THE EPISTLE
Volume 15 Issue 5
We had a snowless March, early warm
weather, then cold, rain and sun. Today is
sunny and the temperature by the end of
the day will be 80. Tomorrow we will have
our first chicken bar-b-q of the season
and a week from Monday is Memorial
Day. Summer is on the way!
In the life of the church summer is an
interesting time. As the weather gets
warmer and the sun shines more, there is
a tendency to take advantage of the
opportunities for recreation and be out of
town or out in the woods or at the lake on
the weekends. This means that the
Sunday gathering for worship is smaller
than during the rest of the year. The choir
takes a two month sabbatical. Christian
education classes take a break and there
is a more laid back feeling to Sundays.
We reflect this change of pace in a
number of ways on Sundays. We simplify
our worship space for the months of July
and August. The brass candle sticks and
candelabra are removed. The candelabra
MAY 27, 2010
stay out for the summer and the brass
candle sticks on the Lord’s Table are
replaced with wooden or pottery ones.
Communion ware moves from silver to
pottery.
This is the “Green Season” (the time
after Pentecost) which stretches all the
way to the beginning of Advent. Green
is a restful color and so we want our
worship space to reflect this, as we
seek to draw closer to God.
Our liturgy for the summer will also
reflect this simplicity. We will begin with
a familiar festive hymn and greeting and
then move directly to the children’s
message, the prayer of the day and the
word. While we order our worship by the
church year and follow the common
lectionary, summer time gives us a bit
more flexibility. Are there topics or
issues or questions that you would like
addressed in the sermon? If so, I would
love to hear from you. Just speak to me,
or e-mail me your suggestions. On the
Sundays we celebrate Holy Communion
we will have only one communion
station and the communion liturgy will
be simplified. We will also use various
“statements of faith” other than the
Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds.
Summer time gives us an opportunity
to enjoy “special music” while the choir
is on vacation. We always look forward
to this special time. If you would like to
participate in worship by singing, or
playing an instrument, please contact
 2 THE EPISTLE
our choir director Sarah Frook and let he
know.
The care of visitors is very important
during the summer months as this is the
time that people often visit churches.
Make sure that if you see someone you
don’t know that you greet them warmly
and invite them to remain for fellowship
time. Many of us travel during the summer
months and so we will offer at each
summer service a blessing for travelers.
I hope that you will enjoy a wonderful
and refreshing summer. Enjoy your family
and friends, but remember that we
continue to gather for the most important
thing that Christians do and that is to
worship God in spirit and in truth.
Your pastor,
John
SUNDAY WORSHIP
SUNDAY WORSHIP DURING
JUNE
June 6: Confirmation Sunday
I Kings 17:17-24
Galatians 1:11-24
Luke 7:11-17
June 13: Graduate Recognition Sunday
Our high school seniors will help to lead
worship. Amy Hamill will preach.
June 20
Isaiah 65:1-9
Galatians 3:23-29
Luke 8:26-39
June 27
I Kings 19:15-16, 19-21
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62
ADULT EDUCATION
Bill and Joanne Cala to speak
During Adult Ed Sunday, May 23
William Cala is the president of Joining
Hearts and Hands, Ltd., a non-profit
organization working to fight AIDS and
poverty in Kenya. Along with his wife
Joanne, Joining Hearts and Hands is
rebuilding schools and providing
scholarships for secondary school students
in villages in the Lake Victoria area of
Kisumu. Prior to his involvement in Africa,
Dr. Cala was the superintendent of the
Fairport Central School District in Fairport,
New York, a suburb of Rochester.
BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
UPDATES
COUNCIL
EVENT
PLANNED!!
The Rummage Sale is
coming! The Rummage Sale is coming!
Mark your calendars and clean out your
closets for this bi-annual fundraiser
scheduled for September 30, October 1, 2,
2010. Volunteers are needed to head this
great event and help sorting and pricing sale
items. Contact Crista Deniz (388-5952 or
denizca@frontiernet.net) if you are willing
to help.
 3 THE EPISTLE
THE ELDERS ARE ASKING---
HAVE YOU SEEN ME?
I am a pottery Communion plate – 15” in
diameter with a brown mottled shiny glaze
and the words “This do in Remembrance of
Me” etched around my outer rim. I went
missing around the beginning of February –
right before Ash Wednesday. I’m not where
I’m supposed to be- either in the Elders closet
or the Altar closet- and I’m not in the kitchen
cupboards or the utility closet either. If you
know where I am, would you please report my
whereabouts to either Pastor Cedarleaf or
Elders Chair Toni Thompson? Thanks!!!
BOARD OF FAMILY MINISTRY
Sponsors
Graduation Sunday on June 13th
Join us on Sunday, June 13 to recognize
our six high school graduates. As a
congregation you have supported them
throughout their years at this church. Now
please help us as we celebrate their
achievements and pray for their new
endeavors. The graduates are Becky Allen,
Lydia Gruber, Amy Hamill, Kevin Jones,
Mitch Meraw, and Marshall Strong.
The Board of Family Ministry is hosting a
special coffee hour in honor of our graduates.
EVENING CIRCLE
Evening Circle’s last meeting of the year will
be Monday, June 14, with our annual picnic.
Location is Cathy Steffen’s house. Starting
time is 6:30pm. Please bring a dish to pass and
your place setting. A heartfelt thanks to
Norma Harrington and Carol Moran for their
willingness to be the chairpersons for next
year evening circle. Thank you so very
much. Norma and Carol are asking that you
bring ideas for programs for the year 2010
to 2011. Ideas and thoughts will be shared at
the picnic. See you there!!
ENDOWMENT
I heard on the radio a few minutes ago that
May is “National Make a Will Month.”
While I consider that a little hokey, I wanted
to remind members of our congregation to
consider leaving a legacy to your church via
your will.
Whether creating a new will, or revising
your current will, we hope you will consider
a donation to the First Congregational
Church Endowment Fund.
Nancy Keith
Chair, Endowment Committee
MISSIONS CORNER
Missions held its final meeting of the 2009-10
year last week and paid tribute to Dee Jackson,
Beth Maybee and Gary Maybee for their
contributions to Missions during their terms.
Dee Jackson served as our treasurer, Beth
Maybee as our secretary and Gary as our
communications coordinator. We also reviewed
our accomplishments during the past year and
realized that we had moved forward on many
fronts. We had established liaisons to all the
organizations we sponsor, developed guidelines
for giving, enhanced communications to the
congregation, sponsored Lenten community
service projects, and maintained a host of
ongoing activities including Community
Dinners, Hillside Christmas Gift Giving,
Perinton Food Shelf donations, Community
Christmas
 4 THE EPISTLE
Baskets, Habitat For Humanity (see more about
HH below), and helped out monthly at the Salem
Nutrition Center.
At the meeting we also decided to take on a new
challenge by helping out the Salvation Army as it
already is looking forward to the Christmas
Season. It will shortly be sponsoring its Christmas
in July program in which we have agreed to
participate. Stay tuned for more news about this
endeavor.
Each month we also spotlight one of our
sponsored organizations. Randy Clark is this
month’s contributing writer and liaison to Habitat
For Humanity. Many of you are probably familiar
with Rochester’s Flower City Habitat For
Humanity which is part of a world wide effort.
Habitat For Humanity (HH) is a non-profit
ecumenical Christian housing organization
building simple, decent, affordable housing in
partnership with people in need. HH has built over
350,000 homes around the world, providing more
than 1.75 million people in 3,000 communities
with safe, decent affordable shelter.
The Ecumenical Ministries of Perinton sponsors
Perinton Contregations Habitat For Humaniity.
We are one of several faith-based groups in
Monroe County which raises funds and recruits
volunteers to build homes for Flower City Habitat,
a non-denominational Christian housing ministry
welcoming people of all faiths to help eliminate
substandard and poverty housing in Rochester.
Flower City Habitat has built or renovated more
than 150 homes in Monroe County and is one of
the largest affiliates for HH International in the
northeastern United States.
The Perinton Congregations Habitat has built four
houses since 1998. The most recent house was
built in 2008. 114 volunteers worked 45 days to
complete Perinton Habitat’s portion of the work
on the house. The goal is to build the next house in
2011. Each ranch style house cost approximately
$120,000 to build of which the Perinton
Congregations donates $65,000. If you would like
to help out with this next house, contact Randy
Clark for more information.
In closing out this year, I would be remiss if I did
not thank the entire congregation for all of your
heartfelt generosity to make our church’s
missions so successful. This generosity came
despite some dire economic times, not to
mention the financial needs of a new church
roof. I would also like to thank all the members
of the Board of Missions for their time and
effort in making our year so successful. We say
a sad good bye to Dee Jackson, Beth Maybee
and Gary Maybee and also extend a warm
welcome to new members, Whetherly
Gharzzouzi, Eileen Slocum and Melissa
Tieslink. It has been my pleasure to have served
as Chairperson, and we look forward to another
year of missions accomplished.
Ted Avgerinos, Chairperson
FAMILY NEWS
Mission Trip Update
This summer 5 adults and 16 students will be
headed back to Hurricane, WV to attend the
sixth annual Reach mission trip. In preparation
there will be a MANDATORY meeting on
Sunday, June 13 following coffee hour. This
meeting is for students and parents. The
participants will be receiving important
information regarding transportation, packing,
contact information, etc. Please notify Karen
Hamill if you are absolutely unable to attend in
order to schedule another meeting time.
Fairport Canal Days are June 4-6. As in past
years, the mission trip participants will be using
the church parking lot for Canal Days parking.
This is our biggest fund raiser of the year.
There is a sign up sheet for working at Canal
Days parking on the youth group bulletin board.
Reach participants and their parents are
encouraged to sign up and work. Call Brian
Sherry with any questions.
 5 THE EPISTLE
Confirmation Sunday is June 6
Please join us in welcoming and
congratulating Sarah Hoover and Brianna
Sherry as they are
confirmed on June
6, 2010. They have
studied hard and
completed several
volunteer projects
this past year. Both
girls will also be
attending the Reach Workcamp Mission Trip
for the third year this summer.
Church school classes will be on summer
break from May 30 – September 5. Classes
will resume on September 12. Nursery care
will be offered all summer. Children’s Chapel
will also be offered all summer except May
30, July 4, and September 5.
COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
PEACEMAKERS
Peacemakers is a summer experience for
children born before December 1, 2006 or
not yet in kindergarten. It is a mixed-age
developmental program of summer fun and
play for urban and suburban children with
an emphasis on peacemaking skills. Class
size is limited to 18 children per session.
There are two 2-week sessions:
Monday to Friday 9:00-11:30 am
Session 1: July 12-23
Session 2: July 26-August 6
Sessions take place at the Perinton Nursery
School which is located in the Mountain
Rise United Church of Christ, 2 Mountain
Rise, Fairport.
Interested: Contact Suzanne Gangemi at
223-2433
Peacemakers is sponsored by Mountain Rise
United Church of Christ

Interested in an Interfaith League of

CALLING ALL GRADUATES! Co-Ed Softball?
If you are graduating
from high school or Bethlehem Lutheran Church is exploring the
college, we would like to possibility of getting one going. If you are
include your interested, please contact Jim Flanagan at
announcement in the 223-2129 or Jim.Flanagan@kraft.com.
church’s newsletter and
bulletin. Please submit
your name, where you
are graduating from and
a brief description of
what your future plans are. Please turn your
write-ups into the church office by June 7, 2010.
 6 THE EPISTLE
CHURCH WOMEN UNITED
Event: Church Women United's June Program
and Picnic In The Park
"Human Rights and Wrongs for Women"
featuring speaker Julia Day, Regional Director of
NYS Division of Human Rights
Date/Time: Friday, June 4, 2010, 9:30am to
12:30 pm Picnic lunch provided.
Place: Brighton Town Park, Carmen Clark
Lodge , 777 Westfall Road
SAFE JOURNEY
It's United Way Pledge Time again! Please
designate Safe Journey, United Way donor
designation #2326, on your employee pledge card
this year and your gift will support an outreach
ministry of our church that is helping women and
children break the cycle of domestic violence.
Safe Journey is holding a Women's Wellness
Event and "friend-raiser" at The Pitcher of Health,
672 Pittsford-Victor Road, Bushnell's Basin on
Thursday, May 27th from 7-8:30pm. Please join
us for an inspirational evening celebrating
women's health and healing and learn more about
Safe Journey too. This fun and relaxing event will
feature guest speakers discussing meditation and
bodywork, nutritional supplement and cosmetic
product demos, lite refreshments, raffle prizes
(featuring jewelry and personal care/pampering
products), and more. Bring a friend and get one
free raffle ticket. Great fun for a great cause!
RSVPs appreciated.Call 425-1580. If you have
any questions, please feel free to contact me.
There is no fee for attendance. Thanks in advance
for your assistance!
Alli O'Malley, Executive Director
585.425.1580, www.safejourney.org
Volunteers Needed At Advent
House
Advent House in Perinton is a hospice-type
home for people with a terminal prognosis of
three months or less, who for various reasons,
cannot be cared for at home. It is an alternative
to a hospital or nursing home. We provide a
peaceful and caring atmosphere where a
Resident and their loved ones may spend their
last days together. Our support of the surviving
family continues for at least thirteen months.
There is a warm welcome for volunteers at
Advent House; without them we simply could
not operate. We hope you will consider joining
us. Please review the various opportunities:
Resident Care -- Two volunteers per
shift care for our Residents as you would a sick
friend or loved one at home; giving total
physical and emotional care. We provide full
training with backup support at all times.
Time commitment - one 4 hour shift- weekly or
every other week; minimum one shift per
month. (Overnight shifts are 8 hours)
Bereavement -- Our Resident care-
givers "follow" close family members for at least
thirteen months after the death of their loved
one.
Housekeeping -- Presently we have
housekeepers, but we do need substitutes for
when they are on vacations.
Property--general maintenance, snow
shoveling, lawn cleanup, outside maintenance,
etc.
Fundraising - Our GARAGE SALE is
coming up (August 27 and 28), and we
will especially be needing strong help for
furniture hauling from May through
August (trucks are needed too). We also
need sorters, carriers and generally
energetic people for the pre-sale weeks.
Thank you for your interest in Advent House.
Please or call us at 223-6112 visit our website
(theadventhouse.org) if you are interested in
becoming a volunteer.
 7 THE EPISTLE
OUR CHURCH FAMILY REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS

Congratulations to Barbara Eaton, Perinton Park Manor

newlyweds, Krista
LaVeck and Jay Charlotte Jackson, Fairport Baptist Home
Blanchard who were
Les Warren, Fairport Baptist Home
married at our church on
May 1st. Pastor John
Cedearleaf officiated.

NEXT EPISTLE’S
WELCOME TO THE NEW ARRIVAL!
Grace Emmeline Preston was born on May 2,
2010. She was welcomed by her happy
parents, Kathy and Chad Preston, and her
proud big brother, Evan. She is also the
granddaughter of Carole Preston.

Our Christian sympathy is extended to

William Cobb and his family with the passing
of his wife, Barbara
Cobb. She died on
May 14, 2010 at the
Fairport Baptist
Home. A memorial
service will be held
for her on May 28,
2010 at 2 PM at our
church.
Barbara was a long-time member of the First
Congregational Church, joining in 1937.