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STEEPLE SOUNDS

July 2026


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. Andrew

Rev. Andrew Heintz, Summer Worship Leader

 

Message Series: Our Diverse Heritage

 

Sometimes it's easy to read the Bible as a book that sounds like it's all written by the same author. Whichever page you open to, you wouldn't be surprised to find sheep and shepherds, maybe some sin and righteousness, and probably Jesus teaching or doing a miracle. The words we read look the same and might not stand out as being any different from each other.

 

But the Bible isn't a single book: it's a whole library full of different voices. Authors argue with each other. Jesus in one book looks different from Jesus in another book. Stories are duplicated and changed. Two creation stories, two flood stories, two covenants with Abraham, two blessings of Hagar and Ishmael. And yet we hold this spiritual cacophony together as our sacred symphony. 

 

This is our heritage: diversity. Those who collected our scriptures brought many stories, brought many names of God, brought differing viewpoints into the same collection. We are invited to learn from every voice in the scriptures and hear them as holy. Diversity isn't a new thing or a "bug in the system": it's built in as a standard feature in our scriptures. 

 

So this summer, we'll be exploring how we can learn from the diversity of voices in the Bible. We'll read texts, and we'll also be invited to offer up our own voices into the conversation. The time of the message will be not just thinking about the scriptures, but about doing some spiritual practice together as a community of faith. Because our practice of faith is not just about one person's thoughts: it includes the meditations of all of us here.

 

Rev. Andrew

 

Rev. Andrew will once again be filling in as worship leader 
while Rev. Beth is on sabbatical this summer, as he did last year. Rev. Beth will be on sabbatical June 23 - August 2

Summer hours! June 21-August 22:

Tue, Thu, Sun - 9-1

Please note the office will be closed on July 16.

Remote worship on Facebook and YouTube

Sunday Worship will continue to be livestreamed from the Sanctuary at 10 a.m. 
Use the link on the homepage of www.csccucc.org to access Sunday worship, or visit our Facebook page. Past worship services are also available in both places.

NEXT CABINET MEETING is

Wednesday, August 19, 7pm

 

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

 

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.

 

CSCC Deacons
Deb Sorgman – debsorgman at gmail . com

Anne Malmquist - amalmquist at comcast . net

Cristi Ciaramitaro

Stephanie Holmgren, Altar Deacon

Savannah Wells, Jr. Deacon

Liam O'Connell, Jr. Deacon

Talinn Muurisepp, Jr. Deacon
 

CSCC Care Team (July)
Bev Mitchell  *  Nina Gabel-Jorgensen  *  Deb Moore

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 (except holidays). 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 (office@csccucc.com) or phone (508-697-6016) and arrangements will be made for you.

Our new year team leadership!

CSCC Team Leadership 2026-27

Spiritual Engagement Team Leaders:

Deb Moore, Deb Sorgman, Eric Stotts

 

Congregational Engagement Team Leaders:
Natalie Muurisepp, Logan Muurisepp, Jeanne Roscoe

 

Property & Finance Team Leaders:
Patrick Donahue, David Hanson, John Sharland

 

Community Engagement Team Leaders:
Heather Ciaramitaro, Stephanie Holmgren, Drew Sullivan

 

VENMO!

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

 

Did you know that Venmo has lower fees to the church than Paypal? So if you can't decide which one to use, choose Venmo.

 

 

 

Coins for Kids Church

 

Don’t forget to bring your spare change for the Coins for Kids Church collection! This helps to pay for Kids Church supplies and teaching materials.


We normally collect it on the first Sunday of the month, but feel free to bring it on any Sunday!

 

Thank you to those who helped out with after-worship coffee hour from September through May. Your willingness to sign up for a Sunday or just pitch in at the last minute has been greatly appreciated. Fellowship time for July and August will happen if anyone wants to sign up and provide cold beverages. Light refreshments are optional. There will be signup sheets posted on the bulletin board nearest the kitchen in Fellowship Hall. 


Best wishes to one or two of you who may step up and coordinate coffee hour starting in September. I can help you get started and you will have my support. 
Connie Chandler

 

 

Welcome Lizzy!

Please join us if you are able for worship on Sunday, August 9, as we welcome Elizabeth Marquis to our church family through her baptism.

 

As we have done before, our church building will be open during the Bridgewater parade for use of our restrooms and to get out of the sun if needed, 9:30-11(ish).

 

March in the 4th of July parade!

Please come and join a group from church to march in the Parade on Saturday, the 4th of July. Wear your red, white,and blue! Meet either at the church at 9:15 and we'll walk over together, or go directly to Harrington Hall at BSU around 9:30. Parade steps off at 10:00. Call Jane for any info. 508-697-3602.

 

Budget Passed

The 2026-27 budget was passed at the annual meeting on June 14. It had several amendments to the original proposed version, all of which netted more revenue and no more expense. Scroll down for minutes of the meeting, and CLICK HERE for a copy of the full proposed budget.

 

 

Carol Chaffee and Terry Reynolds are leaving our church’s leadership this month, after years of service in many capacities. Carol served as a Congregational Team Leader and Fair Committee Chair this last year, and Terry served as a Community Engagement Team leader. This is in addition to all of the other contributions that they make to our church family. 
Thank you for your years of service, Carol and Terry.

 

 

Thank you to all who came out and dined at the Goat City Pub (or got takeout!) in May. You raised $312 for the church!

The Bridgewater Food Pantry at Central Square Church is looking for a local resident to train as the Associate Director for the Food Pantry. Must be personable with good communication skills, have good computer skills including Microsoft Excel, and be in good physical health with the ability to lift up to 50 pound bags of food. Hours include, but are not limited to, every Thursday from 9:30am until 1:30pm; first and third Wednesday from 8:00am to noon; first Monday of each month from 5:45-7:45pm; and to be on call to assist Bridgewater residents in need on an as-needed basis and spend lots of time preparing reports for our relationship with the Greater Boston Food Bank. This is a volunteer position that offers a chance to work closely with Bridgewater residents to assist them with meeting their need for food assistance. If you are interested in exploring this opportunity please call the church office at 508-697-6016 and leave a message for me on the food pantry line.
Jack Melcher
Food Pantry Director

August Book Study: Joyful Anyway by Kate Bowler

 

By sharing her personal experience and stories from some of our culture’s preeminent historians, philosophers, and religious scholars, Bowler presents an original and inspiring understanding of joy. This is a type of joy that is different from happiness, and it does not depend on resolving the things that make life difficult. Drawing on a decade of living with serious illness and a lifetime, as a divinity professor, studying America’s obsession with progress, she shows why the relentless pursuit of happiness may, in fact, keep us from experiencing true joy.


The concepts in the book will be the basis for discussion during the Picnic Table Outdoor Worship services on August 16, 23, and 30. Read the book if you’re interested, but even if you don’t, the topics will make for interesting and inciteful basis for conversation that all can participate in and benefit from.

The revenue from the annual CSCC Fair is slated to provide a full 25% of our fundraising budget in the 2026-27 fiscal year. $7,000 to be exact. And it is in need of a chairperson. 


Last year’s team did a great job, and we were truly fortunate to have them lead the event. But they are not renewing their commitment this year. There are some volunteers who participate and help coordinate different parts each year, and may again this coming year. And there have already been some individual offers to help. But one or two dedicated volunteers are needed to do the overall coordination and keep all the wheels turning. No longterm commitment is needed (after the November event date), and advice and written descriptions of responsibilities are available. 


Is this your calling for this year? Contact the Property & Finance Team or the church office for more information. We need you!

 

Thank you to Central Square Church for making it possible for me to attend this year's Church Office Professionals Conference. We enjoyed learning about healthy boundaries and self-care with Rev. Liz Garrigan-Byerly and participated in an outreach project supporting the Cape Cod Foster Closet. Thanks to our congregations generosity, we donated clothing, blankets, and $440 to this important organization. It was a wonderful opportunity for learning, fellowship, and service.
Jenne Foronjy

CSCC Office Manager

Did you know that CSCC has an Amazon wish list? CLICK HERE to view it. If you’re doing any Amazon shopping and might be willing to periodically add an item or two from the list for the church, that would be awesome! Or perhaps you want to make a separate order and have it shipped directly to the church. That’s great, too! The church office periodically reviews the item list and makes sure it reflects current needs of office supplies, coffee hour supplies, etc, so check back regularly.


Are you part of a team that is organizing an event at church? Let the church office know what you need, and it can be added to the wish list!
Thanks in advance for your generosity. And tell your friends!

“Community is the heartbeat of humanity, pulsing with love and support.”

• Our grand piano has a fresh look when not in use. Anne Chaffee’s legacy lives on as a new cover for this wonderful instrument has been purchased with funds from her estate. We celebrate the ministry that our piano creates, encourages and displays. It is worthy to be dressed to the nines. 
• Congratulations to Ashley (Earp) and JC Thompson, married at CSCC on May 31!
• Shoutout to Ed LeVine, Ashley Thompson’s father, for some cosmetic touchup of our front walk (without even being asked)! Thank you, Ed!

 

Do you have an important milestone in your family you'd like to share with the CSCC community? Perhaps a retirement (yay!), a birth, a new job or house, a passing? Let us share in these important moments in the life of our community together. 


Send your brief, one-line message to the church office at office@csccucc.com. If it's received by the 20th of the month, it'll be in the next Steeple Sounds. If it comes after, we'll save it for the next one.

What's new with you?

Welcome Rev. Andrew!


Rev. Andrew Heintz will once again be filling in as worship leader while Rev. Beth is on sabbatical this summer, as he did last year. Rev. Andrew is an ordained UCC minister and serves as a full time hospice chaplain and as associate pastor at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Newton Lower Falls. Andrew is passionate about helping people meet God in prayer and worship, entering the stories of our faith with creativity and imagination. Andrew received his Master of Divinity degree from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and his Master of Sacred Theology at Chicago Theological Seminary. Originally from Oxford, North Carolina, Andrew loves living in Providence, and he enjoys spending time in nature and playing music.

Rev. Beth will be on sabbatical June 23 - August 2.

 

 

Summer is Here!

Whatever you need for your summer activities,  we more than likely have it at the Central Closet Thrift Shop. Whether it's more summer clothing,  additional serving pieces, or games and puzzles. You might be pleasantly surprised. 


We will be open on Wednesdays only from 10 to 2 for the months of July and August, and donations will also be accepted at this time. Central Closet Thrift Shop will be closed on Saturdays. For church attendees, donations may also be dropped off Sunday morning before 10am church services. As always please,  clean seasonal items only. And please no more than 20 items at a time. We have very little storage space. 


We thank you all for you continued support in helping us with our mission to the church.
Connie, Sandy, Jane, Lynn and Gail 

CSCC Annual Meeting – Minutes (* DRAFT *)
June 14, 2026 at 12pm

Location: Fellowship Hall, Church

 

Reverend Beth Stotts: Prayer

 

Anne Malmquist, Moderator 

 

Minutes
1. Dave Hanson moved to approve the minutes from the 2025 Annual Meeting and the May 2025 meeting regarding Reverend Beth going to ¾ time.
2.    Eric Stotts seconded the minutes from the two meetings last year.
3.    All aye, no opposed or abstentions
4.    Minutes accepted 

 

Annual Report
1.    Moved by Reverend Beth
2.    Seconded by Heather Ciaramitaro
3.    Request for any questions regarding the Annual Report
    a.    A thank you to Jenne Foronjy for all her work and gentle nudging
    b.    Connie asked whether there was an increase in the North River Collaborative rental agreement as discussed at 
        the previous cabinet meeting. The answer is that it increased from 1500 to 1750 - addendum to be made in the             budget
4.    Philip - increase in rent will be in the budget report.
5.    Accepting Annual Report: all ayes in person, 2 online ayes
6.    Reverend Beth mentioned that there were 4615 devices that watched our online worship the past church year. A big         “thank you” to Paul for his continued service.

 

Budget
1.    Motion to accept budget as proposed
2.    John Sharland moved and Dave Hanson seconded
3.    Eric - question about the unpledged offering numbers.
4.    The Food Pantry will increase their donation to $250 a month.
5.    The North River Collaborative will increase $250 over their current monthly rent for an overall increase over the         year of $3000/
6.    The deficit will end up being $5000 which is a little less than last year.
7.    Miscellaneous fundraisers budgeted amount to 5k from 8k.
8.    The Church Fair committee resigned - we may be short 7k if we don’t have the Fair this year. To be determined.         Discussions are continuing.
9.    3% COLA increase for office staff and Reverend Beth.
10.    John Sharland - we made money in investments totaling 26k. With a balance of 16k as we used 10k of our investments         this past church year.
11.    Reverend Beth - We made $360 in the Goat City Pub fundraiser.
12.    Amend budget to include unpledged, food pantry and NRC increases 
Accept budget as amended
Moved by Eric Stotts
Natalie Muurisepp seconded 
All Ayes in person
2 Ayes online to a budget as amended at the meeting
[There were also 2 online No votes to the original budget as presented, separate from the Ayes noted above.]
Reverend Beth abstained

 

Accept the slate of officers (last page in packet)
Anne noted two corrections to the published slate of nominees.
1. Jenne Foronjy is not a CSCC member, and so cannot be elected as a Team Leader, although she is more than welcome to help out on the Community Engagement Team as much as she would like.
2. Jeanne Roscoe should be added as the third nominee to lead the Congregational Engagement Team.

 

This is the first time the slate is completely full since the Church changed its organizational structure. Big thank you to Terry Reynolds and Carol Chaffee for all of their hard work and dedication. Dave Hanson also thanked John Sharland for always being available to manage the day to day building issues as they come up. Anne Malmquist thanked the community and congregational teams for all their hard work. Discussion about the need for a Fair committee. Also mention of needing to create a Food Pantry working group/committee. Thanks were given to Patrick Donahue and Nina Gabel-Jorgensen for leading worship. We need more worship leaders for Reverend Beth’s off Sundays.

 

Connie Chandler mentioned that the Amazon wish list for office supplies should be updated to include more supplies.

Motion to accept
Carol Chaffee moved, Deb Sorgman seconded

 

Accepting slate as amended: All Ayes in person, one YES online, one NO online 

Motion to adjourn
Dave Sheibley moved to accept 
Franco Ciaramitaro seconded.
 

 

For the current CSCC calendar of events, click here: CALENDAR


 

Church Administration
Pastor: Rev. Elizabeth Stotts, csccpastor at hotmail.com

Office Manager: Jenne Foronjy, office@csccucc.com
Minister of Music: Julia Scott Carey 

Director of Video Evangelism: Paul Holmes
Treasurer:  David Sheibley 

Communications Coordinator: Diane Sheibley

Kids Church Director: Eric Stotts

Office email: office@csccucc.com
Office telephone:  (508) 697-6016
Website:  www.csccucc.org
Facebook pages: facebook.com/csccuccbridgewaterma (main page)

Instagram: @centralsquarechurch 

Venmo: @cscc-ucc


Steeple Sounds submissions deadline is the 15th of the month prior to publication.

 

Amazon Shopping!

Shopping on Amazon and feeling generous? Check out the CSCC Wish List, and drop an item in your cart for us! CLICK HERE to take a peek at our Amazon wish list. (Whether you buy these items at Amazon or at other stores, this is what we need!)