Williston-West Church

Back By Popular Demand
Eric Kelley

The Eleventh Annual Summer Church Retreat will be held in Jonesport, Maine on July 27 and 28. Betty and I look forward to opening our home to you for a time of fellowship and reflection. You have all been so gracious in inviting us into your homes that we look forward to this time of sharing ours with you.

All things change and there is one big change for the retreat this year – there will be an admission fee! Yes, you read it correctly, but please read on. One of our new members, Barbara Ginley, works with migrant workers in Washington County. So, of course, we struck up a kinship immediately. The workers include Native Americans, Latinos, Mexicans, Mexican Americans and Central Americans. Not quite the same groups of tourists frequenting Kennebunkport but they sure bring added flavor to the blueberry barrens of home. Imagine - a year round Mexican store in Millbridge! The migrant communities’ needs are great and there is something we can do to meet these needs in a way that will not only make their lives a little easier, but more importantly, let them know that someone cares.

So, the admission fee will be items from the following list:

• Caffeinated coffee and tea
• Canned black beans and refried beans
• Salsa
• Bottled water (small bottles)
• Pots, pans and dishes

There will also be a trailer load of food and supplies that we can unload. Can you help even if you can’t make the retreat? Bring your items to the church and I will take them the rest of the way.

The rest of the retreat will be very similar to what we have always done. A lobster bake Saturday evening will be provided at a minimal fee. Everyone is encouraged to bring a dish to share, which has always meant a colorful and delicious spread. There will be the traditional Sunday morning outdoor worship service. If it rains we will convene in the garage and shop where you may also sleep if it is too wet.

Many people tent on the property while others make arrangements in local B&B’s, cabins and local motels. It is your choice and usually depends on how long you can survive without a shower.

There will be time to walk on the beach, enjoy the pond where the water lilies are taking hold as if they had always been there, do a hike at the Great Wass Nature Conservancy Trail, sit around on the cliffs and peer out to sea, play games, make new friends and deepen old friendships. Directions and details will be available in the office along with a sign up sheet.

We do hope that you will come and share this good time.

Grace and Peace,

Eric

On Piloting Boats and Churches
Phil Crane

I’ve just returned from a sailing trip. Actually it was a sailing race from Clearwater to Key West, Florida. Sailing on the 40-foot sloop Electra was a crew of 5 experienced sailors. Larry, the owner and captain, is about my age, his son Jay and my son Scott, both in their early thirties, were the muscle and energy of the crew. Rounding out the team was Bill, a very experienced racer, sail maker, and our tactician/sail trim expert.

From the time that we crossed the start line at the entrance to Clearwater Pass until we crossed the finish in front of the Galleon Resort in Key West, we were a tiny community striving for a goal. In the 34 hours and 22 minutes that elapsed between those points, each member of the crew had times of intense effort with the whole crew, time working individually on assigned tasks, and time alone to process the action and the thoughts that grow out of being in a small space together and being skin to skin with the natural elements of God’s creation.

We had big wind. Eighteen knots at the start of the race built to a sustained twenty-five, with gusts well over thirty in the hours between midnight and dawn of our first night. A turn on the helm of an hour meant absolute focus on the compass, the wind indicator and the sails, while working to keep balance in invisible seas that slammed the boat regularly. The effort of maintaining course and speed in the surreal world of sound, sea-water crashing on board and constantly working the wheel meant physical as well as mental challenge.

We also had meals – good food prepared in a galley with deck and countertops in constant motion and tilted to a 30-degree angle. In the dark of the night with choppy seas and howling wind we crawled the decks to shorten sail. We had two spectacular sunsets. After hours on deck at night we went below to wash off the salt, get dry and crawl off to our crazily slanting beds. Well out of sight of land, we enjoyed watching the new day come alive as the sun broke the horizon. There was the excitement of passing another competitor and the boredom of being on the same course in moderate wind for hours at a time. The last 15 miles of the race, once again in total darkness, found all hands on deck, adrenaline pumping, for a series of short tacks up the narrow channel to the finish line.

And we talked – we talked about Jay’s career choices and the pain of a recently broken relationship. We talked about global politics, and raising kids, and retirement, and people who have helped form us into who we are.

We arrived dockside in Key West at about 11pm and, after shore side showers and an hour or so of conversation, we all found our way to our bunks for a night of comfortable, uninterrupted sleep.

In the few minutes before I drifted off to sleep, I thanked God for the trip – for the new friends and for another incredible life experience. In that dozy place at the edge of sleep, it occurred to me how our church is like the able Electra. Without a crew of people committed to being and working together, both are beautiful – but empty. Without work, leadership, knowledge and ample dashes of courage and faith, neither goes anywhere. Without keeping our eye on the compass of Christ, the winds and seas of life take us where they may instead of following the course that has been laid for us.

My ponderings made me grateful for the people I had sailed with – and for all of the people who I sail with in guiding Williston-West constantly toward the goal of greater service to God.

Missions Committee
June is Seeds of Peace Month!!
Betty Kelley

The Seeds of Peace Camp, located in Otisfield, Maine, is one of the "branches" of The Olive Tree, our international outreach mission. The Seeds of Peace organization is dedicated to empowering the children of war – mostly Israeli and Palestinian teenagers – to break the cycle of violence in their own countries.

Founded in 1993 by John Wallach, Seeds of Peace has graduated over 1,000 campers to date. Set in the supportive, relaxed environment of a summer camp in Maine, it immerses Arab, Israeli, and Cypriot teens in a month of interaction, leadership training, dialogue and recreation. The campers are selected by officials in their own countries on the basis of their motivation, leadership, and facility with English. Ultimately, the program enables future leaders to get to know one another as people and to understand each other’s perspectives. Returning to their homelands, the teenagers are encouraged to continue their relationships across borders.

The Missions Committee views the Seeds of Peace Camp as an extraordinary organization that is promoting peace in our world through our youth (our future world leaders), and we believe it deserves our attention and support.

All the proceeds from the Williston-West Cabaret will go to the Seeds of Peace camper fund. Enjoy the great dinner and entertainment knowing that your donation will help to fund a camper at the Seeds camp this summer.

Join us at the camp – it’s really right in our back yard (only one-hour away) – and help us plant flowers to create a welcoming environment for the campers. Look for sign up sheets in Fellowship Hall. We’ll meet at the camp at 9:30 and bring picnic lunches. Call Beck Gratwick or Betty Kelley with questions.

Apple Tree News
Betty Kelley

The Center for Grieving Children is one of the organizations that our Apple Tree is now sponsoring. Look on the Apple Tree for many of the needs that we’re trying to fill for them. Since we began working with The Center for Grieving Children in January, many of our members have responded with donations and the following is quoted from a thank you letter the Missions Committee recently received from Linda Kelly, Program Director:

The Missions Committee extends its thanks to you all. The Williston-West church community is a truly generous one!

UCC Cumberland Association News
Cindy Stewart

I want to keep you all up to date around my activities as a member of the Church and Ministry Committee, as well as the activity as a delegate to the Cumberland Association.

Church & Ministry:

The committee has been busy reviewing a variety of issues in our larger church community. We recently met with a prospective new pastor to be ordained and it was a wonderful experience. The process, in a nutshell, is that upon the completion of studies at a seminary, the applicant submits various documents including a paper that shares the spiritual path of the student as well as his or her personal call to serve. These papers are a joy to read and have been a source of reflection and enlightenment for others and me on the committee. This is enjoyable work and very rewarding.

A daylong workshop was held at Rockcraft recently for pastors in the Cumberland Association titled, "Professional Boundaries." Marvin Ellison was the presenter. The committee is considering making this workshop mandatory to Cumberland Association ministers to retain their standing. The material is excellent and very timely during this time when the Catholic Church is facing a crisis with their priests.

The spring meeting of the conference was held May 19, 2002 at the Pride’s Corner Church is Westbrook. Eric and Betty Kelley, Ted and Judy Mallette and Cindy Stewart attended. The Association is seeking commitments from churches to help fund a position for an additional conference minister. The Trustees will review the request and consider it as a part of the budget process this fall.

I welcome any questions and/or concerns that any parishioners might have regarding Williston West’s membership in the Cumberland Association of the UCC.

Noteworthy Results From Spring Rummage Sale
Gracie Johnston

On May 4, 2002, the Missions Committee of Williston-West held a rummage and bake sale at the church. It was held in conjunction with the Children’s Nursery School rummage sale. Prior to the sale, members of the church were invited to drop off items that they no longer needed, and by Friday, May 3rd, it was amazing how much had been left and the variety of items. From a wooden rocker to two guitars…from baby clothes to a "pack and play," there were tables of someone else’s junk that soon was to become someone else’s treasure, or at the very least, someone’s new possessions. Items were priced and marked that evening starting at 4pm to nearly 10pm.

The Mission Committee sponsored the event with the proceeds going to The Sharing Foundation. The Sharing Foundation has been in existence for 4 years this June and is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help meet the physical, emotional and medical needs of children in Cambodia. The organization also assists families of children. Dr. Nancy Hendrie and Judy Jones, who run an adoption agency called Adopt Cambodia, started the Foundation. Both Roxanna Brophy and Gracie Johnston serve on the parent advisory board.

Three of our young toddlers came from Cambodia. Jesse Cyr-Brophy, son of Peg Cyr and Roxanna Brophy, was adopted in 1998. Linda and I adopted our daughter Teany and son Khemara from Cambodia in 1999 and 2000. Jesse and Khem share the distinction of coming from the same orphanage.

The Sunday prior to the sale, Lin, Teany, Khem and I drove to Arrosic to pick up Cambodian crafts at the home of Nancy Hendrie and Judy Jones. We had a great time selecting items that we believed would be good sellers. Women in Cambodia, who make on average a dollar a day, made the items. Some of the items were made in the orphanage and some made at Tabbatha’s House, a non-profit organization in Cambodia that hires less fortunate women to create crafts that are sold to tourists or sent back to the States. This allows the women to support their families and survive. Items for sale included small purses, silver baby bracelets with small bells, woven tablecloths, picture frames, small knapsacks and many colorful items.

Back to the rummage sale! It was a brisk and sunny spring day. The downstairs of the church was packed with treasures looking for a home. The sale started at 9am but shoppers arrived around 8am looking for bargains and antiques. Linda set up the Cambodian Crafts outside the church and Donna and Sally prepared the bake sale area. There was a lot of excitement in the air. Volunteers from the church were on hand but I will not list everyone by name because surely I would miss some -- although Eric and Betty deserve medals for all they did prior to the sale and the day of the sale.

By the end of the sale day – at 2pm, we had raised $859 for The Sharing Foundation - $105 of that amount was from baked goods – an amazing amount. Linda, with the help of Gessie Roberts and Roxanna had sold $365 of crafts. Collectively, we raised over $1000. What a wonderful day it was. On Sunday afternoon, I had the privilege of announcing all we had raised at the Spring Sharing Foundation meeting in Portsmouth. It was well received with lots of applause.

Finally, let me share how the money is going to be used. You may have read in the Press Herald or seen on 20/20 that there have been some problems in Cambodia with adoptions. Rumors of baby selling abound, and the INS has made the decision to levy a moratorium on adoptions. The Sharing Foundation built an orphanage in Roteang, Cambodia last year. A number of the children cannot be adopted because of medical reasons such as HIV, and presently there are 70 infants and young children – many waiting to be adopted.

Because nobody knows how long the moratorium will be in effect, the board has voted unanimously to immunize each child at a cost of $6 - $8 per child, so our $1000 will be put to good use immediately!

Both Lin and I want to thank each of you who were involved in the sale preparations, both on the day of the sale and all of those who brought items. We feel blessed to belong to such a loving church that is not only interested in our local community but truly cares for the world and the future of our world. Your love showed through, and what a witness that is.

Trustee Report
Cindy Stewart

Our focus the past few weeks has been keeping the office situation under control. Tammy Guitard has resigned and we are back to utilizing a "Temp" until we hire a permanent office person. The trustees decided that we would run a classified in the Maine Sunday Telegram and interview the top applicants. We have received several resumes from qualified applicants and will be conducting interviews over the next couple of weeks.

We desperately need a volunteer computer expert to help provide technical support. Several of the trustees have just enough computer knowledge to be dangerous, and we've done the best we are capable of. However, if there is a parishioner, acquaintance of, etc. who is proficient with PC’s, Microsoft products, and has a couple of hours a month to spare, please contact either Cindy Stewart or David Shedd. Your efforts will be greatly appreciated.

Please notice sometime the wonderful set of steps at the emergency exit on the Thomas Street side of the church. Our ever-talented pastor built them. He saved the church a considerable sum of money by constructing those steps!

The boiler is scheduled for a makeover. Although the boiler is very old, they don’t make them like that anymore. With these upgrades, it should meet our needs for many more years.

Although our beautiful historic building is generally in very good shape, in the future there will be some considerable maintenance required. The sanctuary is going to need some painting and repairs, we would like to add office space for our pastor, and the kitchen will need new appliances. The Williston-West operating budget is always a challenge, and these types of expenditures will require either withdrawing funds from our endowment or a capital campaign. I would like to ask each of you to consider directing endowment contributions to the building fund, or perhaps making a special gift to the church and designate it to be used for the building.

Church World Service
Madeline Bates

26,810,615 Africans are infected with HIV. Each day in Africa, more than 5,500 people die of AIDS. By the year 2010, the epidemic will claim the lives of 13,000 people daily. Aids has killed more people than World War I, World War II, and the Gulf War combined.

Hope is growing in Africa – nutrition is a key factor in the struggle against AIDS. CWS is pioneering the use of the common Moringa Tree. The Moringa’s leaves, pods, and flowers contain many vitamins and minerals needed to maintain health -particularly important for HIV positive people.

Afghanistan:

An innovative CWS program has helped more than 400 Afghan refugee women support themselves and their children by making 60,000 quilts for other refugee families. The quilts are being used in CWS shelter kits and are also being purchased by the UN for use in their emergency programs.

Crop Walks:

In 2001, CWS sponsored 2,000 CROP WALKS across the United States, raising more than $16 million to make a difference in the lives of people in need here and in more than 80 countries worldwide.

It's A Boy...Oh Boy!!

Ken, Amy and Cal Barber welcomed Eric Diehl Barber on May 4, 2002. Baby Eric weighed in at 9 lbs., 9 oz., and according to mom, is "a wonderful little guy…we just feel blessed."