August 2025 Newsletter

Barbara Schenk • July 28, 2025
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Dear friends,


I hope everyone is enjoying the summer – it seems to be flying.

 

I know we have been very concerned about issues going on that are dividing our nation. Decisions being made can shake us to the core, daily. We have started Waving for Peace on Sunday mornings, in addition to Monday afternoons,  and the response from our neighbors passing by has been overwhelmingly positive. We will also be looking for more ways to advocate for God’s justice in the coming days, including our hosting an International Peace Event in September.

 

There are many hymns that can move us onward and upward with hope and conviction of faith. One of these is entitled Community of Christ, with words by Shirley Erena Murray.

 

Community of Christ, through whom the world must sound-

Cry out for justice and for peace the whole world round;

Disarm the powers that war and all that can destroy,

Turn bombs to bread and tears of anguish into joy.

 

When menace melts away, so shall God’s will be done.

The climate of the world be peace and Christ its sun;

Our currency be love and kindliness our law,

Our food and faith be shared as one forevermore.


Blessings,

Barbara

CALENDAR FOR AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER


August


Saturday, August 2:
Men's Breakfast: 8:20am


Sunday, August 3:
11th Anniversary Waving for Peace

Saturday, August 9:
Monthly Food Drive: 1-3pm

Sunday, August 10:
Blessing of School Supplies
Just Peace Team Meeting

Wednesday, August 13:
Finance Board/Exec Board


Sunday, August 24:

Prayers for the Nation: 4pm


September


Thursday, Sept 4:
FMC Hosts Crop Rally 5pm


Friday, Sept 5:
Quarter Auction: 7pm

Saturday, Sept 6:
Men's Breakfast: 8:20am

Sunday, Sept 7:
Worship Resumes at 10am
Texas Roadhouse Fundraiser


Wednesday, Sept 10:
Finance Board/Exec Board


Saturday, Sept 13:
Monthly Food Drive: 1-3pm

Sunday Sept 14:
Rally Sunday


Sunday, Sept 21:
FMC hosts Peace Day Event: 3-5pm


Thursday, Sept 25:
Pastor hosts local UCC clergy

Saturday, Sept 27:
Fosterians 11:30am


Sunday, Sept 28
Prayers for the Nation: 4pm

ONGOING


Sunday mornings:   

  • Church School and Nursery Care
  • Coffee Hour after worship,
  • Waving for Peace


Mondays:                   

  • Waving for Peace: 3:30-4 PM


Wednesdays             

  • Cutting Edge Group: 5-6 PM


Third Thursday:       

  • Prep for Loaves and Fishes Dinner


Third Friday:           

  • Serve Dinner at Loaves and Fishes


Last week:                

  • Deliver baked goods to Loaves &
  • Fishes (Bun Runners)


SAVE THE DATES


  • Crop Walk for Hunger: Sunday, October 5
  • Blessing of the Pets/Animals: Sunday, October 19
  • Pancake Brunch for Tenzin: Sunday, October 26
  • Fosterians Gathering: Date TBD


MEN'S BREAKFAST: SATURDAY, AUG 2


All men of the church are invited to join on the first Saturday of the month for breakfast at a local restaurant. We meet at 8:20 AM in the front parking lot. All are welcome and invited to bring friends!


AUGUST DRIVE THROUGH: SATURDAY, AUG 9


Time: 1-3 PM in our church parking lot. We will be collecting food for the Open Pantry and School Supplies for Rebecca Johson School. REMINDER: We collect non-perishable food for Open Pantry every Sunday. All donations are so appreciated.


TEXAS ROADHOUSE FUNDRAISER: SUNDAY AUGUST 3: 11:30am - 3pm


Show this to your server for our fundraising benefit.


BIG Y GIFT CARDS


See Jeanie Marsh to order Big Y gift cards. This is an ongoing fundraiser for the church. Thanks for your support!


FOSTER SOFTBALL TEAM


Congratulations to our softball team, who has done VERY well this season! Playoffs are on Saturday, August 2 at Bethany Church in Agawam. Stay tuned for what time our team will be playing!


https://www.interchurchsoftball.com/

Go team, go!


11th ANNIVERSARY OF OUR WAVING FOR PEACE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 3


Please join us right after worship for an all-church photo to mark our 11th anniversary of our Waving for Peace ministry. We will also plan to Wave for Peace after coffee hour.


SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR REBECCA JOHNSON


We will be collecting school supplies each Sunday through August 10. Needed: Everything from pencils to back packs, notebooks, glue sticks, crayons, colored pencils, and two and four pocket folders. Thanks to everyone for your support!


MONTHLY QUARTER AUCTION: SEPTEMBER 5


Doors open at 6 PM, and the auction begins at 7 PM. Everyone is invited to bring quarters and friends for a fun evening and a chance to win some great items from our vendors! There will also be a raffle! Admission: $5 for two paddles. Bring a non-perishable food item and receive a free third paddle. This month, a portion of our proceeds will go to: Tapestry Health: https://www.tapestryhealth.org/


More details to come. Dinner food and snacks will be available for purchase. Speak to Lori for more information.


FOSTERIANS: SAT, SEPT 27 11:30AM


All women welcome! Theme: Big E! There will be a Pizza lunch with a free will offering taken to cover costs. More details will be coming soon!


INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY: MAY PEACE PREVAIL


Sunday, September 21: 3- 5 PM Rain Plans: Inside

We need helpers for set up, clean-up and refreshments. Please speak to Pastor Barbara if you would be able to help. Our Just Peace Team is one of the participants in this event. We hope you can join us.


GREATER SPRINGFIELD CROPWALK FOR HUNGER


Please save the date for the walk: Sunday, October 5. We gather for the walk at Trinity United Methodist Church on Sumner Ave, at 1 PM. The walk kicks off at 2 PM; we walk through Forest Park (either one or three miles), and return to Trinity for refreshments. We always need helpers with refreshments and our “Welcome Back” team, as well as walkers and sponsors. Please speak to Pastor Barbara if you can help.


SUNDAY, OCT 19 AT 2PM


Join us for this special event! All pets must be on a leash or in a carrier. Photos of pets also welcome! Everyone is also invited to bring pet food, toys and supplies to be donated to Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center. New or gently used towels are especially needed. Everyone welcome, with your pets, or just come to enjoy!


NEWS FROM OUR CHURCH OFFICE


  • Thank you!
    We want to thank Patrick O’ Brien for his good work for us as our Admin. Assistant since the spring of 2024. Patrick will be finishing up on August 22.

  • CANCER CARE SPECIAL OFFERING: THANK YOU
    Thank you to everyone for your donations to our own special Cancer Care offering. A total of $1051.00 was raised, to be divided between Sister Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center and Baystate Health D’Amour Cancer Center. Everyone’s support is greatly appreciated

October 2026 Newsletter

By Foster Memorial • October 6, 2026
October 2026 - Foster Memorial Church, UCC From the Moderator: The energy that filled our church on August 30, 2026, for Pastor Barbara’s farewell service lingers, along with a sense of calm and optimism. The Friday after, I attended my first quarter auction and was delighted to find a similar atmosphere. (If you haven’t yet come to a quarter auction, I highly recommend you do so and bring a friend!) Our missions continue during this time of transition, with the upcoming Crop Walk, Blessing of the Animals, and more to come this Fall. Your executive board and teams are hard at work, and our church search profile remains active with the UCC. To view our profile, and share on social media, please use this link: http://oppsearch.ucc.org/id/7192. One candidate who interviewed with us chose to serve a different church, and left us with these comments “I was greatly impressed with the warmth and preparation ... It was a wonderful gathering and introduction to Foster Memorial ... where God's abiding love is evident everywhere”. It is not unusual for a church to spend months searching for an interim pastor; we are blessed to have continued pulpit coverage by our retired clergy members, coordinated by Peter Wells. Pastoral care is being provided by Bob Loesch. Please contact me or any of the interim search team or executive board if you have any questions or concerns as we move forward together. All members are also welcome to attend regular board meetings, held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Amy Pawle (email: amy.pawle@gmail.com) Alice Kempf (email: alicek@kvreteam.com) Mary Caron (email: mebbohn@aol.com) Bob Loesch (email: rkloesch@aol.com)

September 2026 Newsletter

By Barbara Schenk • August 27, 2026
September 2026 - Foster Memorial Church, UCC From our Moderator, Amy Pawle: While we enjoy long summer days and reflect on Pastor Barbara’s 18 years of ministry with us, your executive board and the three transition teams have also been hard at work, looking towards our future with hope. We met with our new Area Minister, Rev. David Jones, our church profile is active with the UCC, and we have received interest in the Interim Pastor position from area clergy. To view our profile, please use this link: http://oppsearch.ucc.org/id/7192 Also feel free to post on your social media! We are blessed to have pulpit coverage for September and October by our retired clergy members, coordinated by Peter Wells.  Pastoral care is being provided by Rev. Dr. Bob Loesch starting in September. In addition to pulpit coverage and pastoral care, our members have stepped up to fill in many of the small tasks that keep the church going: Facebook postings, photography, filming, prayer chain, email blasts, opening the church, the carillon, and many more.

August 2026 Newsletter

By Foster Memorial Church • July 31, 2026
August 2026 – Foster Memorial Church, UCC Interim Search Update The Interim Search Team (Amy Pawle, Alice Kempf, Bruce Moore, Mary Caron, Kevin Withers & Rev. Bob Loesch) has completed our church profile, and it is now active with the UCC. This is the first step in finding an intentional interim pastor to guide us through the search for our next settled pastor. The profile introduces the church to pastors nationwide who are searching themselves, similar to a job posting. Any candidate who is interested in our profile will send their profile to us through the UCC, and the Interim Search Team will decide whether to interview them. The interim pastor will serve for around two years, working ¾ time, between 30 and 35 hours per week. Since it is unlikely that we will find an interim pastor by the end of August, the Executive Board is now working to find people to lead worship for the next few months. We met with our new Area Minister, Rev. David Jones, on Monday, July 20; he will be assisting us with this and the interim search. Rev. Bob Loesch is providing pastoral care starting September 1st. Please contact Amy Pawle, our moderator, with any questions. She can be reached at amy.pawle@gmail.com. Special Invitation Please join us for the retirement and final worship service of Rev. Barbara Schenk on Sunday, August 30 at 9:30 AM , followed by a special coffee hour at 10:30 AM. Calendar of Events August Saturday, August 1 — Men’s Breakfast, 8:20 AM Sunday, August 2 — Texas Roadhouse Fundraiser, 11:30 AM – 3 PM Saturday, August 8 — Food Drive, 1 – 3 PM Sunday, August 9 — 12th Anniversary of Waving for Peace Sunday, August 9 — Blessing of School Supplies Sunday, August 30 — Pastor Barbara’s final worship service / farewell September Reminder: Worship changes back to 10 AM. Friday, September 4 — Quarter Auction, 7 PM Saturday, September 5 — Men’s Breakfast, 8:20 AM Sunday, September 6 — Texas Roadhouse Fundraiser, 11:30 AM – 3 PM Saturday, September 12 — Food Drive, 1 – 3 PM Sunday, September 13 — Rally Sunday Sunday, September 13 — Just Peace Team Ongoing Sunday mornings — Church School and Nursery Care; Coffee Hour after worship; Waving for Peace Mondays — Waving for Peace, 3:30 – 4 PM Wednesdays — Cutting Edge Group, 5 – 6 PM Thursday before the 3rd Friday — Prep for Loaves and Fishes Dinner Third Friday — Serve Dinner at Loaves and Fishes Last week of the month — Deliver baked goods to Loaves & Fishes (Bun Runners) Save the Dates Sunday, October 4 — CROP Walk for Hunger Men’s Breakfast: Saturday, August 1 All men of the church are invited to join on the first Saturday of the month for breakfast at a local restaurant. We meet at 8:20 AM in the front parking lot. All are welcome and invited to bring friends! Texas Roadhouse Fundraiser Sunday, August 2: 11:30 AM – 3 PM Show this to your server for our fundraising benefit.