Pastor’s Message
God is good! All the time!
CANDLELIGHT –JUNE 2021
Hello Beloved Children!
We have been blessed by beautiful weather the past two months and are enjoying being outside in the Garden. While our sanctuary is serene, there is nothing else like sitting outside, feeling the breeze, hearing the birds chirping, and smelling the fresh air. And if Sunday morning is too challenging for you, come anytime and enjoy our space.
It was wonderful to welcome new members and visitors this past month. One family felt welcomed by our pride flags, another family was invited by one of our members, another person had been reading about us in the paper and decided to give us a visit. We plant seeds in many ways, I hope you will share your faith with others. In a time of confusion people are looking for hope, acceptance and peace. Maybe we can help and share God’s love.
As we resume some of the activities of 2019 and earlier, I hope you will find time for the ministries of our church. We need each other and God needs us to come together to serve others in need. We do not expect any more than you can give, just don’t sell yourself short, you have much to offer that God can use for creating the beloved community here on earth. Please call Pastor Liz if you have any questions. (cell 203-240-3325 or email pastor@ccnf-ucc.org)
Blessings and peace,
Pastor Liz
Moderator’s Report
CANDLELIGHT – NOVEMBER 2022
2022 keeps rolling along, and as we enter fall and the changes that come with it, I’d like to look back on what has happened so far, and what is still ahead for our church. Pastor Liz continues to provide wonderful spiritual guidance, with timely messages that connect us to the mission and calling we all find in our church. And we were blessed with mostly great weather for our outdoor services over the summer and early fall and now continue indoors for the coming Advent season.
Summer saw the return of our Summer Play, with an awesome production of “Peter Pan.” Carl and Betsy do a fantastic job putting these shows together and provide a wonderful opportunity for the children in the community to experience performing in live theater shows. This was their 25th Summer Play, and they received a Proclamation from the Town of New Fairfield recognizing this great contribution they make to our community every year. In addition, its also a major fundraiser for our church, contributing $7,000 to our General Fund this year alone.
And speaking of finances, our Church is blessed to be financially healthy again this year, due to pledges and donations from our Congregation. Our Stewardship drive begins this month, and we would humbly ask for your pledges to be submitted in a timely manner. Give what you feel is right and remember that our Church thrives not just from your financial donations, but also from your donations of time and talent. Thank you for the support you can provide to our Church.
We also installed our new Nominating Slate, with several members stepping up to take on new roles on our church teams. There are many groups and activities that wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers. I would like to remind everyone that the Congregational way is to keep all decisions local, but with local control comes the responsibility of managing our church functions and missions through our various teams and by doing the little things that often aren’t seen. We are very thankful for those who continue to serve our church, as well as the many new faces that have stepped up to join our teams. If you are interested in joining a Team, please contact Pastor Liz or myself.
Respectfully submitted,
Brian Johannssen, Moderator