Pastoral Musings – God has given your church an energetic start this fall season. Attendance at worship is up and we’ve welcomed new people almost every Sunday into the worship and fellowship life of The Church-in-the-Gardens. We’ve launched an exciting Laity empowerment course, “Hearing God’s Call,” that has over 20 participants. We’ve begun an innovative Confirmation program for our teens. Our Sunday School teachers and BOCE leaders are doing an excellent job in bringing a vital educational experience to our children, even without the presence of a paid Sunday School coordinator. The World Service Committee has just concluded a very successful blood drive and fund-raising luncheon to provide money to our local food bank for buying food. Our Women’s Guild, once again, has accepted the challenge of organizing our Fall Harvest Bazaar and is in full throttle at work right now.

Your church leaders are working hard with focus and, it seems to me, more attention to seeking a godly vision and to setting goals for us all. I have been impressed that at every board or committee meeting I attend there are few or no empty seats. While we have slightly fewer members working in leadership this year than in past years, they are committed to doing their best for this congregation. They are asking the tough, self-critical questions we need to ask: how can we be more faithful as Christ’s church here and now? Which tasks are most essential? Do we need to continue to do everything we’ve done in the past, or are there some places where we can and should make changes? How can we do a better job of communicating the wonderful ministries that occur here, both to you, the congregation, and to the larger Central Queens neighborhood around us?

As always, we operate with constraints: time, money, energy. It seems people feel pressed, especially for time, more and more each year. While we may well need to take a hard look at how we organize ourselves, to see if we can somehow get more people into doing ministries and have fewer folks running the machinery of the church, the real resource we must tap into in regard to feeling pressure is the Lord. The story of our faith as told in the Bible is one of God challenging his people to increasingly rely upon him, and not just their own skills, intelligence, and energy. One of my favorite scriptures heroes is Gideon (Judges Ch. 5 & 7). Gideon hears God’s call and does what the Lord commands, but then dares to ask God, “Are you for real? Or is this just some dream or illusion and emotional high that I’m on? Show me a sign, Lord!” God shows Gideon a sign, and being very much like us, Gideon then asks for a second sign. Finally, when Gideon is sure he can trust God, the Holy One asks Gideon to be a sign for others: “The troops with you are too many…the people would only take

Come to the Annual Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance Sunday, November 4 at 5 pm

At this service we give thanks to God and remember friends and loved ones who have passed away. Led by Rev. Vanek and Rev. McDougall Olson, this one-hour time of meditation helps each participant remember and lift up to God the life of someone they have lost. The worship includes scripture, a brief spoken meditation, beautiful music, the opportunity to light a candle of remembrance, and prayers. It is a special time in our congregation’s life. Please come.

Fall Bible Study Begins: Prayer, More than Words

You’re invited to invest in spiritual growth through this six session Bible-oriented study on prayer, led by Rev. Vanek. The course includes Bible study, discussion, and suggestions for keeping a prayer journal over the course of the class. You’ll receive a handout each session. Does your prayer life need work? Here’s an opportunity to learn and grow in the company of others! Classes will be held on Sundays Nov. 4, 11, 25 (no class on Nov. 18) at both 10 am. and 1 pm., will be one hour in length, and will meet in room 102 in the Parish House.

Calling All Liturgists

The work of leading Sunday worship is an important ministry in the Congregational Church, where we believe that all persons may speak about God, not just the ordained. A liturgist training is set for Monday, Nov. 25, at 7:30 pm. in the sanctuary, for persons who read scripture at either service. If you are a regular liturgist, we ask you to try to attend for training, if you have not yet done so this fall. If you wish to consider joining the liturgist team then please attend this session.

Get Ready! Get Set! Go!

Golden Harvest Bazaar

Friday, November 9, 6 - 9 pm. & Saturday, November 10, 11 am. - 4 pm.

A $5 Luncheon will be served in the Tea Room in the Community House from 11:30 am. - 2 pm. on Saturday. Volunteers are needed to set up Thursday, November 8, from 10 am. - 4 pm; Friday 6 - 9 pm; Saturday, 10 am - 1:30 pm and Saturday, from 1:30 - 4 pm. If you’re interested, please call the church office (718) 268-6704 or Sally Maurer, Chair (718) 263-7125

Give Thanks

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

Our yearly Forest Hills area Interfaith Thanksgiving Service comes up Sunday, Nov. 18, at 5:00 p.m. Please consider joining your worshipful neighbors in this community for this opportunity to reflect on God’s good gifts, to us, our community, our nation, and the world. This year, the Thanksgiving Service host is the Forest Hills Jewish Center, located at 106-06 Queens Blvd, near the Post Office. Rev. Vanek and Rabbi Gerald Skolnik are planning this year’s service on behalf of all the Forest Hills Interfaith Clergy, who meet quarterly for fellowship and interfaith dialogue. Refreshments with your neighbors will be served at the end of the service. Last year when The Church –in-the-Gardens hosted the service, the congregation with the most people in attendance was the FHJC. This year, why don’t we return the favor? Please put this moving event on your calendar.

Local

Parish Resource Center $2,000

Hour Children $1,000

Queens Federation of Churches $2,000

Forest Hills Community Center $2,000

Domestic

Habitat for Humanity $2,000

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Successful Food for Food Picnic

$580 was raised at the World Service’s picnic. These monies have been sent to the Jamaica Food Pantry. Thank you for a Wonderful Day! ~Your World Service Committee

Socks for FLIP

Twice a year, the World Service Committee partners with the East 7^th Baptist Church in providing sack lunches to the needy residents of the Lower East Side. This program, known as FLIP (Free Lunch in the Park), is supported by a number of churches in the metropolitan area. FLIP churches were recently asked by the East 7^th Baptist Church to respond to an additional request. Each year they give out thousands of pairs of socks. Because they have been running short the last few years, they have asked the FLIP churches to collect and bring socks along with the sack lunches. The next Church-in-the-Gardens sponsored FLIP is Saturday, November 28. The WSC will be placing a "sock box" in the breezeway approximately two weeks prior.

International

FOCI – India $2,000

Face To Face Aids – Africa $1,000

UCC Global Ministries – Africa $1,799

Total $13,799

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World Service Food Box

In the breezeway are two big blue containers. Here one can donate each Sunday cans of food, and boxes of cereals, milk etc. These foods will be transported to the pantry. Every week please remember to help the hungry. Thanks ~World Service~

Blood Drive a Success

37 pints of blood were collected at the Fall Blood Drive, which was held at the Community House Gym on Sunday, October 7. The total is one shy of the record 38 pints that were collected at the Blood Drive this past spring. Many thanks to those who participated and to the members of the World Service Committee for sponsoring the event. More than 2000 pints of blood are needed every day to serve nearly 2000 hospitals in the Greater New York/New Jersey area. This need will remain dire since nearly 20 percent of the blood used in the area comes from other regions in the U.S. We are not self-sufficient.

The next WSC sponsored Blood Drive will be held Sunday, March 16, 2008. Please mark your calendar and remember that every 30 seconds, about the time it takes to say the Lord's Prayer, 10 people, perhaps a child, or even one of your loved ones, will need blood.

Boundary Awareness Training

Rev. Vanek will be one of the co-leaders of Boundary Awareness Training at the Metropolitan Association meeting of United Church of Christ Congregations, on Sat., Nov. 17, at the Congregational Church of South Hempstead. In response to the sad recognition that both clergy and lay persons within our churches have sometimes used their power in abusive ways toward others, all UCC clergy are now required to take this training (or provide evidence of its equivalence.) Boundary Awareness training coaches people to consider what is expected, and not expected, when they act “in role as leaders of the church and ambassadors for Christ.” It examines the often confusing gray areas of professional ethics (Can clergy accept gifts? Can a church leader ask another church leader out for a date? Who can touch whom, and when?). The training will be six contact hours over the course of this next year, and is available both to clergy and lay leaders. Rev. Vanek does this as a part of his commitment to the wider church, as a member of the Metro Association Ministerial Standing and Ordination Committee. Our church is a member of the Metropolitan Association, as well as a member of the New York/New Jersey
Association of National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (in which Alan Seltzer and Rik Tatenuma have been our lead church representatives this past year).

First Friday Prayer Time

Our next Prayer Time will be on Friday November 2. Please join us as we experiment with different ways of praying through the senses. This time the theme will be “From Taste to Prayer”. Before we go into the taste part by taking communion, we are asked to share a bible passage, a poem or something that gives us spiritual inspiration. We promise that you will leave refreshed and at peace.

Confirmation Begins

Confirmation is the process by which our church invites teens to affirm their baptism and come to profess their faith for themselves. This year we are doing Confirmation jointly with the Filipino-American United Church of Christ in Richmond Hill, pastored by Rev. Reuben Cedino (who preached here over the summer four times while Rev. Vanek was on sabbatical). Our church has six youth participating; the F.A. Church has four. The group met for the first time October 14. and it will meet four times this fall, and eight times between January and March, including two over-night retreats. The focus of study is understanding our faith and our role as grown-up Christians in our church. We will use the Apostle’s Creed as the outline for discussion and teaching. Confirmation Sunday will be March 30 for youth from our church.

Deacons Care!

So much of what our Care Committee does to help our congregation is confidential, so you never get to hear of it. We can’t help everyone, but we might be able to help you. For example, the Care Committee recently helped someone quite ill in need of house-keeping by hiring a housekeeper for them. Another person returning from the hospital received assistance arranging their apartment, as they had problems walking. If you have a need for help, please contact Dolly Arias, care committee chair, at 347-96-8250, or use the other side of the Visitor Card to indicate you need a phone call and place it in the offering plate at worship.

Deacons Corner

Spiritual reflection from the Board of Deacon’s meeting, Oct. 18, 2007

Taken from Seize the Day with Dietrich Bonhoeffer

A Tame Christianity

"Like a farmer who needs a horse for his fields, he leaves the fiery stallion on one side and buys the tame, broken-in horse. This is just the way men have tamed for themselves a usable Christianity." - NO RUSTY SWORDS

Putting God's Principles into action
Being a Christian is not just a matter of being kind and patient. It is also a matter of being tough, committed, and passionate. This is particularly necessary when things desperately need to change. And things usually do not change when people are only kind and patient, but when, along with such qualities, they are prepared to make the hard decisions no matter what the personal cost, and when they care enough to risk change. There are times when the broken-in horse may be of good use, but sometimes we do need the fiery stallion.

What the Bible is saying
When Peter came to Antioch, I told him face to face that he was wrong. Galatians 2:11

Thoughts
To be tough and committed is not in conflict with the spirituality that Jesus taught.

Deacon Goals: Increasing Membership and Community Outreach

The Deacons seek God’s direction in fulfilling their spiritual goals. We reach out to others who want to walk with Christ by making them aware of what it means to be a Congregational Christian. Recently the Membership Committee sponsored an Ascan Avenue street fair in front of the church, offering free lemonade along with church literature promoting worship, family-related and other activities. During October, New Member and Youth Confirmation classes were in progress. The second Blessing of the Animals service on October 7 was a success, connecting the church with the neighborhood. Care giving, another goal, is provided through the Deacons’ Fund, visitations, driving someone to an appointment, note writing, bringing communion to shut-ins and other ways of helping those in need. If you are interested in helping (there may be some training) or want to join the Deacons, leave a note in the office mailbox.

Book Discussion Group

Join us on the first Monday of each month from 7:30-8:30 pm in the Heuston Library, 2^nd floor, for lively discussions of the best of the classics and the best of the new. Mark your calendars and plan your reading for the winter and beyond.

November 5 – The Serpent in the Crown, by Elizabeth Peters. The latest installment “in her best selling mystery series to feature Egyptologist Amelia Peabody Emerson and her extended family.”

December 3 – Under the Tuscan Sun, by Frances Mayes. Mayes reveals the sensual pleasure she found living in rural Italy.

January 7 - The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion. A memoir of her husband’s death, her daughter’s illness, and Didion's efforts to make sense of a time when nothing made sense.

November Worship Schedule

$ Sunday, Nov. 4 – Communion. The “I Am” sermon series continues: “I Am Life.” Luke 8:40-56.

$ Nov. 11 – Laity Sunday. Lay persons speak at both services. Theme: Zacchaeus and Me! Luke 19:1-10.

$ Nov. 18 – Guest preacher the Rev. Bonnie McDougall Olson.

$ Nov. 25 – What causes us to be self-destructive? “Self-Destructive No More!” Isaiah 65:17-25 and II Thess. 3:6-13. Rev. Vanek preaching.

Adult Fellowship Events

November 3 – Saturday Soiree in the Parish House Lounge. The November potluck dinner at 6:30 pm and movie night at 8:00 pm has been rescheduled to Saturday, November 3. The movie, to be announced, is a musical selected by secret ballot of attendees at the October soiree from a list provided by Hal Christensen, who will obtain the one that is both available and that received the most votes. As always, please RSVP to Liz and Tom Mooney at 718-261-6385 to let them know what food or beverage you plan to bring.

Sunday, November 11 at 2:30 pm – Theater event: The Importance of Being Earnest

The Gingergread Players at St. Luke’s Church, 85 Greenway South; $10 donation R.S.V.P. to Connie Corson, 718-261-0736 Tuesday, November 20 at 1:00 pm - Lunch at PJ’S Steak House73-11Yellowstone Blvd. at Selfridge St, where Backdrafts was; 718-544-5757R.S.V.P. to Jessica Nelson, 718-263-8514

Recent Additions to the Library

Many thanks to Jack Quinn for once again making appropriate selections from Publishers Clearing House merchandise for donation to the Heuston Library. All materials will be available once they are cataloged.

BOOKS

Blessing of the Animals, by Diana L. Guerrero

Civil Rights Chronicle, consultant: Clayborn Carson

The One Year Book of Daily Wisdom

The Senior’s Guide to End-of-Life Issues, by Rebecca Sharp Colmer.

DVDs

Chicken Soup for the Soul. v. 1. Love; v.2. Parenting; v.3. Living Your Dreams; v.4. Eclectic Wisdom: Coping with Death & Dying.

Family Holiday Entertainment. 7 DVDs in 2 vols.

A Thankful Heart

We may enjoy the beauty

Of a giant redwood tree,

Or glory in the wonder of

A wild, wind-blown sea.

Our eyes delight in sprouting plants,

Born from tiny seeds,

Then separate each dainty flower...

Entangled in the weeds.

An ornate shrub in autumntime

That turns from green to fold

Gives promise of an unseen hand

Which paints the earth so bold.

A pristine scene no man can paint

Is Winter’s first snowfall

Where neither paw nor footprint mars

The picture overall.

Let us share the magic as we

Ponder Nature’s part,

For all are miracles that fill...

An ever grateful heart.

Angie Monnens