As we approach October, which is stewardship month, we are focused on the need for our church family to make pledges to support our programs and personnel. But what items are NOT reflected in the operating budget? The many non-cash contributions of members and friends have a large impact on our annual budget.

How many volunteer hours are spent each year by our congregants and others outside of our church? We made some estimates, and the number is approximately 13,000 hours. That translates to 250 hours every week. 250! This sounds incredibly high, but when we start listing each board and committee, the hours quickly add up. What if we had to pay staff to do these tasks? It certainly would increase our budget.

In what other ways do volunteers support our church? The church is supported with tangible goods: treats for Sunday Fellowship Hour; cookies for Community Suppers; thousands of pounds of donations to the Food Shelf at HOPE; books, crafts, jewelry, soup, and pies to the annual bazaar; among many other donations.

Thank you to each of you who volunteers their time and donates goods. The church’s work could not happen without you. If you want to learn about the volunteer opportunities that serve our church and community, please attend the Open House after church on Sunday, September 15.

—Budget Team Co-chairs Michele Brown (michelelbrown59@gmail.com) and Erika Garner (garnersvt@gmail.com)

After worship on Welcome Sunday, September 8 at noon, please come out to Churchill and Janet Franklin’s farm (564 Cider Mill Road) and start the program year off with the youth of our church!

Everyone is invited! The Boards of Christian Development and Membership will be grilling hot dogs, hamburgers, and veggie burgers, and will provide drinks and desserts. Please bring a side dish or a salad (and a serving utensil) to share.

If you've been before, you'll know this is a perfect place to share a meal and catch up. Picnic tables will be out near the barn, and maybe you can find a chair by the pond. (Sorry, no swimming or zip-lining though!) In the event of rain, we'll just set up inside the barn and leave the grillers to fend off the raindrops! Bring your own plates and utensils if you are able.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

The upcoming Open House on September 15 will feature a wide array of volunteer and social activities at the church, including representatives from each of our six boards: Christian Development, Deacons, Membership, Missions and Social Concerns, Pastoral Care, and Trustees. 

Our church boards meet monthly throughout the year and dive deeply into supporting the life of this church. Board members serve a three-year term, though shorter time frames are occasionally available. Every fall, the Nominating Committee begins their work finding 3 to 5 new members for each board, and these volunteers are voted into their roles at our church’s Annual Meeting in January.

If you are interested in learning more about board service, please come to the Open House on September 15 or reach out to Annie Moore-Cox, the chair of the Nominating Committee. We look forward to seeing you there!

We will be having an informational meeting for anyone considering joining our church on September 22nd after worship. We will be receiving new members to our church on September 29th.

Contact Pastor Andy for more information.

Hello Church families!

Welcome back to our 2024–25 Church School year! I am looking forward to journeying with you and your families this new school year and year of life as part of our Middlebury UCC Community.

A few important dates and some changes:

• Sunday, September 1, 2024 – Communion Sunday, Big Meeting Launch. We are starting something new this year on Communion Sundays: we will be holding a one-room BIG MEETING for all school-aged kids. We will start out as we usually do in the service. Following the passing of the peace, the children will be dismissed to Unity Hall where we will hold our Big Meeting. We will return to the worship service as Communion is being prepared and remain in the service for the duration. Kids are encouraged to join us at Big Meeting, but they can also choose to remain in the sanctuary with their families.

• Sunday, Sept 8, 2024 – First Day of Church School and Welcome Picnic Church School begins September 8. Classes will be PreK–2^nd grade, taught by Stacia Greene; 3rd–5th grade taught by Rik Poduschnick; and we are still recruiting a 6th–8th grade teacher. If you are interested in helping or being a backup for any classroom, please notify me and I am happy to tell you more!

• For all new and returning families: please complete the registration form online so we have the most updated information for your children and your families. If you forget to do so, I will have some paper forms that you can complete on the first day of church school as well.

Following church, EVERYONE is invited to the Franklins’ home in Cornwall for our church-wide Welcome Picnic from noon to 2:00. Burgers and hotdogs are provided; please bring a dessert or side to share. 564 Cider Mill Rd, Cornwall.

As a reminder, the nursery will continue to be open and staffed every Sunday from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m., so please register your little ones as well.

We look forward to a blessed year ahead. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns, comments, or suggestions.

Blessings,

May Poduschnick

Our Friday night Community Suppers continue to grow. We have a core group of volunteers who serve our guests. But we need more! The commitment is only about 2 hours on Friday night and as frequent or infrequent as you want. The work is not hard but so important: set tables, serve food, clean up afterwards. 

We believe it’s not only important to make sure our guests are fed but that they are greeted warmly, listened to, and given a place to make connections. We try to make sure they leave knowing that there is always a special place for them at the table. Interested? See Deb Farnham (802-233-1283) or Dottie Neuberger to get signed up. Thank you!

Have you noticed?  The nursery has been full of babies and little tots on Sunday mornings this spring! If you are as excited as we are about the recent increase of young families in our congregation, and you would like it to continue, please consider helping in the nursery. 

The nursery is staffed by two (paid) youth workers and two adult volunteers. We need to expand our volunteer pool to accommodate the wonderful addition of little ones we are enjoying. If you are at least 18 years old and available to be in the nursery during worship once every 4–6 weeks, please contact Robin Bentley on the Board of Christian Development at rbentley05@gmail.com

A new program year is about to begin, and with it comes the return of our Green Team! Our first meeting will be on Tuesday, September 3, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom, and all are welcome to join us. We are looking forward to a new year exploring our covenant as a Creation Justice Church and making plans for the month ahead.

Our first church-wide event is a special guest presentation by Rabbi Jay Michaelson on Sunday, October 20, at 11:30 a.m. Dr. Michaelson is a writer, journalist, rabbi, meditation teacher, keynote speaker, and scholar of religion. He will speak to our congregation on navigating the range of emotions that the climate crisis brings: grief, anxiety, rage, joy, and love. More details about this event will be shared as the date approaches, and we hope to see many of you there, online and in Unity Hall! If you would like to be involved with the Green Team this year, please contact sureidstjohn@gmail.com or leanna_maglienti@yahoo.com.

Gather & Share:

September is Canned and Jarred Food

August's Personal paper products filled a great need and were well appreciated by HOPE clients, but they also did not weigh in at much. 

So....now it is time to get "heavy" into some canned food. Please bring in any kind of canned or jarred food that you deem fit for the growing families and seniors who make use of the HOPE pantry to make it through the month. As always, HOPE expresses their thankfulness for our Church project!