STEEPLE SOUNDS

June 2024

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

Beloveds,

We are in the midst of a mental health crisis in our nation.  Current research shows us that 1 in 5 adults are struggling with mental health issues.  That means that when we have 50 members in worship on Sunday, 10 of us are dealing with some sort of mental health challenge.  But we don’t really talk about it.  And maybe we don’t really know how to support those of us with these challenges.  Over the past few months we began forming a team to explore this more.  We have discerned that God is calling our congregation to do some work to educate ourselves and our community about mental health.  

The United Church of Christ Mental Health Network has a process for congregations to engage in education and discussions about Mental Health.  It’s called WISE.  A WISE Congregation for Mental Health focuses on how to be welcoming, inclusive, supportive, and engaged with those who are affected by mental health challenges.  

The United Church of Christ Mental Health Network works to reduce stigma and promote the inclusion of people with mental illnesses/brain disorders and their families in the life, leadership and work of congregations, synagogues, and organizations.

Through the process of becoming WISE, we will be offering discussion groups, book studies, guest speakers, workshops and trainings.  This fall we will are hosting the Mental Health First Aid training to our members and to the greater Bridgewater community.  Much like the Red Cross First Aid training, the Mental Health First Aid training is a day-long course that gives you a strong foundation in mental health, so you get a good understanding of the most common mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and psychosis, and know how to recognize if someone you know may be experiencing them.  But most importantly, it shows you what to say and do, to assist the person to get further help.

It’s important to keep in mind that no congregation can accomplish all that is needed to be welcoming, inclusive, supportive and engaged with and for those who are affected by mental health challenges.  It will be an ongoing process of building on what we learn and then continue with the process as the new frontiers emerge.  But when we feel ready, we will create a WISE statement and then vote on it as a congregation.  The vote itself is our intention to continue to do what is needed in our congregation to become WISE about mental health.

As of now our WISE Team includes myself, the Deacons, Steph Holmgren, and Heather Ciaramitaro but we would welcome other teammates!  Reach out to any of us if you’d like to get involved.

Yours in Christ,
Rev. Beth

* Summer Hours *

Week of June 2: Mon, Thu, Fri - 9-1

Beginning June 9: Tue, Wed, Thu - 9-1

or by appointment

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, June 19, 7pm

NOTE: This is the annual scheduling meeting.

Anyone wanting to put anything on the church calendar for the program year 2024-25 should contact the church office prior to the meeting.

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 at hotmail.com. 

CSCC Deacons
Deb Sorgman – debsorgman at gmail . com

Anne Malmquist - amalmquist at comcast . net

Savannah Wells, Jr. Deacon
 

CSCC Care Team
Carol Chaffee  *  Bev Mitchell  *  Rev. Beth Stotts  *  Nina Gabel-Jorgensen

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.

OPEN WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS, 10-1

We need your help - the thrift shop is getting busy. It's that time of year, when people are going to yard sales, estate sales, and thrift shops. Lots have found Central Closet Thrift Shop and are heading back for summer merchandise. A lot are bringing in donations with them. So whether you like to organize, display, or clean new items, or maybe just talk to people, YOU could be a huge asset to our shop.

Summer hours of the shop may change. We will be closed the first two weeks of July. After our vacation if we are able to reopen we will post our hours in the July issue of Steeple Sounds and online.

If you haven't signed up for our text message or email notifications, please do so we may keep you up to date by clicking HERE. 

There are always new items and sales going on in the thrift shop. Stop in often to take advantage!

Thanks to all for you support!

Connie, Sandy, Jane, Lynn, & Gail

Please plan on attending the CSCC annual meeting on June 9, which now encompasses the annual ministry reports, the budget meeting, and officer and team leader elections, as well as a constitutional amendment vote.

Lunch
We will start with some food and fellowship. Please CLICK HERE or contact the church office and let us know what you would like to bring for the lunch buffet.  We also need some volunteers to help clean up afterward. Here’s what’s needed:
• deli meat
• sliced cheese for sandwiches
• Rolls and/or sliced bread for sandwiches
• cut up fruit for fruit platter
• cut up or bite-sized raw veggies
• containers of lemonade or fruit punch
• cookies & brownies
• help with setup
• help with cleanup

CLICK HERE to sign up to bring something to the lunch.

Ministry Celebrations
The CSCC annual report draft will available on the website beginning Friday, June 7. Please review the reports,  and we will have time to celebrate the past year and share accomplishments and plans for the upcoming year. To find the report, click on the annual meeting link on the home page of the site. A link to it will also be distributed via email on that same date. 

Constitution Amendment
As we navigated the business of the church under the new governance structure this past year, the Congregational Engagement Team and the Spiritual Engagement Team noticed that there were many overlapping duties and responsibilities, so they have proposed, and the cabinet has approved, a merger of these two teams. We will have time for discussion and then vote on approving the proposal.

Elections
Next, we will vote on the slate of officers and team members. We still have several opportunities for members to serve these one-year terms. The following positions are open:
• Church Clerk
• Assistant Treasurer
• 1 Property and Finance Team member
• 1 Community Engagement Team member

Please prayerfully consider serving the church in one of these positions. The full slate of nominees will be available on the website prior to the meeting, and will be distributed via email on June 7.

Budget Vote
Lastly, we will vote to approve the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget proposal from the Property & Finance Committee is available by clicking HERE. Feel free to reach out to Dave Sheibley at treasurer @ csccucc.com with any questions that you wish to ask prior to the meeting.

Voting
Voting for the constitution amendment, the budget, and the elected officials will be available electronically and those votes will be added to the in-person voting that will take place at the meeting. Online voting will be available Friday, June 7, 9am, through Sunday, June 9, at 10am.

Participation in the annual meeting is an important role that we, as CSCC members, play in the life of our church. Thank you for the guidance, the inspiration, and the leadership that each one of you offers.

All of the above information plus all the links to documents and voting (when available) is available by clicking HERE.

You're Invited! 2 Flag Raisings

In the event of inclement weather, BOTH events will be moved to the library.
Events are sponsored by the Bridgewater Communities for Civil Rights (BCCR). Learn more about BCCR by visiting www.bccrcivilrights.org.

 CSCC Cabinet Meeting – Minutes
May 15, 2024 at 7pm

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 by Anne Malmquist, Moderator.

Cabinet members in attendance: Anne Malmquist, Moderator; Rev. Beth Stotts, Pastor; David Sheibley, Treasurer; Diane Sheibley, Clerk; David Hanson and Mark Sorgman, Property and Finance Team; Diane Glass, Community Engagement Team; Eric Stotts, Spiritual Engagement Team; Carol Chaffee, Congregational Engagement Team.

Diane Sheibley took attendance. Quorum was met.

Rev. Beth opened the meeting with a devotion and a prayer.

April Minutes
The meeting minutes from the April meeting were presented and reviewed. Dave Sheibley motioned to accept the minutes as written; Eric Stotts seconded. The minutes were approved as written.

Pastor’s Report – Rev. Beth Stotts
Confirmation Sunday and Pentecost is this Sunday. 6 youth are being confirmed. Trinity Sunday is 5/26. The church picnic is 6/2. The annual meeting is after worship on 6/9. Rev. Beth conducted Mike Bundock’s celebration of life. She also continues the process of becoming W.I.S.E. certified (welcoming, inclusive, supportive, and engaged). She video chatted with former member Elaine Henriksen. There is a field trip to the movie “Inside Out 2” on 6/23 with Rev. Beth and the WISE team.

Treasurer’s Report – Dave Sheibley
The last month or so we received some good donation amounts, some pledges, one big unpledged donation. We should be able to make it to the end of the fiscal year without withdrawing any more from the investments. We do need to look at paying for a new oil burner soon.

Community Engagement Team – Diane Glass
Had a meeting last Sunday; talked about opening the building on the 4th of July for people to use the bathrooms during the parade. Maybe will have a poster and/or QR code with information on what our church does. The food pantry report was submitted and included with Cabinet materials.

Congregational Engagement Team – Carol Chaffee
The “Tortellini with Frank” event was a success; Frank really enjoyed doing it. There was plenty of soup to share beyond the group of participants. They hope to host another similar event in the fall. The church picnic on 6/2 is being coordinated by Carol, Kathleen Mosher, and Rev. Beth. Worship will begin with prayers and communion, and then the congregation will proceed outside (weather permitting) for a potluck brunch, games, and fellowship. A shoutout was given to Carol for all her work on behalf of the Team this year.

Property & Finance Team - Mark Sorgman
Mark reported that the Team is moving forward with the school who is contracting with CSCC to use space in our building during school days. The contract is likely to bring in about $15,000 of revenue per year. The director of the school will be coming to the next cabinet meeting. Our thanks to John Sharland for all the work he has done on this contract. 

The 2024-25 proposed budget was presented. The budget proposal includes cost of living raises. The boiler is not in the operating budget, but needs to be replaced. Cost estimates are currently being procured. There currently is about $1,000 in the capital campaign fund that can be used. There is also about $20,000 in the parsonage sale fund. The music endowment will help pay the music salary this year. There is no fundraising plan to make up for the budget deficit. We should remind people that if they have to take money out of their retirement funds, it can be directly donated to the church fax-free. Maybe in the Fall we could have a “fundraiser fair”, with a “booth” for each type of fundraising activity/event, allowing people to sign up to help. There is currently no formal stewardship campaign. David Hanson is anticipating the work to fix the front walkway will happen in May.

Mark Sorgman made a motion for Cabinet to accept the 2024-25 proposed budget, with the addition of the school rental revenue line item, for presentation to the congregation. Eric Stotts seconded. The motion passed by majority vote.

Spiritual Engagement Team – Eric Stotts
Eric reported that we are almost done with the Kids Church year. There will be an ice cream party this Sunday. The Team met with the Congregational Engagement Team and discussed combining their two teams, as many responsibilities overlap. They proposed the combining of the teams, with 3-5 team leaders, and 2 voting members at Cabinet. There are three leaders interested, and they would be in search of two more.

Eric Stotts made a motion for Cabinet to approve a constitutional change that combines the Congregational Engagement Team with the Spiritual Engagement Team, for presentation to the congregation. Mark Sorgman seconded. The motion was approved.

Annual Meeting
The annual meeting is June 9, following worship. It will be a lunch, the celebration of ministries, the election meeting, and the budget meeting. There will be a signup genius for people to sign up for what they want to bring for the lunch at the annual meeting. Since the meeting is prior to the close of the fiscal year, the final treasurer’s report for the fiscal year will be added to the annual report in July for the final document. It will also be published in the August Steeple Sounds. 

Nominations – Anne Malmquist
Anne has been working on the nominations slate. The positions still in need of being filled: clerk, assistant treasurer, and someone to learn the financial secretary job, even if they don’t actually do it this year. Judy is ready to retire from it, but will continue for one more year.

Pickleball Tournament – Anne Malmquist
Inquiries and research continues. Terry is putting Anne in touch with someone who is involved in similar events.

June Cabinet Meeting
Newly elected as well as existing team members are encouraged to come to the meeting. It is the annual calendaring meeting. Diane requested that all known dates for the 2024-25 program year be submitted to the office by June 13 so that they can be prefilled on the calendar prior to the meeting.

Other business

• Summer office hours will begin June 1. They are Tue-Wed-Thu, 9-1.
• There will be a couple of weeks in July that the office will be closed while Jenne has shoulder surgery and Rev. Beth is on sabbatical.
• David Hanson offered to supply ice cream for the Kids Church ice cream party this Sunday.

The meeting adjourned at 8:20pm.