me at 631-779-2560 or bonni333@aol.com.
-Rev. Bonnie
- 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
