May 2024 Newsletter

Barbara Schnek • Apr 26, 2024

Dear friends,


This month, the season of Easter continues. It is a joyful season of 50 days, which lasts from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday, celebrated this year on May 19. During this season, we focus on Jesus’ appearances to his followers after his death and resurrection. One of my favorite hymns for this season is


In The Bulb There is a Flower by Natalie Sleeth.

 

In the bulb there is a flower;

in the seed, an apple tree;

in cocoons, a hidden promise:

butterflies will soon be free!

In the cold and snow of winter

there’s a spring that waits to be,

unrevealed until its season,

something God alone can see.

 

There’s a song in every silence,

seeking word and melody.

There’s a dawn in every darkness,

bringing hope to you and me.

From the past will come the future;

what it holds, a mystery,

unrevealed until its season,

something God alone can see.

 

Blessings,

Barbara




Worship Each Sunday at 10am


Nursery Care and Church school provided

 

Saturday, May 4 at 8:30 AM

Men’s Breakfast

Meet at the front parking lot at 8:20 AM

 

Saturday, May 11, 1:00 -3:00 PM

Drive Up Collection of Food Donations for Open Pantry

 

Sunday, May 12 after worship

Meeting of Just Peace Team: All welcome

 

Saturday, May 18 at 11AM

May Gathering for Fosterians (all women welcome)

 

Looking ahead:

Saturday, June 1:     Vendor Fair/Tag Sale

Sunday, June 2:        Relay for Life Special Offering

Saturday, June 8:    Drive Through Donations for Open Pantry

Sunday, June 9:      Children and Youth Sunday

Sunday, June 16:      Last Sunday for Choir




Monthly Drive Through Collection Saturday, May 11, 1-3pm


We will be collecting non-perishable food to be donated to Open Pantry. All food donations are appreciated! When we deliver the food, we hear how much the donations are appreciated. We are also thankful to members of our community who participate in this outreach mission each month!



Fosterians Gathering: Saturday, May 18 11am


Please note the start time for this gathering is 11 AM.

All women members and friends of the church are invited to this gathering, which will include a fun game and theme, light lunch and a discussion about the upcoming Vendor Fair/Yard Sale. There will be  a free will offering to help with expenses for the lunch We are also looking for people to provide desserts! We hope you can join us. Contact Lori LaTaille or Judy Milano to let them know you are coming!



Cutting Edge Team Wednesdays from 5-6pm


We have a new team of volunteers who are assisting our Garden Angels with outdoor work. When it rains, the team comes in to take on short projects. Everyone is welcome to help. The team works each week for one hour. If you would like more information, please speak to Keith Walker.



Vendor Fair & Yard Sale


Saturday, June 1, 2024

9 AM-3 PM

Rain or shine!!

 

Foster Memorial Church, UCC

1791 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA

If you would like to be a vendor,

please call Lori at 413-626-9040

lorilhi@aol.com

 

New and gently used items for sale!

Something for everyone!

Bake Sale, lunch for purchase and a fun

Gift Basket Raffle!




Volunteers are Needed!


Help is needed for set-up, clean-up, cashiers, Bake Goods table, lunch prep and serving and more. It takes the help of many, many members and friends of our church to make this fundraiser a success. Please speak to Lori or Judy Milano if you can help.

 

Donations Needed:

New or gently used articles

Please: no clothes or linens, Small appliances only (no TVs)

Donations of jewelry are appreciated.

We also need baked goods for our Bake Sale table



Relay for Life: Sunday, June 2


On this day, we will have a special offering and special coffee hour to mark our Annual Relay for Life Sunday.

This year’s offering will be donated to Sister Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center and Baystate Health D’Amour Cancer Center.

Your support is greatly appreciated.



Texas Roadhouse Monthly Fund-Raiser


Just show this to your server on May 5

Between 11:30 AM-3PM



In the Office


Elizabeth Heiney is going to be leaving as our Administrative Assistant at the end of April. She has an Internship in Minnesota for the summer, and then will be back in the area to finish her degree at Western New England University. We want to thank Elizabeth very much for her work on behalf of our church.



Our Personnel/Hiring team has hired a new Administrative Assistant. Patrick O’Brien is finishing up his sophomore year at Western New England University, with a major in Creative Writing and minor in English. He will begin work in our church office on

May 1. Patrick is the son of church member Amy Pawle and the grandson of church member Elva Merry. Welcome!

 

Office hours are Wednesday and Friday, 9 AM- noon.



A church with a steeple and a cross on top

April 2024 Newsletter

By Barbara Schnek • 30 Mar, 2024
Dear friends, This month, the season of Easter continues. It is a season of 50 days, from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday, which will be celebrated this year on May 19. Amid so many troubles and sorrows in the world, this season focuses on the Easter message that love is stronger than hate and death will never have the last word. May this focus encourage us and strengthen us to be Easter people, striving to follow Jesus our Savior, who showed and shows us how to shine God’s light of love and justice into the world. One of my favorite hymns for Easter season was written by Brian Wren: Christ Is Alive! Christ is alive! Let Christians sing. The cross stands empty to the sky. Let streets and homes with praises ring. Love, drowned in death, shall never die. Christ is alive! No longer bound To distant years in Palestine, But saving, healing, here and now And touching every place and time. Christ is alive! and comes to bring Good news to this and every age, Till earth and sky and ocean ring With joy, with justice, love, and praise Blessing in this holy season and in every season, Barbara

March 2024 Newsletter

By Barbara Schnek • 01 Mar, 2024
Dear friends, The season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday on February 14 and continues throughout the month until Easter Sunday, celebrated this year on March 31. During this season, we’re asked to devote time for inner reflection, taking stock of our lives. And we are called to reach out, in Christian service, to neighbors, near and far. One of the ways we do that each year in March is through our One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) special offering. This year, the offering will be collected on March 10. The money from this offering is utilized through Wider Church Ministries of the UCC, to respond to a variety of global and local concerns by providing advocacy, sustainable development resources, long term disaster recovery support, and assistance for refugees and asylum seekers, working in collaboration with our partners locally and globally Our generosity ensures that the transforming power of love will continue to support our neighbors in need, here in our country and around the world. So, let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all. Galatians 6: 9–10, (The Message version) Blessings, Barbara **Reminder: Set clocks ahead one hour to get to church on time for Sunday, March 10**

February 2024 Newsletter

By Barbara Schnek • 31 Jan, 2024
Dear friends, The season of Epiphany, a season to focus on the beginnings of Jesus’ earthly ministry continues through February 13. The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 14. We will have an in-person worship service that evening at 7 PM. This service sets the tone for the season of Lent, inviting us to follow Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem, while embarking on an inward journey of self-reflection. This year, it coincides with Valentine’s Day, reminding us of Jesus’ self-giving love. We celebrate Holy Communion during this service, as well as Experiencing the Ashes. Please join us if you are able; we will also have a recorded Ash Wednesday service on our website at fostermemorial.org and on our Foster Memorial Church Facebook page. Throughout these Lenten days and nights we turn to walk the inward way, where, meeting Christ, our guide and light, we live in hope till Easter day. - James Gertmenian Blessings, Barbara 
January 2024 Newsletter

January 2024 Newsletter

By Barbara Schnek • 31 Dec, 2023
Dear friends, With the new year comes a new church season, Epiphany, which begins on January 6. On the Sunday closest to this date, (January 7 this year), during our worship, we re-experience the story of the Magi’s visit to the Christ Child and his mother, Mary. As the season continues, our focus is on the early times of Jesus’ ministry on earth, his teachings, healings and miracles. Themes for this season include light and AHA! experiences of transformation. The liturgical color for Epiphany is white. As we remember the light of God shining through the earthly ministry of Jesus, so, in the midst of troubled times for our nation and world, may we remember our own call to shine God’s light. A prayer for this season, by Godfrey Rust: For those seekers who put truth before comfort and hope before security we give thanks. Grant us a wise man’s hope – light in darkness, use for our gifts, God at the end. During this holy season, may Jesus, the Light of the World, be revealed to us and through us. Blessings, Barbara This is also the season when we gather for our church’s Annual Meeting. The Executive Board has been working on arrangements; please see separate articles and please plan to join us.

December 2023 Newsletter

By Barbara Schnek • 04 Dec, 2023
Dear friends, As we enter the Advent season, we are aware of God’s people, creatures and creation struggling for freedom, healing and wholeness. Our Savior Jesus came to earth, born as we are all born, to show us God’s intentions for the world, for justice and mercy, unity within diversity, and the deep peace of God’s shalom. In this holy season, may we focus on the reasons Jesus came to earth and do all that we can to shine God’s holy light of hope, peace, joy and love. Hear us, God, for we are praying Hear us, God, for we are laughing in our joy Hear us, God, for we are crying out to you Wondering what will be, what will be Speak to us, God, for we are listening Speak to us, God, for we are waiting for your voice Speak to us, God, in our hearts and all around Show us what can be, what can be – Chris Grundy  Blessings, Pastor Barbara

November 2023 Newsletter

By Barbara Schnek • 01 Nov, 2023
Dear friends, This month, our thoughts turn to Thanksgiving and Blessings. I am grateful for the ways that we, as this community of faith, offer encouragement and care for one another and hope into the world. Psalm 100  1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness! Come into God’s presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord is God! It is God who made us, and to God we belong; we are God’s people, and the sheep of God’s pasture. 4 Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving, and God’s courts with praise. Give thanks to God, bless God’s name. 5 For the Lord is good; God’s steadfast love endures forever, and God’s faithfulness to all generations. Blessings, Pastor Barbara
Foster October Newsleter

October 2023 Newsletter

By Barbara Schnek • 09 Oct, 2023
Dear friends, October looks to be another active month of outreach ministries for the church, including Trick or Treat for UNICEF, our 11 th (!) Annual Blessing of the Animals, our monthly Drive Through for Donation of Food, Pasta Fundraising Dinner and the Greater Springfield CROP Hunger Walk. The CROP Walk started 46 years ago in Springfield and is the “oldest” walk of its kind in the city. Donations help our neighbors around the world through global and national partnerships and locally through the Open Pantry, Lorraine’s Kitchen and Western MA Food Bank. The walk will be held on Sunday, October 15 at Trinity UMC on Sumner Ave. Registration begins at 1 PM with some fun music and a pre-walk presentation by Meteorologist Brian Lapis. The walk begins at 2 PM. Judy Milano, Jeanie Marsh, Vivian Gonzalez and I serve on this year’s Planning team. We need walkers, sponsors, and help once again with volunteers at the walk and with our “Welcome Back Team!” Please speak to me if you can help. Please see Ted Owczarski for walker sheets. Everyone’s support is much appreciated. Checks should be made out to: CWS/CROP. You can also donate on-line to our Foster team. It’s easy! Just use this link: https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2023/team/foster-memorial-church-ucc Blessings, Pastor Barbara

September 2023 Newsletter

By Barbara Schnek • 05 Sep, 2023
**Please note: Worship times change from 9:30 to 10:00 am beginning on September 10th Dear friends, September is going to be a busy month for our church. Please take a moment to read through articles about our various events. On Sunday, September 10, we resume worship services at 10 AM. This is also the day that we celebrate RALLY SUNDAY, the first Sunday of a new program year for our church school which we call “God Time.” As always, the children and youth will join with the congregation for the first part of the service and, after Time with Young People, will go to God Time. We will have special faith-based lessons and activities, followed by an Ice Cream social for everyone. We are blessed at our church with a wide age range of children and youth. The Christian Ed. team and God Time Guides have purchased a new lectionary-based curriculum that is able to focus on age groups from preschool-teens. (The curriculum we used for many years is no longer in publication.) And we will continue to offer childcare for our youngest children in the church nursery, with our childcare staff, Hayley LaTaille and nursery volunteers. Please share the news about Rally Sunday and our ministries with children and youth with family and friends! Blessings, Barbara
August 2023 Newsletter

August 2023 Newsletter

By Barbara Schnek • 05 Aug, 2023
Foster Memorial Church August 2023 Newsletter.

July 2023 Newsletter

By Barbara Schnek • 02 Jul, 2023
Dear friends, About a week ago, I was thinking that we didn’t have much going on here at church for the next month. And then, I started writing this newsletter! Here are just some highlights: A Conversation with our Just Peace team regarding Gun Violence, a gathering with Bob Loesch, our writer in residence focusing on our Star Words, a church Gardens Tour and collection of school supplies for the students at Rebecca Johnson. There’s special music every Sunday, peace waving on Mondays and, at the end of the month, we are having our second summer picnic with the family we walk alongside from Afghanistan. Please read the separate articles about these and other events and happenings. Summer is a great time to invite friends to come to church too. I am reminded of that song we sang at summer church camp (way back when!)  It only takes a spark to get a fire going… And soon, all those around Can warm up with its glowing. That’s how it is with God’s love, Once you’ve experienced it… You want to pass it on Kurt Kaiser Blessings, Barbara
More Posts
Share by: