THE EPISTLE
Volume 16 Issue 2
OUR CHOIR’S LENTEN MUSIC
During this season of Lent, the Chancel Choir will
be singing Traditional African-American
Spirituals—anthems paired with the sermon series
focusing on Faith and readings from Hebrews.
This focus on faith and spirituals will culminate
with the choir’s special music presentation on
April 17th (Palm Sunday): “Jubilee” by John
Leavitt, a collection of six spirituals arranged for
choir, piano, string bass, and percussion.
“For some it may seem odd to sing spirituals
during this very somber season of the church’s
year, but to those who suffered and were
persecuted during times of slavery, the journey
toward freedom was often intimately associated
with Israel’s journey out of slavery and
deliverance into the Promised Land.”
-Pastor Michael Costello, Grace Lutheran
Church, River Forest Illinois
“Lent is not an easy time. It is a time for us to
stretch ourselves. Stretching or lengthening our
lives can involve a lot of pain and ‘death.’ But
even more important than pain and death is faith.
We need faith to believe that as we experience the
ashes of life, life can and will rise from those
ashes. Liberation awaits us. Freedom calls us
throughout Lent.
Spirituals offer the opportunity for all of us to look
at the ashes of our existence. We are called to
identify with Jesus as the Suffering Slave. As we
meditate on Jesus, we are called to be change
agents in this world. These spirituals provide deep
FEBRUARY 24, 2011
insight into the hearts, minds, and souls of a
people, who like us, struggle to make sense of
suffering and the promise of new life. May
these spirituals aid our journey as we struggle
with what it means to be a people of God.”
-Excerpt from “Never Said a Mumbalin’
Word: Lenten Meditations on the
Spirituals” by Mark Francisco Bozzuti-
Jones
Any good cook knows that it is all in the
preparation. An enjoyable meal comes from
good preparation. What is true of food is
equally true of our spiritual lives. The
season of Lent gives us an opportunity to
“strip” down to the essentials and to prepare
ourselves for the celebration of Easter. As
we worship, learn and serve together, we
find that we grow in our faith. You are
invited to partake of the “feast of Lent”.
Make it a positive discipline to worship, to
learn and to serve.
ASH
WEDNESDAY:
March 9
6:30 PM: Meager
Meal
7:15 PM: Ash
Wednesday Worship
with Holy
Communion
 2 THE EPISTLE

SUNDAYS IN LENT
Sermon Series: “By Faith”
March 13: The Faith of Noah
How do we have faith in things not yet seen?
Hebrews 11:1-7
10:30-Noon beginning Ash Wednesday,
March 20: The Faith of Abraham
March 9
When faith means taking a risk, how do we “The gospel in life: grace changes
respond? everything”
Hebrews 11:1, 8-22 In the Snow Room

WEDNESDAY HOLY COMMUNION

March 27: The Faith of Noon in the Snow Room
Moses
How does our faith affect
the choices we make?
Hebrews 11:1, 23-28

April 3: The Faith of the Israelites

How do we persevere in our faith?
Hebrews 11:1, 29-40

April 10: Jesus, the Perfecter of Our Faith SPIRITUAL HOUSECLEANING

How does the way of the cross define our faith? There is a whole new industry which
Hebrews 12:1-2 helps people to organize their stuff. If we
are honest, most of us have too much stuff.
This came home to me when I read that the
April 17: Palm Sunday storage industry is on the rise. When you
Choral Presentation run out of space in the basement or the attic
“Jubilee” or under the bed, you can rent a storage
John Leavitt unity to take care of the overflow! I’m
reminded of the man in the gospels who was
going to build bigger barns. A lot of us are
now trying to pare things down to
manageable levels, to get to the essentials in
our closets and cellars and attics. Such an
exercise is good for us and when we do it
we feel better.
 3 THE EPISTLE
What is good for the body is also good for
the soul. Lent is a time for spiritual
housecleaning; a time when we try and pare
things down to the essentials. Our Sunday
worship service is pared down and simplified,
with some time for silence and spaces for
more prayer as we seek to connect to the
loving God who created us and who came to
the world in Jesus because he loved us so
much.
Lent is a time for spiritual resolutions;
resolutions to be more regular in worship; to
participate in a Lenten small group and to do
your part in helping to fill a “spring break
bag” for Cameron Community Ministries. In
order to do this you might need to get rid of
some extraneous things and concentrate on
what is really important.
One of the things that is crucial during Lent
is that word faith. On the Sundays of Lent, we
are going to be looking at it in a sermon series
entitled: “By Faith. This series is based on the
Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament,
particularly the eleventh chapter where a
number of Old Testament heroes are used as
examples of faith and it ends in the central
figure of our faith Jesus Christ. Each week, is
focused on a very practical question regarding
faith: How do we have faith in things not
seen? When faith means taking a risk, how
do we respond? How does our faith affect
the choices we must make? Amid life’s joys
and difficulties, how do we persevere in our
faith? How does the way of the cross define
our faith?
I invite you to join me during this season of
Lent on a journey of faith which will lead us
to a deeper relationship with our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
Your Pastor,
John
REACH OUT IN
WELCOME
Don’t be shy! If you see someone who you do
not know, or perhaps whose name you have
forgotten, be sure to reach out to them with a
warm welcome. At the conclusion of worship
warmly greet those who are sitting near you in
the sanctuary and be sure to invite those you see
to fellowship time and adult forum following
worship. Fellowship time is an opportunity to
connect. Don’t always talk to the same
people. Move around and especially seek out
those who seem to be by themselves.
Remember what the book of Hebrews
reminds us:
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to
strangers, for by doing that some have
entertained angels without knowing it.”
-Hebrews 13:2
BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
MORNING CIRCLE
The Morning Circle will meet on March 8 at
10 AM in Fellowship Hall. At 10:45 AM,
Pat Anderson will speak to us about the
Ronald McDonald House of Rochester.
EVENING CIRCLE
Evening Circle will gather in Fellowship
Hall on Monday, March 14th, at 7 PM for
treats, fellowship, and to work on fleece
blankets that will be donated to children in
need. Please bring a good pair of scissors
and join us! Any questions, please call
Norma Harrington or Carol Moran. Hope to
see you there.
 4 THE EPISTLE
A few years later it moved from Carlisle to York
where it remained for eight years. In 1835 the school
“WHEELS AND MEALS” moved again to Mercersburg. While it was there a
young man born and raised just outside of town,
A reminder that the Board of Deacons will named James Buchanan was attracted by the
provide transportation and meals for our Mercersburg school, especially by the preaching and
teaching of the seminary theology professor, John
members and friends. If you need a ride to an Williamson Nevin. When Buchannan settled in
appointment or could use a meal, please call Wheatland near Lancaster, he found a small school
your Deacon or Jerry Thompson, Deacon called Franklin College. It had existed since 1787
Chair. and had been named for one of its financial
benefactors. Buchannan set about creating Franklin
and Marshall College. It opened its doors just before
Buchannan was elected President of the United
States. Nevin became its first President.
The seminary moved to Lancaster in 1871, where
its classes were housed in F and M’s Old Main for
Looks like
twenty years before the present campus was begun.
spring is going
From these small beginnings the seminary has grown
to arrive after
to a student body of 175 enrolled in three graduate
all. Hopefully
degree programs with a faculty of 14 full-time
you have not let
professors and a library of150, 000 volumes. As well
winter keep you
as educating clergy, it offers a number of special
from doing your
educational programs that attract 2,500 clergy and
favorite things.
lay leaders and youth each year.
The Board of
The roots of our Reformed tradition have always
Missions is not
encouraged diverse ecumenical and interfaith
letting winter slow us down. This past Sunday we
relationships. Lancaster Seminary reflects this in the
initiated our first “Missions Moment”, when Alison
student body that includes more than twenty
O’Malley presented Safe Journey’s mission to our
Protestant denominations as well as Jewish and
congregation. Safe Journey’s slogan is: “Breaking the
Roman Catholic students.
cycle of violence one person at a time.” Alison
As our regional United Church of Christ seminary,
followed up in our Adult Education session with her
we have over the years supported its work of
own moving story that led to her involvement in Safe
educating ordained and lay for ministry and mission,
Journey as a volunteer and eventually becoming
through contributions from our Board of Missions
executive director. She informed us that Safe Journey
and Outreach.
has many opportunities for volunteer involvement. If
A sure sign of spring is that we will soon enter
you are interested in volunteering for Safe Journey, feel
Lent. Missions has been involved in this year’s
free to contact Sue Bickel our Safe Journey liaison
community service project in conjunction with
from the Board of Missions.
Cameron Community Ministries (CCM). CCM
Each month we dedicate part of this column to an
services families in the Lyell-Otis area of Rochester.
organization this church supports. This month we
Supporting school- age
focus on The Lancaster Theological Seminary. John
children after school hours is
Cedarleaf contributes this month’s piece.
one of the programs that
Lancaster Theological Seminary in Lancaster
CCM provides. During
Pennsylvania is one of the UCC related seminaries that
vacation periods, many of
educate clergy for the United Church of Christ as well
these children go hungry
as for other Christian churches. It began its life as the
since they are not
Seminary of the Reformed Church in the United State.
participating in their school’s
The Reformed Church in the United States, often called
Free and Reduced Lunch
the German Reformed Church was one of the forebears
Program. CCM fills this gap
of the United Church of Christ.
annually by providing food
The seminary did not begin its life in Lancaster, but
bags (assorted groceries) that
rather at Carlisle Pennsylvania where it opened its
will sustain a child for the week that school is out.
doors at Dickinson College in 1825, with one professor,
This year we are supporting this effort and have
five students and a library of around 200 books.
pledged to fill those food bags-all 120 of them! The
 5 THE EPISTLE
sign-ups sheets are already posted in Fellowship Hall.
On February 27th we will sponsor our annual Lenten
Kick-Off Event at 5 p.m. with a potluck supper. Our
culminating activity will occur Sunday April 10th when
we will have a celebration luncheon where we hope
everyone will join in helping stuff these bags.
If you have nothing else to do on Tuesday March 1st
at 7:30 pm, Sebastian Maroundit, (one of the local Lost
Boys From Southern Sudan), will be presenting an
information session on his non-profit organization,
“Building Minds in Sudan” in Fellowship Hall.
Sebastian’s mission is to help restore schools in
Southern Sudan that were destroyed during that
country’s civil war. Now that Southern Sudan has
successfully seceded from Sudan, there is a strong
interest in building a viable education system. Sebastian
would like to start with his own village and is looking
forward to sharing his experiences with us. We hope
you will be able to join us.
As I am writing this piece, coincidently there is an
article on the front page of today’s Local Section of the
Democrat & Chronicle featuring Sebastian Maroundit
making a presentation at an area church. For more
information on “Building Minds in Sudan”, you can
look it up on the internet at: buildingmindsinsudan.org.
I understand the weatherman is promising some
tantalizing warmth in the coming days; a tease I am
sure, but we will take it.
Thank you again for all your continued support for all
the organizations we support.
Submitted
Ted Avgerinos
FAMILY NEWS
LENTEN PROJECT 2011:
Let’s Send Hunger on Spring Break!
It’s time to turn our attention to Lent and how we
will observe this church season – as an individual
and as a congregation. Please consider joining a
small group of 10-20 people to meet weekly for
study, spiritual growth and deepening the sense of
community within the church. Through a
curriculum called, “Gospel in Life,” participants
will focus on how the gospel can be lived first in
one’s heart, then in one’s community, and finally
out into the world. Participants will need to
purchase a study guide for $9 each. Sign-ups for
various small groups are posted on the rolling
bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. Small group
meetings will begin the week of March 6.
Kick-Off Event – Feb. 27
Mark your calendars for a Lenten Kick-Off
event on Sunday evening, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m.
We’ll begin the evening with a potluck dinner,
followed by a church-wide viewing of the first
DVD lesson and lively discussion. Sign up in
Fellowship Hall. Bring a dish to pass and your
enthusiasm!
Mission Project
The First Congregational UCC is teaming up
with Cameron Community Ministries to make
sure that kids in the Lyell-Otis neighborhood of
Rochester don’t go hungry this Spring Break.
While our kids might say, “I’m going to Florida
for Spring Break,” these inner-city kids are
literally going hungry. They rely on the free
lunches provided by their school to get through
the day. During vacation weeks, these meals
aren’t available.
As part of our Lenten Project this spring, we are
hoping to fill a Spring Break Food Bag for each
child in Cameron Community Ministries’ after
school program. You can help by signing up to
bring in needed food items or by making a
financial donation. (Financial donations will be
used to replace worn or outgrown school
uniforms for these kids.)
Needed food items are listed on a bulletin board
in Fellowship Hall. All food items must be
delivered to the church by Friday, April 8.
Checks, made out to “Cameron Community
Ministries,” may be placed in the collection box
also in Fellowship Hall or delivered to the
church office.
Bag-Stuffing Celebration Sunday – April 10
Join us for a pizza lunch and bag-stuffing party
after Christian Education on Sunday, April 10 in
Fellowship Hall. We’ll fill 120 food bags, so
they will be ready for delivery the following
week.
Let’s journey through Lent together!
 6 THE EPISTLE
FAMILY BOWLING EVENT
March 5 at 1 PM
See the Bulletin Board for Sign-up and
Details!!
NEWS FROM OUR YOUTH
HELP SUPPORT THE YOUTH
MISSION TRIP !!!!!!!!!
ANNUAL SPAGHETTI
& MEATBALL DINNER
Sunday March 20; 5:00 & 7:00
PM seating.
$6 for Adults, $4 for children 11 and under.
Purchase tickets after church in Fellowship
hall.
YOUTH MISSSION TRIP NEEDS
YOUR HELP!
Our youth need to raise $10,000 to cover the
cost of the mission trip. We are looking for
silent auction items for the upcoming
Spaghetti dinner on March 20. If you have an
item or service to offer please sign-up on the
rolling bulletin board in fellowship hall or call
Brian Sherry at 233-1010.
The senior high students will again be
confronting world hunger by joining
teens around the world to participate
in the 30 Hour Famine. The famine is
sponsored by World Vision. For
twenty years now World Vision's 30
hour famine has been challenging
students to go without so others can
eat. It is working too. Since 1992 the
total number of kids who die each
day- most from preventable causes
like hunger, poverty and disease-has
fallen from 40,00 per day to 24,000.
During the famine the students not
only experience hunger, but learn
about hunger and poverty in the
world. They also fund- raise and do
mission projects. Most importantly
they help save lives. Over the past
three years our students have raised
over $4,000.
The tentative date for this year’s 30
Hour Famine is April 1-2.
 7 THE EPISTLE
VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY
OPPORTUNITIES
HELP MAKE LUNCH!
Salem Soup Kitchen Volunteers will be
carpooling to Salem to help make lunch for
those in need. The
carpool will leave the
church’s parking lot at
9:15 AM and return mid-
afternoon. Dates for this
volunteer opportunity are:
March 29, April 26 and
May 31. Please join us!
BEAT THE WINTER “BLAHS”
On Friday, March 25th, 2011 at 6:00 p.m., Advent
House will be holding its annual Dinner Dance
and Auction at the beautiful Casa Larga Vineyards
in Fairport. Ginny Ryan from Channel 13 will be
the Master of Ceremonies and Carol Ritter Wright
will be
conducting the
Live Auction.
There will also
be hundreds of
exciting items
that you can
bid on in our
Silent Auction.
Music will be
provided by
“After Five” for your dancing pleasure. Tickets
are $90.00 per person and can be obtained by
calling Advent House at 223-6112. We hope you
will consider this lovely social event which
supports such a good cause within our community.
Many of you know that Advent House is a home
for the terminally ill that has been serving our
community for the past 20 years. There is no
charge or insurance reimbursements received
from the residents that we care for…our funding
comes from fundraisers, donations and grants.
So, come and be a part of the fun for a worthy
cause within the Fairport community! We look
forward to seeing you on the 25th!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
On Saturday, May 21st, Fairport will again
host the American Cancer Society’s Relay
For Life. Our “Cruising For A Cure”
overnight event will be held at the Perinton
Community Center. This event brings our
community together to celebrate, remember
and honor people and families affected by
cancer. Do you have a group of people
(neighborhood friends, Bonco group,
bowling/softball team) who have an interest
in creating a team? Join us at the official
kickoff for this event that will be held on
Saturday, March 5th at 11 am at the Perinton
Community Center.
Fairport’s Relay For Life has been given the
special opportunity to be part of a research
study called the Cancer Prevention Study –
3 (CPS-3). Men and women between the
ages of 30 and 65 who have no personal
history of cancer can join this historical
research study. By joining CPS-3, you can
help us understand how to prevent cancer,
which will save lives and give people more
of their most precious resource: time. More
time with their families and friends, more
memories, more celebrations . . . and more
birthdays. For more information on the
Fairport Relay For Life or the CPS-3 study,
please contact Nan Notar or Stacey Mulley.
 8 THE EPISTLE
STEP BY STEP - OUR CHURCH’S ACS
RELAY FOR LIFE TEAM
Our church will again assemble a team, Step
By Step, for this year’s Fairport American
Cancer Society Relay for Life which will be
held May 21-22 from 6 pm to 7 am. We
encourage you to be part of this community
event. The goal is to raise $111,000 for our
local American Cancer Society. Much of the
funds raised over the past years has been
given for Hope Lodge, located at Colgate
Divinity School. Hope Lodge and Hospitality
House provides free lodging to cancer patients
and caregivers and low-cost lodging to
transplant patients and their families receiving
lifesaving treatment at hospitals in the
Rochester area. from home" offering a
comfortable and supportive environment for
encouragement and healing. Please see Nan
Notar or Stacey Mulley if you have an
interest in joining our team.
GVA GRANTS
Did you know that in 2010 the GVA (Genesee
Valley Association of the New York Conference
UCC), your church's parent organization, will
provide a total of over $17,000 in grant monies to
14 different organizations serving people all over
the region? You probably wouldn't have known
unless you were lucky enough to serve on the
GVA Program and Mission Support Committee
(GVA PAMS) and given the opportunity to review
applications from such diverse organizations as
Church Women United, Salem Nutrition Center,
and Snack Packs for Kids, and then privileged
to take part in allocating funds in support of
these and other worthy projects.
This year we received 11 applications for
funding in 2011, down from the previous year.
In order to reverse that trend we are enlisting
your help in spreading the word, so that
additional qualifying programs know to apply.
If you volunteer, donate to, serve on the board
or are otherwise active in an organization that is
engaged in the work of the church, is a mission
or service to the wider community, provides
church revitalization training, advocates for
social change or is a new start-up project
mission sponsored and supported by at least one
UCC church, that organization may qualify for a
grant through the GVA PAMS Committee.
The average grant is around $1000 and in
most cases is intended to be short term (3 years).
Applications for the following year are sent out
in the spring and must be completed and mailed
back by late June to be received by the July 1st
deadline. Applications may be requested by
contacting gvaucc@frontiernet.net or calling
585-334-4373.
Another under used funding source is the Faith
Mission Venture Scholarship program.
Scholarships are available to assist individuals
in participating in church exchange missions
and other faith based ventures. Applications are
also available by contacting
gvaucc@frontiernet.net or calling 585-334-
4373.
OUR CHURCH FAMILY
THANKS!
We are ever appreciative and thankful for the
prayers, support and cards for Carol. She
mentioned several times she felt the strength
from them. She is now amongst God's LIGHT
and LOVE and I know she is adding to yours.
A memorial service is now planned for March
11th at 4 pm at Third Presbyterian Church, 4
Meigs Street, Rochester, NY
Joan and Tom Bigelow
 9 THE EPISTLE
2010 PLEDGE STATEMENTS
2010 Pledge Statements are now available for
pick-up in the Library Area of Fellowship
Hall. If you can’t come into church, please
call the church office and it will be mailed to
you.
SATURDAY NIGHT
EVENING WORSHIP
SERVICE
March 5th at 5 PM
Ever feel like sleeping in on Sunday
mornings? Interested in worshiping God in
new ways? Try our new “Come As You Are”
Saturday evening worship service! This
casual service will warm your heart and help
you connect with God in new ways. Our plan
is to offer a monthly Saturday evening service,
with each one featuring a variety of music and
worship traditions. We hope you join us to
discover life’s blessings in disguise!
DID YOU KNOW….
The new tax law, signed by President
Obama on December 17, 2010, revives the
tax break for people who transfer required
minimum IRA distributions directly to
charitable organizations.
Effective for both the 2010 and 2011 tax
years, the law allows anyone 70 ½ years or
older to make an outright charitable gift of
up to $100,000 directly from their IRA to a
qualified charity without paying income tax
on the distribution.
Check with your tax or legal advisors
about the best ways to take advantage of this
giving opportunity.
Excerpt from “Employee News & Views”
Published by the Pension Boards of the
United Church of Christ
REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Bill Cobb, Grand Vie, Caring House
Barbara Eaton, Perinton Park Manor
Charlotte Jackson, Fairport Baptist Home
Shirley Sumner, Perinton Park Manor
Dwight and Mildred Turner, Fairport Baptist
Home
Les Warren, Fairport Baptist Home