Ecumenical Dinner - St. Christopher Church

Saturday, March 6 - noon to 1:00 p.m.

Walk Through the Bible - March 12 and 13

Service Auction – March 27

5:00 p.m. Chowder and Silent Auction

6:00 p.m. Auction

Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday - March 28

Come and prepare for the holiest of weeks

Coming up in April

Maundy Thursday

April 1, 7:00 p.m.

Fellowship Hall

Holy Communion on the Night of the Last Supper

Good Friday Tenebrae Service

Friday, April 2, 7:00 p.m.

A service of Light and Darkness

Based on the Seven Last Words of Christ upon the Cross

Easter Sunday Worship!

8:00 a.m.    9:30 a.m.   11:00

Dear Members and Friends of First Parish Church—

I am excited to begin my ministry with you as your new interim senior pastor, and I am very much looking forward to meeting and getting to know you all as we begin this interim journey together!

The man who “wrote the book” (literally) on interim ministry, Robert W. Johnson, describes the interim period as a time of “…self-assessment and a time for visioning and recommitment to mission and ministry.  The congregation is helped to gain perspective on its past and to focus on its future.  The overall goal is to bring the congregation to a condition of health, unity, and readiness to move forward under the leadership of a new pastor."

Having been an intentional interim minister for the past eight years (and a settled pastor for over ten years before that), I can say with confidence that it is possible to do all the things Rev. Johnson speaks about in the quote above — to move through the interim period and emerge healed, unified, and poised to grow and thrive as a congregation!  Is it always easy?  No.  Does it take some work?  Yes.  Can the process involve some joy and laughter?  Definitely yes!!

But, you may ask, why am I so confident that it is possible to move through an interim period and thrive?  Not just because I read it in a book.  Not just because I’ve seen it happen first hand in a number of churches.  Most importantly, I know it’s possible to move through an interim period and thrive because God is with us on this interim journey.  (I know you already know that -- because I read it in one of Rev. Linda Hirst’s recent sermons :-) --  but I thought it was well worth repeating.)

I’ve been re-reading the gospel of Luke as part of my own “spiritual reading” for Lent, and I’ve been struck again by how many times it says that the Holy Spirit was with the people in times of transition.  In the opening chapters alone we are reminded that the Holy Spirit was with:  Mary, the young mother of Jesus, as she prepared for the birth of her child; with Elizabeth, an older woman who was Mary’s cousin and soon to be a new mother herself; with Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband, who was a clergyman serving what he thought was just routine duty in the temple, but it turned out to be anything but routine; with Simeon, a devoted lay person who was approaching the end of his life; with Anna, an elderly widow and prophetess who worshipped expectantly every day; and, of course, with both John the Baptist and Jesus as they each began their respective ministries in the wilderness.

As the Holy Spirit was with each of them, lay and clergy, young and old, men and women, prophets and “regular folk,”  so we can trust that the Spirit will be with all of us at First Parish in this interim time — thanks be to God!

With grace and peace,

Rev. Marlayna

Thoughts from Linda

God speaks to us in so many ways.  Some of us hear God directly, urging us to do one thing or another, but most of us I think hear God through friends; those people who know us well enough to see God in us and around us and aren’t afraid to tell us where they see God leading us (or not leading us!)  Lent is a time of reflection and inner searching to see if we’re living out our faith like God wants us to; and while some of this can be done on our own through meditation and prayer, it helps to pray and study and pray some more with others.  Here at church we have many different ongoing book groups and bible studies to help us on our Lenten journey - why not join one (or more) of them this spring?  We have:

Men’s Bible Study - Mondays at 7 in the Parish House

Lenten Book Group – Wednesdays at 7 in the Parish House

(Reading Max Lucado’s book 3:16)

Women’s Bible Study - Wednesday mornings at 9 in Linda’s office

Thursday Book Group – 1 p.m. in Linda’s office – “Leap Over a Wall”

By Eugene Peterson

Thursday night Bible Study - at  Susan Brindle’s home 363--O372

And if you can’t make one of those and are interested in starting another, let us know!  The journey is often easier and more meaningful when we travel it together.

See you in church!

Linda Hirst

“Celebrate America”  - Friday, March 5 at 8:00 p.m.

Tim Janis’ new show “Celebrate America” will air on New Hampshire PBS on Friday, March 5 at 8:00 p.m.

Ecumenical Turkey Dinner - Saturday, March 6 at 12 noon

The Annual York Ecumenical Turkey Dinner will be held on Saturday, March 6 at St. Christopher's Church from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m.  The dinner is free and all area residents are welcome!  Each church is asked to provide six cooked, sliced turkeys, 10 pies, and volunteers to help set up, serve, and clean up. Turkey should be cooked, sliced, and delivered in a disposable pan (without juices). Please deliver turkey and pies to St. Christopher's by 9:00 a.m. Saturday (March 6).  Hundreds of meals are served at the church, and meals are also delivered to those who cannot attend. If you would like to donate turkey, pies, or volunteer your time, please call Anne Monks at 451-7409.  If you would like to have a meal delivered, please call the church office at 363-3758.  If you cannot deliver the turkey or pies to St. Christopher's, please contact Janet Cassidy 363-4237 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  We will be happy to pick them up and deliver them to the church. Thank you!

Hospice of York - March 8 - 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. - 12 week course

Hospice of York Spring Volunteer Training will begin Monday, March 8 from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. and run for 12 weeks.  Meetings are held at J.S. Pelkey Funeral Home in Kittery, Maine.  These meetings are open to all interested people, completion of the course does not commit anyone to becoming a volunteer.  There is a small fee of $30.00.  Please call Dee Bickmore at 363-7000 to register.

Lenten Book Study - March 10, 17, 24

A group will be meeting during Lent to read and discuss 3:16 by Max Lucado.  This Scripture from John is a meaningful passage leading up to Easter.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  The group will meet in the New Parish House at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, March 10, 17, and 24.  If you would like to join us, please call the Church Office to order a copy of the book. s/Charline Ludgate

Leap Over a Wall – March 11 at 1:00 p.m.

“Leap Over a Wall” by Eugene Peterson will be the next Thursday afternoon book study.  Beginning March 11 at 1:00 p.m. in Linda’s office – stop by or call the church office to get the book.  Cost is $12.

“Walk Through The Bible” - March 12 and 13

The world’s most popular Bible seminar is coming to First Parish.  On March 12 and 13, we  will offer the “Walk Through the Old Testament”, the entertaining interactive learning presentation that helps people absorb – and remember – the key characters, geography and major themes of the entire Old Testament. Floors are turned into maps, the characters come alive and the stories are presented in just six hours – from 7:00 -9:00 p.m. on Friday and 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Saturday – enabling you to master a survey of the Old Testament, even if you have very little prior Bible knowledge. Everyone is welcome. The cost is $20 per person, which includes the accompanying book that is yours to keep. To register please contact the church at 363-3758.

One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) Sunday - Sunday, March 14, 2010

A special envelope is enclosed with your newsletter.  Through One Great Hour of Sharing, United Church of Christ members reach out in the name of Christ to build sustainable communities, respond to disaster, and minister to refugees.  The partnership we share with nearly 6,000 United Church of Christ congregations across the United States and Puerto Rico is where this remarkable miracle connecting UCC members to the world truly begins. The UCC annually channels more than $3 million dollars through One Great Hour of Sharing to humanitarian needs in the world.  Your donation in the OGHS envelope should be made out to First Parish Church.

Coffee Hour Hosts - First Parish Church Committees

Have you noticed that Nancy Viele has been working her magic by scheduling COMMITTEE members to host coffee hours the last few months?  This is a great way for you to learn more about the various committees and what they do for our church.  On March 7th, the first Sunday our Interim Senior Pastor, Marlayna Schmidt will be leading services with Linda, the Interim Search Committee will be hosting Coffee House.  Feel free to give this hard working committee a huge round of applause for a job well done and for their dedication to First Parish Church.  Now let's see if they can bake!

Welcome Table at Coffee Hour

Our Welcome Table is working!  Many of you have stopped by to pick up a calendar of events or a free picture directory, to ask a question, or to just say Hi, and we are delighted!  We will be adding a bulletin board (the table's too small for all we want to tell you) and are happy to post information from other committees.   We've received inspiring "Hopes and Dreams for our Church" and look forward to reading more.  And as we had hoped, the table is giving first time visitors a place to stop, to learn more about our church community.  We ask for everyone's help to make visitors attending our church for the first time feel truly welcome.  If you see someone you don't recognize, introduce yourself and invite them to join us at Coffee Hour to share refreshments and learn more about us.  If you are interested in volunteering at the Welcome Table, call the church office and we will happily call you to schedule a Sunday that works for you. s/The Welcoming Committee

The Nurturing Program

A program of the Child Abuse Prevention Council of York County - needs some volunteers to help cook and serve a meal one Thursday between now and April 1st.  A family meal is served between 5-5:30 and feeds 30 adults and up to 20 kids.  The Nurturing program is a series of weekly workshops for families designed to build healthier relationships and is held every Thursday at Village Elementary School in York.  If you and some friends or your family would like to help please contact Debbie Duross at 207-985-5975.

Women’s Fellowship Upcoming Events

March 6 - 9:30 a.m.

Beth Moore series

March 20 - 9:30 a.m.

Beth Moore series

March 26/27

Women of Faith Meeting at Derry, NH

Speaker - Sheila Walsh

April 3 - 9:30 a.m.

Beth Moore series

April 10 - 9:30 a.m.

Beth Moore series

April 17 - 9:30 a.m.

Beth Moore series

April 24 - 9:30 a.m.

Beth Moore series

May 1 - 9:30 a.m.

Beth Moore series

October 15/16

Colonial Market in Fellowship Hall

December 4

Wreath & Greens’ Sale in Fellowship Hall

York Food Pantry - Items needed in March

Thank you so much for your continuing support.  If you pick up an extra item or two while doing your weekly shopping it would be greatly appreciated.   Items may be left in the narthex of the church on Sunday morning or at the church office during the week.

First week: -------paper towels canned soups laundry detergent

Second week: --toilet paper canned tuna hand soap

Third week: ------sandwich bags canned vegetables shampoo

Fourth week: ----toilet paper canned fruits toothpaste

Fifth week: -------kleenex canned meats dish detergent

Welcoming Celebration Coffee Hour and House Parties

for Rev. Doctor Marlayna Schmidt

The First Parish Church Interim Senior Pastor Search Committee is hosting a coffee hour to welcome our new Interim Senior Pastor, Rev. Doctor Marlayna Schmidt, following her first service on Sunday, March 7. The committee hopes that all those who attend Marlayna’s first service on March 7 will join us for this welcoming celebration in Moody Hall.

In addition to this coffee hour, members of the Interim Senior Pastor Search Committee are hosting house parties to welcome Marlayna. If you are interested in attending a house party please call the Church Office to sign up for one of the welcoming parties listed below. Each house party will accommodate up to 30 individuals on a first come first serve basis. The house parties are scheduled from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

March 11, 2010 - Thursday

Tim Fitzgerald/Christina Cassotis

1 Ash Lane, York

332-0899

March 16, 2010 - Tuesday

Jamie and Keri Harrod

105 Agamenticus Ave., Cape Neddick

363-2653

March 23, 2010 - Tuesday

Ed Forbush, Kathy McQueeney, Heidi Oliver

14 Brave Boat Harbor Road, York - Home of Pam Pavuk

363-3489

March 24, 2010 - Wednesday

Nancy and Dan Boucher

170 Josiah Norton Rd., Cape Neddick

361-1589

March 25, 2010 - Thursday

Susan Brindle (Bible Study Group)

5 Linden Lane, York

363-0372

Thanks. Tim Fitzgerald

Youth Mission Trip Service Auction

We are down to crunch time and need all gifts, contributions and donations turned in by Sunday, March 14.  You may put your service auction donation form in the offering plate, see me at coffee hour after church on Sunday morning or call me at home, 363-4711.  Thank you so much for your continued support.

s/Dick Lalley

New Orleans Mission Trip - Saturday, June 19

Would you like to join the 7th group mission trip to New Orleans? Despite the fact that Katrina devastated the New Orleans area five and a half years ago, there remain thousands who are still not in their homes. There is a job for volunteers from skilled to unskilled.

We plan to leave on Saturday, June 19 and tour the area Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Our work week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. The trip has been a very rewarding one to approximately 65 workers from First Parish.  For further information, please call Sue Sullivan at 384-2180

Thank You Notes

Dear Friends,  My sincere thank you  for all the prayers, visits, cards and the beautiful flowers I received during my long stay in the hospital. Your thoughtfulness certainly helped bring sunshine to my days.

God Bless, Joan B Melhorn

Souper Bowl of Caring - Thank you everyone for your generosity on Super Bowl Sunday.  $376. was raised for the York Food Pantry that Sunday.   A total of $6,648.12 was collected by 6,693 churches and groups that day – what great news! What great giving!

Dear Friends,  The poinsettia you gave me for Christmas is still beautiful.  Thank you for it and the many cards and D.V.D’s.

Sincerely, Ellen Tufts.

Thank You All, I want you all to know how much the farewell celebration meant to me. It was a day I'll never forget! Thank you to all who carefully and thoughtfully planned the celebration. Thank you to all who came, all who spoke and all who sang. And thank you for your many expressions of kindness and gratitude. The gifts were extremely generous and greatly appreciated! The thank you book from the children and the memory book from the adults are priceless. We're getting settled in here North Andover. The congregation has been very welcoming and affirming. But we miss you!  Blessings to you always.

Much Love and Gratitude, Rich (and Alisa, Ben, Sam & Maddie!)

Christian Education News

Christian Education Update

Reminder:  The CE Committee will be sponsoring our Annual Lenten Pancake Supper at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 4th.  Take a night off from cooking and bring the whole family for food, fun and fellowship.  Donations will be accepted.  Can't wait to see you there!

Once again, the Church School is in need of snacks.  The CE Committee will be placing another board with snack supply requests out during coffee hour.  Please keep an eye out for it.  In the meantime, we are always in need of 8 oz. cups, goldfish crackers, pretzels, graham crackers, apple juice, lemonade mix and cookies without nuts.  Thanks for your continued support of our Church School needs!

Don't miss out on Church School on Palm Sunday (3/28)!  We will be having a special combined grade activity during our usual Church School time.

Lastly, just a reminder that all of the offering collected from the kids at Church School goes to support our 2 Compassion International Children.

Youth News

K-Klub - for 5th & 6th graders

K- Klub is going swimming Saturday, March 6 at the Portsmouth Pool!  Meet at church at 1:30.  We’ll swim from 2:00 - 3:30 and be home shortly before 4:00 p.m.  Only thing you need is a bathing suit!  RSVP to the church at 363-3758!

Junior High Youth Group

Jr. High Youth Group – is going Roller Skating Friday, March 19.  This is an evening event!  Look for the flyer in the mail or call the church for more info!

Sr. High Youth Group

Sr. High Youth Group is now meeting weekly!  Join us Sundays from 5:00-6:30 p.m. for all kinds of good things!  No need to RSVP – just show up and bring a friend! Also.  .  .the Service Auction on March 27 is the biggest fundraiser of the year for those going on the Mission Trip.  If you have a “service” to auction off just contact Jen Barrows and to sign up to help at the Auction, contact Sandy Ramsey!

AMIGOS - American Mission in Grace Offering Sustenance

It's bucket time again.  The children of Honduras need our generosity more than ever this year.  During the political turmoil in their country over the past year millions of dollars in aid were cut off.  The schools and government clinics were closed for much of the year.  Children who relied on school lunches as their one meal of the day went hungry for much of the time.  A new president has been elected and the country is on the road to recovery.  Each bucket of food that we send will provide a child with lunch for 30 days.  The cost to you is $10.00 for the bucket which pays for shipping and then the cost to fill the bucket.  For $60.00 we will fill the bucket for you.  We will provide you with a list of food for the bucket and the directions on how to pack it.  Please consider filling a bucket for a hungry child.  We are also collecting multivitamins, tylenol, ibuprofen, Tums, cough syrup, etc for the Clinica Kalachucha in Concepcion del Norte.  If you are unable to fill a bucket we will also be collecting pencils for the children as many children in Honduras are unable to afford even a pencil or paper to attend school with.  Thank you for your generosity.  s/Nancy and Randy Eaton

CLYNK Bags

This is a reminder to fill your CLYNK bags and bring them to Hannaford’s, who, in return, send the remittance to our local Food Pantry.  CLYNK bags may be obtained at the Church Office, in the Pilgrim Room of Fellowship Hall, or in the Narthex of the Church.  Thank you for participating in this wonderful program.

s/Carol Macdonald

Attendance Numbers

Date Attendance

-------------------10:00

Jan. 31 ----------281

Feb. 7 -----------259

Feb. 14 ---------263

Feb. 21 ---------293

In Memoriam

Eleanor Morrill

1922 - 2010

New Diaconate Members

We welcomed seven members to the Diaconate and elected officers at the meeting of  Feb.16, 2010.  Craig Smith, Jay Barrows, Karen Peterson, James Harrod, Sherry McConnell, Kathy Carter and Windol Weaver were welcomed and Per Jonas will continue as scheduler, Charline Ludgate secretary, Ray Cromwell treasurer and Ed Forbush Senior Deacon.

Don Bernier expressed gratitude to the new members and elegantly emphasized the importance of the Diaconate in the operation of our church and wished them well.

Linda Feeney read the devotional and the treasurer’s report was given by Don.

1. $3218.00 was raised in a single special offering for Haiti relief.

2. The Mission Committee’s budget was reduced by $1250.00 because of low endowment benefit.

3. The Deacon’s unanimously  passed a motion to transfer $1000.00 from the Deacon’s Fund to the Mission Committee to use at their discretion.

4. The Deacons expressed gratitude to two anonymous donors that donated a total of $5,000.00 to the Deacon’s Fund.

5. Unused funds, previously approved for consultant services, will be returned pro rata to the Deacons, Assessors and the Pastor’s

Discretionary Fund from which it was granted.  The Church Fund will receive $843.00.

The Deacons provide financial support for college students that have completed one semester of college.   The Book Fund has awarded Ali Roschewski and Molly Carl $250.00 each.

Linda has been  more than busy during the “in between time” and has had help from Jim Carter and other parishioners with pastoral support, met with the interim minister and is helping toward a smooth ministerial transition.

Jamie Harrod and Ed, who served on the interim search committee, indicated that the committee felt strongly that Marlayna, (the new interim minister), would meet the needs of our church well.

“Scrunch Time”

The Diaconate celebrated the need for closer seating during the one service.  Linda said she would try in the announcements to tactfully encourage people to provide space for others.  It was agreed that the one service provided a strong sense of fellowship and that the single service would continue until conditions caused it to change.

The Diaconate discussed the updating of our membership lists.  Previous review of the list left 113 members that have not participated in any church activity for two years.  Bylaws indicate that no participation for two years creates an inactive membership (but definitely still a member of the church). A motion passed to contact inactive members asking them for assistance in meeting their wishes about active/inactive membership status.  A letter will be sent to those we are able to locate requesting their interest.

Future Deacon’s meetings will be from 7:00-8:30  (March 16, 2010)

Ed closed the meeting with prayer

Assessors’ Notes

The board of assessors held its regular monthly meeting on February 9th, 2010. Bob White, Dan Peabody, Jeff McConnell, Mark Vilinski, Liz Kinzly along with Pastor Linda Hirst and Ray Hamlin were in attendance.

Financial Report

Ray Hamlin, Treasurer, presented the financial report year-to-date ending 01/31/10.   The budget is in the positive $17,189.93 which is nearly identical to the budget ending 01/31/09.  In both years, the operating fund benefited from members prepaying their yearly pledge, $13,000.00 has been prepaid in 2010.  The financial report was accepted.

The Mission Trip Fund is currently held in a bank account at Sanford Institution for Savings (SIS).  Two debit cards associated with the account are used while on the trip to pay for trip expenses such as gas for the vans.  Ray suggested that payment for the rest of the Mission Trip expenses should be done out of the Treasurer’s Office. A motion was to approve the transfer of the Mission Fund excess money from SIS to the Treasurer’s Office was unanimously approved by the Assessors.

Linda mentioned that while on the mission trip there were often expenses that were most easily paid for by a credit card. She requested the Assessors to give consideration to reinstating the use of Church credit cards by the ministers. After discussion, a motion was made and approved to allow the ministers to have a Church credit card.

Interim Minister:

After discussion, the Assessors voted to authorize a one year salary of $85,000.00 for Marlayna Schmidt, interim senior pastor. The contract contains an option for an additional six months. The $85,000.00 is the interim pastor’s total compensation including expenses. This salary is included in the 2010 budget being presented at the annual meeting.

Pastor’s Report:

It’s busy! Linda informed us that confirmation class has started and, there have been weddings and multiple funerals in the past few weeks.  Everything is going very well.

Rich’s Memorial Gift and Celebration Fund:

The cost of Rich’s memorial gift clock was $2018.75. The motion to approve the purchase and use the Parish Operating Fund to pay for the gift was passed; Dan recused himself from the vote. (The purchase of the clock had previously been approved by the Assessors by email vote but not included in our meeting notes.)

The Diaconate had provided $500.00 for Rich’s celebration fund and Christian Education provided an additional $150.00. The total cost of the celebration, however, was $991.22. The $341.22 remaining was authorized by the Assessors to be paid from the Parish Operating Fund.

Church Computers:

Linda requested that consideration be given to purchasing a laptop for her to use at home for Church business.  After discussion, it was recommended that Jeff ask Andy Noel to complete a review of all the Church computers, including those in the Treasurer’s Office as well as the expected needs of Rev. Dr. Schmidt.

Fall Festival

After reviewing a proposal for a Church committee to run a replacement festival for Harvestfest, the Assessors, after discussion, voted unanimously not to proceed with the proposal.  The festival would be a huge undertaking for the Church with significant liability issues.  A motion was then passed indicating that the Assessors are receptive to reviewing a business plan from the Village Business Association which would provide for a Colonial marketplace type festival that could provide First Parish with $1000.00 or more reimbursement for use of Church property.  Bob White will be the point person for contacting the Village Business Association regarding the festival proposal.

Respectfully submitted,

Dan Peabody Chair, Board of Assessors’

The Upper Woodlands Cemetery

Now is the time to consider purchasing pre-need cemetery lots.  Please call, Chick Willilng at 439-1157, to make an appointment.

Rev. Marlayna

Rev. Marlayna’s days in York will be Sunday (of course!), Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.  She will work at home (in Beverly, MA) on Thursday and Saturday, and she will take Mondays off.  Her “formal” office hours will generally be:

- Tuesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. and again from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

- Wednesdays from 9 to noon; and

- Fridays from 10 to 2 p.m.

If you would like to see her and those times don’t work for you, just give her a call and she’d be happy to schedule an appointment at a mutually convenient time!   If you can’t reach her at the church office, try her cell phone:  978-807-8310.

Committee Meetings

Christian Education - Saturday, March 6 at 8:30 a.m.

Assessors’ Meeting - Tuesday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Diaconate Meeting -  Tuesday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m.