STEEPLE SOUNDS

August 2022

We are a Christian community of people who are reaching out to our neighbors, 
at home and abroad, sharing our faith and our resources.

Central Square Congregational Church, UCC, of Bridgewater, Massachusetts is an open and affirming
church. No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.

From the Desk of Rev. Beth

Rev. Elizabeth Stotts, Pastor

Dear Friends,

It’s 91 degrees outside and disgustingly humid as I write this. Yesterday I went to the hospital for a pastoral care visit and heard that all of the surgeries were being cancelled for the day because the air conditioning in the building wasn’t working properly. I imagined the people who were in need of surgery being told they have to wait. I imagined for a moment what it would be like to perform surgery during a heat wave without proper air conditioning. As I walked down the hall toward the elevator, I watched as nurses removed their outer layers and patients fanned themselves with their menus and paperback novels. Air conditioning really is a luxury. 

As I drove away from the hospital I began to pray for the workers who labor outside. I prayed that they would stay hydrated and take frequent breaks. I prayed for the young father who stopped by the church earlier in the day to ask for help paying his electric bill. I prayed and prayed and the image of water kept coming back to me. 

Water.

Water plays such an important role in our lives and in our faith. Jesus was nurtured in the waters of Mary’s womb. He was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River. As his first “miracle”, he turned water into wine. The water of his tears fell down his face as he wept for all of creation. Water is a powerful symbol and force. It is also through water that we are made as One People through baptism. 

Water.

Friends, please stay hydrated this summer. And as you drink, remember that water is so much more than H2O.

In Christ,
Rev. Beth

Tuesday thru Thursday, 9am-1pm

or by appointment

Please note the office will be open by appointment only the week of Aug. 15.

Also note that Rev. Beth is on vacation August 1-7.

REMOTE WORSHIP ON FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE

Use the link on the homepage of www.csccucc.org to access Sunday worship.

There is also a link to access past services, as well as past service bulletins.

NEXT CABINET MEETING is Wednesday, August 17, 7pm

at the church

Monthly meetings of the church leadership are currently being held in the Fellowship Hall. All church members are also welcome to attend. 

Congregational Receptionist

Jennifer “Jenne” Foronjy is originally from the North Fork of Long Island, New York, and found her way to the South Shore of Massachusetts in 2004. She is a long-time career administrator as well as an artist (mixed media) and musician (drums and singing). She greatly enjoys attending concerts and volunteering at pop culture conventions, music camps for kids, and animal shelters. Jenne feels her greatest accomplishment and joy has been spending the past 16 years being mom to the most amazing child. She lives quite happily in her adopted home of Bridgewater with her wife, her teen, and also three cats, Spooky, Mabel Bacon, and Lars.

Jenne (pronounced "Jen") is the welcoming face in the office Tuesdays through Thursdays, 9a.m. - 1p.m. She can be reached at office@csccucc.com or 508-697-6016.  

CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Do you need a meal, a call, spiritual care, or even just a prayer or a chat?

Contact the Pastor, a Deacon, or a member of our Care Team.

To contact Rev. Beth, call the church office at 508-697-6016 or email her at csccpastor @ hotmail.com. 

CSCC Deacons
Deb Sorgman – debsorgman @ gmail.com

Jae Stotts - jaestotts @ gmail.com
 

CSCC Care Team
Carol Chaffee
Phoebe Hogg
Bev Mitchell

John Scott

Contact the church office if you need us!

The Bridgewater Food Pantry, hosted and supported by CSCC, is open Thursdays, 10am-1pm, and the first Mondays of the month, 6-7:30pm. COVID protocols are in place and adhered to for the safety of all. All Bridgewater residents who are in need of food are welcome.

If you are a Bridgewater resident unable to come to the food pantry, but are in need of food, please contact the church office by email or phone (below) and arrangements will be made for you.

VENMO!

We continue to make it easier than ever to contribute to CSCC. The church now accepts donations via Venmo! Aim your phone camera below, or use the Venmo app to send your donation to @cscc-ucc

SUMMER BOOK STUDY

 According to Amazon: 

“Desperate for a way to slow down and connect, Kristin put an ordinary picnic table in her front yard, painted it turquoise, and began inviting friends and neighbors to join her. Life changed in her community, and it can change in yours too. Alongside personal and heartwarming stories, Kristin gives you:
• Stress-free ideas for kick-starting your own Turquoise Table
• Simple recipes to take outside and share with others
• Stories from people using Turquoise Tables in their neighborhoods
• Encouragement to overcome barriers that keep you from connecting”

Read this book at your leisure, then join Rev. Beth on Saturday, August 20 at 9:30am to have a lively discussion. All are welcome to participate.

Fun and Fundrasier!

CSCC folks not only had fun marching in the parade, but the bake sale raise $147 for the church! Townspeople were also very appreciative that we had our doors open for them to use our restrooms. Thank you to the Stotts family for organizing the events of the day!

Thank you Al Lacerda Photography!

A huge shoutout and thank you to Al Lacerda Photography, for taking FREE family photos on the front lawn of the church on the 4th of July. What a blessing that was to so many families! If you had your picture taken, and want to download it, CLICK HERE.  (Look for the yellow box in the middle of the page.)

Communications Coordinator

Diane Sheibley has, with the approval of Rev. Beth and Moderator Anne Malmquist, taken on the role of “Communications Coordinator” for CSCC. You may know Diane as a former Trustee and Moderator, or from the Fair Committee. She is currently also the church Clerk.

Diane feels that the job is a perfect fit, as she spent the majority of her career in magazine publishing, and she has a passion for keeping things organized. She also feels strongly about making sure that CSCC members know what’s going on at the church, what the church is doing in the community both locally and beyond, and how they can be more involved in a way that suits their time and talents. It is with these goals in mind that Diane will be involved in the messaging of CSCC on social media, in print, and via email, and constantly striving to ensure the CSCC family feels both included and recognized for all that the church has to offer.

(CLICK HERE to see her full bio.)

From the Desk of the Sexton 

Greetings everyone!

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic I have completed a few renovation projects within the Church. Most recently I have completed some painting in the Sanctuary.

There is one project that I believe would improve the beauty of the Church sanctuary: the refurbishing of the window shutters on the windows along the sides of the sanctuary. This would require taking down the shutters, then transporting them to my home where I could scrape, sand, and paint them. Then the shutters would need to be transported back to the church and put back into place on the windows.    

In order accomplish this I would need at least 2 or more volunteers to assist me in taking the shutters down and transporting them back and forth to the church.

If anyone would be interested in helping me with this project, please contact me.  I can go into more detail on my project plan and timeline as well as the specific tasks that I would need assistance with.

If you would be willing to assist me, please contact me by email or phone/text at  Sully1950@comcast.net or 339-933-5436.

Thank you in advance.

Rich Sullivan
Sexton

Donating to CSCC can be... FREE!
with your help!

Remember that when you shop on Amazon, type “smile.Amazon.com” into your browser rather than just “Amazon.com”, then just shop as you normallly would. When you designate Central Square Congregational Church as the charity to benefit from your purchases, the church gets a percentage of all your purchases. It costs you nothing extra. And tell your friends, too, near and far! 

Contact the church office at office@csccucc.com or 508-697-6016 with questions or to help you get set up.

Perfect for:
• back to school shopping
• Christmas shopping
• purchases for work
• all your purchases!

Sunday, September 18, 9:00a.m.

For those of you that remember way back before the pandemic, we used to gather for hot breakfast before worship service on the first and third Sundays of each month. Thanks to the efforts and enthusiasm of Tom Struzik and his trusty crew, we will once again have the privilege of a tasty beginning to our Sundays twice a month, beginning Sunday, September 18. 

If you haven’t been before, we can’t wait to see you there this Fall. If you have been before, welcome back! 

The price is right -- pay what you can. And if you can’t pay anything, we welcome you all the same. You won’t want to miss this! This event is open to the community, so bring your friends!

So, here we are asking 40 donors to step up and pledge $20 more a week to plug a $40,000 hole in our operating budget. So far, we have 12 40-for-$40k pledges. We only need 28 more! Are you able to add your name to this project? If you cannot afford $20 a week any pledge increase or new pledge is still a huge help. If you are already pledging/giving an amount that is comfortable for you and your family, you are still contributing in an important way. We are grateful to every one of you!

First time pledgers may be wondering: How does pledging work? A bit of background.

• A pledge is a promise.
• Our church and its work are funded entirely by annual pledges and financial gifts from members and friends of this church. The cost to keep us going is $4,000 per week, bare bones.
• Your pledge/promise to give to this church is your personal decision. If you pledge and your financial situation changes, you can change the amount you pledged -- up or down -- at any time.
• We have no larger church in the background to fill our budgeted needs—or telling us what to do. Each Congregational church operates as its own congregation decides.

We must remember: WE are the church, and we are responsible.

See the link below for more information or to make your first pledge or increase your current pledge.  
 
May the light of Christ shine on you,
Gail Wershing—for Stewardship
 

CLICK HERE for the 40-for$40k pledge form. You can mail it in, drop it in the Sunday collection plate, or scan and email it confidentially to treasurer@csccucc.com. 

If you prefer to just fill it out online, CLICK HERE.
 

Remember, you need not be a member of the church to pledge! All are welcome! 

Pledged funds may be paid weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. All pledges are confidential.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH OUR PROGRESS!