News From Around the Churches

FAIRBANKS

We started the year against the backdrop of the economic downturn but with a positive attitude that we would be tightening our belts in as cheerful a way as possible!   We have had a very good few months – involved in our fish chowder luncheons which have been very successful, gathering much needed items for the Care and Share Food Closet, building a ramp for one of our members, cleaning up the garden. We have drawn on the resources of our members more in recent months due to the lack of a permanent organist and that has proved to be very pleasurable for the listeners – we even had a wonderful jazz service one Sunday.  A new feature this year has been the film and pizza nights - movies with a thought-provoking angle to them, including “Simon Birch”, “Being There” and “Black Narcissus.”   We have a busy summer coming up – the work groups are about to arrive and with them a lot of opportunity for the church members to get to know them and to also become involved in the housing ministry. The lobster shed at Farmington Fair will be upon us sooner than we think and again this is another opportunity to raise funds for projects of various kinds. More improvements are in the cards too including the replacement of windows so that we can be more energy efficient.  We are all looking forward to a great summer.

LEEDS

We are settling in this year with our new pastor and continuing on with "mainstay" activities of the Leeds church. Our food pantry continues to be an important part of our community and a rallying point for church involvement. We have some new Christian Education programs underway, including one on Shalom and a Leeds/Hartford Parish program on the ecological crisis. We have some financial issues to address this year and probably for a few years to come, as do many people and churches, but with efforts such as the Women's Association's booth at Farm Days this August we are moving forward with activities that support the church and convey the character of "church" in rural life.

NEW PORTLAND

The town of New Portland, Maine, located in Somerset County and made up of three villages—West, East and North—lies along the beautiful Carrabassett River.  The town is known for its wire bridge, a graceful, still-in-use Civil War era suspension bridge spanning the Carrabassett.  The town supports two MATE churches in the West and North Villages.  In cold weather months, the congregations meet for worship at the West and in mild weather, the North. 

The phrase that well describes the New Portland Community church is practical spirituality.  This is a congregation that worships and works.  We meet every Sunday to worship, some weeks even when two or three are gathered together.  People have said that Sunday solos by our gifted organist and soloist gets them through the week.  We take time in worship to learn the concerns of the community which are then lifted to God in prayer.  Some years ago, the formerly Universalist and Evangelical United Brethren church sanctuary was divided down the middle.  One half worship space, one half fellowship room.  Both sides get plenty of use.  In mild weather, the church hosts a monthly Community Supper.  These popular suppers attract people from far and wide.  A big draw is the pastor’s own secret recipe pot roast.

Sitting next to the church is the Wire Bridge Thrift Shop.  Open every Saturday, this church ministry saw an increase in business reflecting the declining economy.  Money donated to the Thrift Shop supports several scholarship funds for local young people.

In a town that has suffered the loss of its institutions, the church remains as a reminder of the importance of community and as a persevering sign of hope.  We abide, as Jesus said.

NORTH TURNER

The North Turner Union Presbyterian Church will be holding a traditional Ham Supper on Saturday, May 30, from 4:30 – 6:30 PM at the GAR Hall in North Turner. We recently have completed our Heifer Ark project and have had a thriving Sunday School class since last November. We are looking forward to a great summer with lots of suppers, fun together and good work in the community.

WALES

We are looking forward to a bright future of discipleship with some new session members, deacons and pastor. We recently completed some well attended new member classes. We are beginning a new season for the parish youth group for young people ages 12-18. We had our kick-off barbeque with participants from Wales, Leeds and Sabattus and will be holding a youth worship service, prepared and conducted by youth in the upcoming weeks. The group will meet twice per month, any young people interested or adults that would like to help out from time to time should contact Rick Ness at 577-7025.

UNITED IN CHRIST

United in Christ Presbyterian Church is excited about the new programs and events we have planned for Spring/Summer. On May 23rd we will hold our annual plant sale for CATE followed by a supper at 5PM, both will be held at the Industry Town Hall on Route 43 in Industry. In addition, we are starting a book club, whose 1st theme is going to be “Bad Women of the Bible”, beginning on June 14th.  We are also hosting a speaker series called “Building Bridges”, including Herbalist Janet Edwards, a gardening expert and other people of note. More information will be available on the MATE website at www.missionattheeastward.org.

NORTH NEW PORTLAND

The North New Portland Church is “lookin’ good in the neighborhood”.  Having completed work on the steeple and bell tower, we look forward this year to completing exterior painting of the roof and main building. 

In early June, the New Portland and North New Portland Churches will move from the winter worship at the New Portland Church to summer worship at North New Portland.  We are planning our annual “Angler’s Service” which celebrates our “great outdoors” heritage and features guest speakers and stories from the upper Kennebec River region; and later on, a special musical celebration for the community with singing and various musical instruments to be enjoyed in the wonderful acoustics of our large sanctuary.

In July, we will share a welcoming picnic with the Flemington, NJ work group who are part of MATE’s North Parish Housing Ministry and who have been coming to North New Portland to camp out and do community housing repairs for many years.

As part of a three-church parish we have enjoyed sharing recent Sunday worships at Fairbanks Church for special celebrations. Our congregation is small, but growing and looking forward to new vitality and sharing with our sister churches.

HARTFORD

The Hartford Community Church is filled with renewed vitality as we continue to get to know and enjoy our new Pastor.  The Rev. Steve Hastings has brought innovative services and an imaginative ministry to our church and we continue to rejoice that he is with us.  His enthusiasm and deep knowledge has shown us ways in which spirituality and bible study are profoundly tied into caring for the earth.

As we move into spring and anticipate summer we are planning for our annual mother-daughter tea party, which is always a highlight of the spring.  Over the years our facility has served many purposes and we are starting to be short of storage space, this has led to a spring-cleaning of our Sunday school room and various closets, which will be just in time for our biannual lawn sale.  Our Sunday school had another successful year under the direction of Kristin McBride and before we know it Vacation Bible School will be in full swing.

This summer we will be hosting a work group from the Westminster Presbyterian Church of Buffalo, NY.  The Westminster Church has sent a work group to Hartford for over 35 years and the relationship has always been a good one.  This year some young people from the Sumner UCC church and the Hartford Church will be working with the folks from Buffalo.  At the end of the week of rehabilitating homes and stacking firewood several of the workers from Sumner and Hartford will accompany the Buffalo group when they return home.  The young people from Hartford and Sumner will work in a food pantry and do some rehab work in the Buffalo area.  This will be our first experience with this type of a reciprocal project and we anticipate that it will prove to be a good experience for everyone.  Over the winter we have been raising funds to finance this trip across the Empire State.

The Hartford Community Church is alive and well – we are blessed to have a new pastor and a congregation of actively involved Christians.