On Sunday, April 8, the Property and Finance Ministry launched the Paving Path fundraiser. The goal of this fundraising is to raise money to offset the cost of repairing and paving the Second Street parking lot entrance — a much needed repair project.

When completed, this fundraiser will earn $5,050. These additional funds will take a great burden off other ministry resources of the church, as we complete our paving project. How it works …

“Share the Light”

During the month of March we invite your giving to One Great Hour of Sharing® (OGHS). It is one of four special mission offerings of the United Church of Christ. This Lenten Offering supports the disaster, refugee, and development ministries of the United Church of Christ within Wider Church Ministries.

We recently shared via email a guide-book for a Lenten prayer practice called Pray the Day. We also promised to provide daily Facebook posts through Lent. However, Pray the Day is not a daily series, but rather a template for a practice of prayer throughout each day.

To provide that daily prompt for your Lenten spiritual journey, we are sharing Return to Me on our Facebook page, exploring the theme of “return” through several spiritual practices – with prompts suitable for children, too. Booklets can be downloaded …

An Invitation & An Opportunity

As part of our annual appeal for financial support, Pledge Packets are mailed to members and friends to inform and encourage giving to support the ministry of our church. The items in that packet are also linked at the end of this post.

Why give? One important document in the packet is a letter from our new Moderator, Susan Morrill, highlighting the recent annual meeting vote to explore some form of shared ministry with the United Parish Church of Fort Fairfield

The Annual Meeting of The Presque Isle Congregational Church, United Church of Christ was held following the worship service on Sunday, January 28, 2024. In addition to the ordinary business of accepting reports about the 2023 work of our Church Council and Ministries, financial reports, remembering members who died in the past year, and thanking those who had served in leadership roles, several actions were taken regarding our ministry in 2024: …

Our church’s Annual Meeting is a time to reflect on the past year, plan financially and programmatically for the coming year, elect leaders, and celebrate our life together in community.

While this meeting satisfies a legal requirement of incorporation, it is more importantly a moment for us to determine how we will follow faithfully where the Spirit leads. In this year’s meeting we will consider whether the Spirit is leading us to some form of shared ministry with the United Parish Church of Fort Fairfield.

For your reflection during the 28 days of Advent, we’ll be sharing content on our Facebook page from “Shadow & Light,” a daily Advent devotional resource from Vibrant Church Communications .

Each week you’ll be invited to use scripture, song, prayer, and practice to prepare yourself for the birth of the Christ child, discovering what is holy in the spectrum from shadow to light. Wait and watch (two Advent themes) for more information on our Facebook page.

The Christmas Fund provides emergency grants, supplementation of small annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “Thank You” gift checks to lower-income retired clergy and lay employees.

This year, our care and compassion will be especially appreciated by those servants of the church who are facing a time of need. It’s one of the UCC “5 for 5” offerings our church supports. Your gift may be made any time in the month of December. Follow the “Read more” link to learn more about how our gifts help.

In 2023, the theme for Neighbors in Need (NIN), one of our wider church offerings, is “BEHOLD!” This year’s focus is on environmental justice. Plastics, electronics, and other non-compostable wastes are being shipped across, and even tossed into, our waterways, launched into space, as well as buried in landfills. We can be better stewards of our planet! …

You may give to NIN anytime during the month of October. Please give generously.

From our Moderator, Calvin Hall:

As was announced in church last Sunday, we have arranged for the Rev. Dr. Diane Langworthy, pastor of the United Parish Church in Fort Fairfield, to partner with us and provide pastoral care for our church family on a part-time basis. …

We believe that this relationship can lead to even more opportunities for collaboration and partnership with our United Parish Church neighbors, and we look forward to working with Diane in the coming months. Please help us welcome Diane as a partner in our ministry!

Our church was vandalized on September 19, with what was apparently meant to be a hateful anti-LBGTQ+ slur. So, what happens when a church building is defaced by graffiti that is meant to diminish or harm others whom we believe are children of God?

Love is what happens!

To help make that love more visible in the coming days, and continue to reject hate in all its forms, follow the “read more” link to learn more about one simple witness we can all make to say there’s no room for hate here - or anywhere!

Our church embraces a different pace and practice for worship in July and August. This is in part to give a short break to those who have had primary responsibility for preparing and leading worship (including all the technical tasks) from September through June.

We have created some options we hope will fit your individual schedules — a little something for everyone. Here’s a link to a printable version of the full summer worship schedule.

Sunday, July 30, we’ll meet at 10 am at the Mantle Lake Park pavilion.

Part of the service (in-person only) will be an opportunity to walk the park trails or remain in the pavilion for small group conversations and reflection. Coffee and drinks will be provided. You are invited to bring a breakfast dish/treat to share, potluck style, if you are able.

For those who have difficulty walking, the gate on the driveway leading down to the pavilion will be unlocked at 9:45am for someone to drop you off.

[Note: New to our church and the UCC? You may find it helpful to follow the Read More link and see the section “What is General Synod?”]

“Making All Things New” was the theme of the 34th General Synod of the United Church of Christ, held June 30–July 4, 2023, in Indianapolis.

Details of approved resolutions on a number of social justice concerns, and other important actions taken by the Synod (e.g., electing the first woman to lead the UCC) can be found on the General Synod News website page.

The Strengthen the Church offering is one of the several 5 for 5 mission outreach appeals we make each year, supporting mission work of both the Maine Conference and the national offices of the United Church of Christ.

The funds raised for Strengthen the Church support leadership development, new churches, youth ministry, and innovation in existing congregations. By our generosity to this offering, we build up the Body of Christ.

We will gratefully receive designated Strengthen the Church gifts throughout the month of June. Thank you!

Saturday, June 17 — The Pride Aroostook Festival will be at the Riverside Park Pavilion - 19 Riverside Drive, Presque Isle. The festival grounds open at 3:00 pm. As one of the sponsors of the event, our church will host a table to share information about our Open and Affirming congregation. We’d love to see lots of our members and friends there to show how our welcoming message is more than words! See you there!

Sunday, June 18 — Worship (10:00 am) will be led by Meg Hegemann and others. It will be a Pride-themed service, and will include a service of communion.

While we worried about the weather, the sale was both fun and profitable for us, with proceeds exceeding $1,150.00. Many thanks go to the Welcome and Care Ministry, chaired by Carolyn Woodman, for organizing the sale; Sara Harvey for coordinating the Food Sale and Coffee Bar; Claude Brissette, Bill and Diane Deschesne, Peggy Woodman, and Susie James for organizing and pricing; Ginette Rivard for acting as cashier. And thank you to many others who shared in the work of the day. Items not sold were donated to the Hope and Justice Project and to Catholic Charities. Proceeds from the sale will benefit our local missions.

Led by the Welcome and Care Ministry team members, our church will participate in the City of Presque Isle Area-Wide Yard Sale on Saturday, June 3, from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. We’re adding a Bake Sale table as well! So, we need your yard sale items, and baked goods, too!

Proceeds from the sale will benefit our church's local mission partners (GIFT, Pride Aroostook, Hope and Justice Project, Homeless Services, and the Home Heating Telethon).

Follow the “Read More” link to get all the details for how you can help! And, thank you!

On Sunday, May 21, at 10:00 am, the Rev. Dr. Susan MacAlpine-Gillis will join us for worship to introduce a discernment process that will help shape our vision for the future of our church. The service that day will intertwine worship with our visioning and discernment workshop. … We highly encourage all persons involved in the life of our church to attend. Childcare will be provided.

Because of technical contraints, this worship/workshop will not be streamed. There will be other opportunities for all (including online) to be a part of this process of shaping our church’s future.

Presque Isle Area-Wide Yard Sale

Saturday, June 3, starting at 9:00 am

Our church will participate in the City of Presque Isle Area-Wide Yard Sale. Proceeds from the sale will benefit funding for the church's local mission partners.

Please note: no television or computer hardware will be accepted.

If you need items picked up, please notify the church office. Thanks in advance for your generous donations!

How do you want your life to be celebrated?

RESCHEDULED (from April) Meg Hegemann will hold a workshop on Thursday, May 25 at 6:00 pm, to help us through the process of planning our own funeral or memorial service. Consider this an ideal gift to your loved ones.

This will be an in person event at the church with a Zoom option for online participation. RSVP to the church office if attending in person. RSVP here for Zoom link to participate online.

How do you want your life to be celebrated?

POSTPONED (to be rescheduled) Meg Hegemann will hold a workshop on Saturday, April 8 at 10:00 am to help us through the process of planning our own funeral or memorial service. Consider this an ideal Easter gift to your loved ones.

This will be an in person event only, and will meet at the church.

“Mourning By Morning” is the fifth (final) video in our Lenten series of short devotional films. “Mourning” may anticipate Good Friday’s grief, which we will experience again, soon enough. But the song by Shellee Coley recognizes the story does not end there, in death. “Mourning by morning, … I am becoming new,” she sings. “Come and make us new,” she prays to God. That day is coming!

We also hear echoes of Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14) in the opening of Kelly Ann Hall’s poem … 

The Fourth video in the Lenten series, “Becoming: a Season of Rebirthing,” is “Only Just Begun.” The words and images of the poem in the video reflects Psalm 23. The song by Shellee Coley, too, with these words: "So I wandered throught the valley. I stood beneath an open sky, just looking for somebody to lead me through the lonely night.”

The creators point out that the video contains themes appropriate for Lent: a “willingess to be in communion, to wander towards blessing, to continue to learn.” …

The third video in the Lenten series, “Becoming: a Season of Rebirthing,” is “Story Like This.” Images in the song reflect the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), and images in the poem/prayer echo the story of God making water spring from a rock for Moses and the Hebrew people (Exodus 17).

The video also reminds us that the work of seeing our way through the hard times, the dark times of our lives, is constant, difficult, and can be elusive. …

Last week, we shared The Knowing, the first video in the series “Becoming: a Season of Rebirthing” that we are offering in Lent. The videos are the work of singer-songwriter Shellee Layne Coley, poet Kelly Ann Hall, and filmmaker Travis Reed.

The poem in The Knowing is a reflection on Adam and Eve hiding in the garden. In Wait For It, the poem is God’s response to them. …

(Update: discussion guide available)

As the season of Lent begins, we offer a visual liturgy resource for your personal reflection and preparation for the spiritual journey ahead.

The Knowing is an evocative song by Shellee Layne Coley, which overlays a poem/prayer by Kelly Ann Hall.

Click here and enter your email to watch the video - available through March 22.

As Lent begins, we’ve got a few events and activities coming up for both fellowship and faith formation. All are welcome!

Soup Suppers: … Monday, March 6, and Monday, March 27. Meals will begin at 5:30 pm. …

Book Discussion Group: an in-person group [reading] The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days. … at the church starting Friday, Feb 24 at 11:00 am. …