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Table of Contents |
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| From the Pastor's Study | Christmas Fair |
| Stewardship Report | Christian Education Update |
| Pictoral Directory | Missions News |
| Wish List | Building Preservation Fund |
| Trustees' Corner | |
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From the PASTOR’S Study Eric Kelley We are an historical people who stand on a long religious tradition that has roots set deep in a theology firmly grounded in the Bible. Tradition and its history are very important as long as it remains a springboard to the future focused upon the courage to follow totally unpredictable movement of God’s Holy Spirit. When we lose courage to be led by the Spirit and follow its course through uncharted waters, tradition becomes like a millstone around our necks – holding us in a time that will never be again. The church in general has been notorious for remaining bogged down in the past; trying to recover something that has happened, while neglecting the energy of the moment and the spark that ignites a future that makes life an adventure and truly worth living. When we finally accept the truth that we are all frail, finite human beings who control nothing - God is able to do great things through us. As we have finished another church year with the opening of Advent on November 30th and are creeping up on the ending of our secular year on December 31st we have much to celebrate in our church family. That blessing comes not only in the celebrations we share with laughter and jubilation but more importantly the times we stand together when we are forced to own our frailty. We find strength in doing so for the greatness of God, which alone is able to make all things new; can only be known in confessed weakness. This is the paradox of life that is so frighteningly difficult for us to accept because it requires the facing of our vulnerability and acknowledgment of our dependence upon the Creator of all life. If there is a thread of honesty in us we must say that we know this struggle all too well. It is like we know the truth but find it frightening to follow because we would have to change so many things about us. The birth of Christ has been embellished over the centuries with traditions that can rob it of its greatest truth and leave us with more questions than answers. But we do know this; God broke into the world through the vulnerability of a baby born in poverty in a land occupied by foreign invaders. No matter how we try to sanitize this scenario to fit our culture – and every culture has tried to do so – we are left with the truth that the yearnings of our souls will only be satisfied in the humble confession of our frailty in the presence of the Almighty whose power is eternal. This is the season of longing, for deliverance, for eager expectations. In Christ, our deepest yearnings are fulfilled. May God bless your Christmas with the birth of Christ in your heart? Grace and Peace, Eric  Best Little Fair in Portland "THE BEST LITTLE FAIR IN PORTLAND" has lived up to its name one more time! Our Christmas Fair was a resounding success even though the weather report for the day was about as bad as we could get. Even so, with money still dribbling in as it will for awhile, we did better than we did last year. This was a miracle considering we were having our first blizzard of the season. Just think how we would have done had the weather cooperated. Plans are underway for next year and as we are packing things away some very fine new items have already come in. The silent auction is going to be expanded with more room so that things don’t get lost in tight spaces. Granny’s Attic is moving up to Memorial Hall where it, too should do better. People were again greeted with a magnificent eighteen foot ‘Anniversary Christmas Tree’ donated and decorated by Cheryl and Chris Kidwell to mark their fourth wedding anniversary. They took one year off because of the arrival of Lauren but she too was present for some of the decorating this year! There will be a more complete report later but heartfelt thanks to all who made this possible and made us feel – from varying states of exhaustion – that this fair was marked with laughter and was the most fun fair yet!  Stewardship Report Joel Gratwick There are still pledges coming in, but as of the writing of this column, total pledges for 2004 are $98,875, which is almost a $10,000 increase over last year, and we are confident our goal of $100,000 will be met! We are also very pleased with the response and extend many thanks to all of you for your commitment to the Church this coming year.  Christian Education Tom Riddell We have had a very good month packed with events. I would like to congratulate the children on raising nearly $200 that will go to sponsor the flower planting at the seeds of peace camp. This helps us to reach a two part goal with the children: 1) to make them aware and participants I the greater mission of the church; 2) to make them aware of their voice as Christians and how that message can positively impact others even on a global scale. Donna Kane and Lise Wilcox really took the lead in providing homemade doughnuts that I must say were outstanding. Thanks to you both. By the time you receive this newsletter you will have heard a lively rendition of "Rise and Shine" to a Noah’s Ark theme. Janet Cole and Gracie Johnston have been working really hard at bringing music into the Sunday school. The kids, parents and members really love. It!! Three Cheers to both of you for your efforts!! There will be child care for all holiday events including the Christmas Eve service. From everyone at Christian Education have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and remember keep the Christ in your Christmas plans  Pictoral Directory Barbara Loughlin Just reminding you that your pictorial directory is due in sometime in January. I will be gone but Ellie Brown will be distributing them after church services. If you have any questions please contact Ellie through the Church office.  Mission News Betty Kelley Seeds of Peace Planted at Williston-West Sunday School On Sunday, November 16, Sarah Gratwick and I had the pleasure of accepting an invitation to attend Sunday School to tell the children about the Seeds of Peace International Camp. Christian Education Director, Tom Riddell, wanted to involve the children more directly with our church mission projects and had scheduled a bake sale sponsored by the Sunday School to raise funds for Seeds of Peace. Sarah and I explained to our very attentive audience that the camp is right in our back yard--only an hour away in Otisfield, Maine, and that teens from war-torn countries come to learn ways to make peace with one another--to put a face to their "enemies" and to learn that we're really all very much alike. I'm excited to report that the bake sale brought in $190 and that the funds will be used for the annual planting day that's held at the camp in mid-June. The children will be participating in more fundraisers for the camp in the upcoming year and also planting flowers to bring to the annual planting day. We'll keep you posted on our progress and extend an invitation for all friends and members of Williston-West to join us! Clothing/Dry Goods/Toiletries Drive for Now that cold weather is officially here, the Missions Committee and the Deacons have partnered to sponsor a clothing /dry goods/toiletries drive for clients of the Preble Street Resource Center. Most of their clients are homeless and there is a great need for all the items we've listed below. All clothing (with the exception of the men's or women's underwear) can be gently-used, freshly laundered clothing. If you're just sorting through your winter wardrobe and getting your shorts and bathing suits packed away for another season, please consider donating any ill-fitting winter items you come across. There's a collection box in the entryway to the Sanctuary--just inside the front doors and to the right. We will be collecting and delivering items to the Preble Street Resource Center during the next several months. The Following Items are Desperately Needed:
Warm Winter Clothing
(Especially adult sizes--they always have a shortage of Lg. Men's Sizes)
Coats
Hats
Mittens/Gloves
Scarves
Socks
Sweaters
Jeans of all Sizes
Men's or Women's Underwear
(new packages of 3 or 4 would be best- boxer shorts are in high demand)
Backpacks –A very important item
Bags: Any size or shape that can be easily carried by one person
Toiletries
(Hotel-sized are best, but all will be gladly accepted)
Shampoo
Deodorant (particularly men's brands)
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Combs
Hair Brushes
Lotion
Lip Balm
Q-Tips
(No mouthwash, please,unless alcohol-free)
 WWC Wish List Our Parlor Furniture is showing its age. We need a gently used couch or two. Comfortable chairs would also be welcomed.  Building Preservation Fund George Crockett This fund was established as part of the endowment a few years ago. Its purpose is to fund those capital needs on our building that are not covered in the operating budget. It has accumulated a modest balance but needs a lot more too really do the job. We have recently asked our neighbors to contribute to this fund. And they are responding. In your year end planning you might find a bit to add to it as well. If so make it clear that your donation is for this fund.  Trustees' Corner How quickly a year goes! It seems such a short time ago that I was writing the first of these columns at the beginning of the year, and now Christmas is upon us. My tree is up; as are my spirits...I do love this time of year! Speaking of spirits being up, I only have good news to report this time (although with a cautionary tale). Our 2003 budget is ending in balance, and thanks to the wonderful work of the Stewards, it looks like our 2004 budget will be the same. The Trustees met last night and approved a draft budget, subject to seeing how our cash in hand is at the end of the year, that is in balance without taking any extra money out of the Endowment. One notable change to the 2004 budget over 2003 is that there is money in there for building maintenance, rather than only dealing with repairs. This is a huge step forward for us, as it will allow us to avoid deferring some projects as they become necessary. That leads to the cautionary tale. Large old city churches, such as ours, can quickly go on the endangered church list. The warning signs can usually be tracked in a declining membership and deferred maintenance. This has been the fate of many churches on the Portland peninsular during the last half of the twentieth century. Does anyone remember the beautiful stone church that stood in Joe’s Smoke Shop parking lot?
I’m very pleased to say that we are in no danger of sharing that fate. Our Building Committee has done a wonderful job of keeping up with the major projects in our facilities, and significant issues, particularly roof issues, have been dealt with quickly and effectively. However, we do need to keep an eye on a building of the size and age of ours very carefully, and to not allow too much work to be put off. Deferred maintenance is sometimes necessary, always risky, and can become critical if deferred too long. The 2004 budget is going to allow us to start tackling some of those deferred items, but will not cover everything we’d like to do. So, just one last bit of begging for this year...as you look toward tax season, please think about making a donation to the Building Endowment! It’s a tax deduction, and the more we can build up that part of the Endowment, the easier it will be in the future for the church to deal with projects as they come up. It’s a donation that will carry benefits for generation upon generation. Speaking of the Building Endowment, we sent a letter recently to our neighbors on the West End. The letter pointed out what a strong part Williston-West plays in the community by being a gathering place where events are held, and how important to all in the area that it continue to be maintained. Obviously, we were asking for donations to the Building Endowment, and I’m pleased to say that a number have come in already. It’s gratifying to know that we are so well regarded by the neighborhood. And now, time to end the year by thanking some people who well deserve it. The first group is all of the people who donated to the oil fund this year. We will end the year with that line item almost in balance, which is a huge improvement over where we were. Your generosity has been spectacular, and is appreciated by all as we avoid huddling in the sanctuary with steaming breath and chattering teeth! The second group is composed of people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help keep the building up and running. Dick Laughlin has helped with numerous projects, including new bars to lock our front doors; he’s not just another pretty face in the choir! Bob Morgan has been incredibly generous this year; he provided our new phone system, and has had his electrician put new lights on our fire escape (and will be repairing outlets in Fellowship Hall soon). Sumner Moulton has...well, he’s simply been there, constantly, when this project or that project has needed to be done. He’s taken on everything from figuring out why the pocket doors in the Parlor don’t work smoothly to repairing switches on the elevator, and in the process has saved the Church a huge number of repair fees. Eric Kelley has also gone way above the call of duty with his work on projects such as building new back stairs; he must have paid attention to the fact that Christ was a carpenter as well as a preacher! This has been an unusually long column, so I’ll stop here. Thank you all for your generosity this year, both in money and in spirit. It truly is an honor to serve as the Chairman of the Trustees, and it has been enlightening for me to see how many people work behind the scenes for our community. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a member of our Church, and to be around such a warm, loving group. A merry Christmas to you all, and may 2004 bring peace and joy to you, your families, and your friends. Very sincerely, David Shedd. |
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The Williston-West Church is a member of the
Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCC). |
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