The Carillon United Church of Christ, Congregational

(585) 492-4530

Editor: Kathy May

April 2016 Ecclesiastically speaking - that is, speaking in terms

of the Church - after six weeks of somber reflections of self during the season of Lent and preparing ourselves for the celebration of Easter, the six weeks following the Day of Resurrection are, for many, a time of confusing let down. After all, how on earth does one top the miraculous act of God as God chose to raise Jesus from the grips of death? That’s one reason attendance in our churches traditionally takes a dive on the Sunday following Easter – a day called Low Sunday. That’s also one of the reasons why many feel that they have “done their due” until the next celebration of the Church rolls around – Pentecost, the “birthday of the Church.” Many have the mistaken idea that Jesus just “sat around” following his back-to-lifeness, waiting for his ascension forty days later. But what did Jesus actually do following Easter? What Jesus did can, I think, be put into three categories:

1) Jesus restored His disciples’ faith and gave them hope - Jesus’ crucifixion devastated His followers. In Matthew 19:27 Peter said to Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you.” And in John 6:68 he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” In John 20:9 we also learn that they “did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.”

From the perspective of His followers, while Jesus was being crucified, everything they had hoped in and believed in was dying before their eyes. So after His resurrection Jesus set out to restore their hope. We see Him appear to a sobbing Mary Magdalene in John 20:15-18. With one simple word, “Mary”, Jesus restored her faith and gave her hope. Then in John 20:19-30 Jesus appeared to the apostles and “showed them his hands and side,” which had been pierced for their sin. Then we’re told the apostles were “overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” They had misunderstood. What the world had meant for evil, God meant for good.

2) Jesus taught His disciples how the scriptures pointed towards Him - As we saw earlier Jesus’ followers did not understand what the Scripture said about Him. That’s why once their faith was restored Jesus moved to ground their faith through Scripture.

We see this in Acts 1:2-3 where we find Jesus giving the apostles commandments and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Again in Luke 24:27 we see Jesus, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, explaining to His disciples what was said in the Scriptures concerning himself. And again in Luke 24:32 where the disciples’ “hearts burned” as Jesus “opened the Scripture” to them. They once were blind to the truth of the Bible but Jesus gave them spiritual sight.

3) Jesus sent His followers out to share the good news- With their faith restored and strengthened, Jesus’ final instructions to the Apostles in Matthew 28:19 was to “go and make disciples of all nations” by sharing with the world the great things that Jesus has done.

Perhaps it would be wise if this Eastertide we – each of us- took Jesus’ example to heart and tried to do what Jesus himself did following Easter. Perhaps, instead of sitting back and idling in the fact that Easter is once again behind us so now we can “ride easy” in church and with our faith, we should do what Jesus did: try to restore the faith of our sisters and brothers and give them a renewed hope; spend some time in evangelization and relate how scripture has been indeed fulfilled with the resurrection of Jesus and what that means in a real way for all of us. Then go out and share the Good News of Jesus the Christ with all whom we encounter on our life’s journey.

And don’t for one minute think you cannot do this – you can!! By your actions, deeds and words, and with the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life you can and should be doing each and every one of these important tasks.

So – as Easter 2016 is now history and as we settle in to the days until Pentecost, don’t remain idle, my friends. Be active in your approach to Christ’s Gospel message – in fact, be PRO-active. Make it part of your persona to be an active disciple of Jesus the Christ for the whole world to see and notice. Not for yourselves sake – but for the sake of and to the glory of God!! Amen and Amen! Shalom, Pastor Bob

If you or someone you know

would like to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion at home, please let Kathy in the church office know. You may reach the church office at 585-492-4530 or via email at arc-ucc@juno.com.

Anyone from 9th grade up is invited to share with us in our music ministry. Rehearsal is at 8:45am on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings at 6:00pm.

April Greeters 3 John & Carol Abel 17 Tom Scott 10 Jim & Sheila Vrenna 24 Penny Rutledge & Gwen St. John

April Readers

3 Skip Tillinghast 17 Mike Tanner 10 Penny Rutledge 24 Jeff Mason

April Nursery Schedule 3 Sheila Vrenna 17 Kathy May 10 Denielle Romance 24 Amy Tillinghast

April Worship Coordinators 3 Wally Lowth 17 Margaret Homan 10 Ryan Bechdel 24 Jo Sixt

April Birthdays

1 Molly Holland 18 John Abel 1 Justin Schaefer 18 Jay May 4 Charlie Hobbs 19 Gloria Hewson 6 Madeline Hall 19 Debbie Roll 6 Tadd King 20 Skip Tillinghast 7 Kim Mortstock 25 JoAnn Sixt 9 Adam Romance 28 Jessica Lund 10 Cathy Dievendorf 28 Tom Scott 12 Bill Hall 29 Laurel Becht 12 Bob Wood

April Anniversaries 7 Peter & Connie Roll – 16 yrs. 25 Lloyd & Helen Knose – 35 yrs.

Pastor’s Fund

During the month of March contributions for the

Pastor’s Discretionary Fund have been given by: our church’s Easter Blessings and Pastor Bob.

This fund is used in helping area folk in times of need. Your donations are greatly appreciated and may be given to Pastor or mailed to the church, indicated for the Pastor’s Fund.

April Bible Readings 3 Acts 5:27-32 17 Acts 9:36-43 Psalm 118:14-29 Psalm 23 Rev 1:4-8 Rev 7:9-17 John 20:19-31 John 10:22-30 10 Acts 9:1-6, 7-20 24 Acts 11:1-18 Psalm 30 Psalm 148 Rev 5:11-14 Rev 21:1-6 John 21:1-19 John 13:31-35

WORSHIP IN APRIL April 3: 2nd Sunday of easter The Sacrament of Holy Communion Scripture: Revelation 1: 4-8 John 20: 119-31 Sermon: Does John Mean Jesus is a Zombie? April 10: 3rd Sunday of Easter The Sacrament of Baptism Scripture: Acts 9: 1-20 Sermon: Paul Paid the Price April 17: 4th Sunday of Easter Scripture: Acts 9: 36-43 Sermon: How Beautiful the Risen Body of Christ April 24: 5th Sunday of Easter Scripture: Acts 11: 1-18 John 13: 31-35 Sermon: Changing Times

2nd

Sunday Pot Luck

There will be NO 2nd Sunday Potluck in April. The potlucks will resume in the fall. We will announce a starting date through this newsletter and our church’s announcements.

Bible Study

Our weekly Bible Study resumes on Wednesday,

April 13 at 7 pm in the Great Room. As we begin anew, we will be looking at studies based on current events. The lessons should prove to be not only timely, but also interesting, thought-provoking and informative for all who join us. Everyone is welcome.

Baptism

On Sunday, April 10, we will celebrate the sacrament of Baptism for twins Emily and Skyle Heim at our 10:30am worship.

Emily and Skyle are the twin daughters of Joe Heim and Kari

Kramer and great-granddaughters of the late Jim and Norma Shelp.

You are invited to join us on this special day as we welcome Emily and Skyle into the membership of the Universal Church and enjoy a reception in the twin’s honor following worship.

UCCNY Women's Retreat:

"God Made Us What We Are"

Thursday, April 28th - Saturday, April 30th at Watson Homestead in Painted Post, NY

The reservation forms have been mailed, and we are

all looking forward to another Great Women's Conference full of friends, faith and fellowship. The Theme "God Made Us what We are" will help us explore how God Calls Us, Changes Us and Uses Us. There will be workshops on The Joy of Photography, one on Loss, Transition, and Change, and another on Starting Homeless Ministries in Your Church. There will also be an environmental devotional called "The Green Bible."

For more information, please see Pastor Bob..

Religious Service Award

Each year churches and religious organizations in the Buffalo area award Religious Service Awards to those who exhibit service to their organizations and community. The awards are sponsored by the Network of Religious Communities – a diverse ecumenical group of individuals and religious organizations who are dedicated to breaking the barriers which so often separate those of different faith traditions.

This year we, at Arcade UCC, have nominated Bev and Mike Giles and Wally and Liz Lowth. The 36th Annual Appreciation Dinner honoring recipients will be held Tuesday, May 3 at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens, 6461 Transit Road, Depew, NY. The cost is $40/person and dinner is at 6 pm. The keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. Brian Arthur Brown, author and theologian.

If you would like to attend and join us in honoring these 4 individuals, please make your reservation including your payment with Pastor Bob no later than Sunday, April 17. No more reservations can be accepted after that date.

Please consider joining us for a great night of fellowship and dining as we honor Bev, Mike, Liz and Wally. Vegetarian and gluten-free dinners are available – let Pastor Bob know when registering.

Tri-County Trout Derby to be Held April 16 and 17

Once again, the Arcade Area Chamber of Commerce

is sponsoring the Tri-County Trout Derby to be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17.

As we did last year, Arcade UCC will participate in this event by selling chowder and hot dogs. Thank you to Rich Vogt and all his vegetable choppers for volunteering to provide the chowder for this event! Rich’s chowder has proven to be a very popular food offering for the Fall Festival and now the Tri-County Derby.

Anyone interested in helping with this event, please see Rich Vogt.

A Reminder: The 4th Sunday of every month is designated as “Food Pantry Sunday” at which time we receive non-perishable goods for our Arcade Food Pantry,

sponsored by PAC. Please feel free to bring your items to worship with you on the 4th Sunday. Thank You.

FINANCIAL NEWS

Our non-pass-through expenditures in March included $7,469.23 pastor’s salary and benefits; $2,402.56 other salaries; $376.34 insurance; $320 village utilities; $240 half of State Youth Event registrations; $226.73 copier lease; $225 elevator service; $185 plowing; $166.50 cleaning; $164 gas bill; $120.97 printer and online service; $85.41 phone bills; $76.25 safe deposit box rental; $57 travel; and $39.50 UCC Yearbook.

Our offerings for Easter Memorial Blessings were $370, which has been added to the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund.

News from Dunkirk Camp and

Conference Center

April 3: Dunkirk Camp and Conference Center has many different camps for all ages during the summer. Camp Pioneer is for kids entering grades 3-6 and runs from July 31st to August 6. Youth have a chance to enjoy a week away from home in a Christian based environment and having lots of fun! Have your child bring a friend along to share the experience. New campers get a discount!! Register online at Dunkirkcc.com

April 10: There is still time to get an early bird discount for all week long camps at Dunkirk Camp and Conference Center. Early bird discounts end April 15. Register online at Dunkirkcc.com

April 17: Dunkirk Conference Center is sponsoring a three day Flea market June 3-5th at the camp. 8 - 4 p.m.daily. We are still accepting donations of items to sell or if you would like to rent a table 20' x 10' space for $20.00 per day/ $30.00 for 2 days/ $40.00 for 3 days - contact Ron Belier at 716-941-9183. We are also still in

need of volunteers for this event; if interested call Ron! OR just come out for a day to shop, and enjoy a day at Dunkirk!!

April 24: This year we have added a new family camp. A LGBT and Allies family camp will be July 3 - 6th, directed by Rev. Faith Schaut. This camp will be a place of safety, fun, and spiritual growth for the LGBT community, allies and their families. Enjoy time with your family as we seek to build understanding between religious traditions.

To attend any of these camps, please register online at Dunkirkcc.com.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Laurie Sledge on her 25th anniversary as our church organist. She began sharing her God-given talents with us on Easter Sunday in 1991.

Jeff Mason, Kathy Mason and Tom Mason traveled to Mount Vernon, Washington recently to be present as their daughter and sister, Laura Riquelme, became a Superior Court judge in Skagit County, north of Seattle.

Installation Service for Sara E. Campbell

Saturday, May 7, 2016 11am

St. Stephen’s-Bethlehem UCC 750 Wehrle Dr.

Buffalo, NY

A light lunch will follow the service. For more information, call 716-632-4226.

Arcade UCC to Host Western New York Area Churches in Covenant Spring Meeting on May 1

Arcade UCC will once again host the Western Area

Churches in Covenant Spring Meeting to be held on May 1. Arcade UCC last hosted this event in May of 2010.

The meeting will begin with registration and lunch served at 1pm. After lunch, we will gather in the sanctuary for the program “Bursting Into Bloom” – A Celebration of Ordinations, Installations and Anniversaries. Registration is $8 and covers the cost of the luncheon.

Won’t you please consider joining us? You do NOT have to be a “delegate” to the Western Area to attend. If you have any questions, please see Dona Roll or Pastor Bob.

$0.00 $10,000.00 $20,000.00 $30,000.00 $40,000.00 $50,000.00 $60,000.00 $70,000.00

Series1

Rummage Sale – May 6 & 7, 2016 Women’s Fellowship is organizing a rummage sale to

be held on May 6 and 7 from 9am – 4pm. All profits will be donated to the general fund. Everyone is encouraged to participate. The following is a partial list of suggested items that can be donated. As you do your spring cleaning, keep these in mind. Items may be left at the rear of Wetzel Hall any time on or after April 16. There will also be three gift baskets to be raffled off. Please have all items clean and ready for sale.

Clothing: Baby and children’s clothing – NO ADULT CLOTHING accepted. Kitchen: dishes, cookware, dish towels, pot holders, small appliances, utensils, heaters, canning supplies. Bedding: blankets, sheets, quilts, bedspreads, comforters – NO BED PILLOWS please. Home: afghans, throws, deco pillows, throw rugs, tablecloths, picture frames, knick-knacks, antiques, curtains, draperies, antique furniture. Bath: small accessories, towels, washcloths, bath mats, scales, shower curtains (NEW shower curtains only please) Electronics: DVD’s and DVD players, CD’s and players, radios, game systems, record players, fans, heaters, all in working condition – NO TV’S OR COMPUTERS Personal: purses, scarves, gloves, jewelry, watches, belts, etc. NO SHOES Crafts: All craft items – yarn, buttons, craft books, thread, trims, fabric, Batting, polyfill, scissors, etc. Kids: Toys, games, car seats, booster seats, high chairs, strollers, baby furniture Outside: lawn ornaments, urns, flower pots, gardening tools, lights, lawn furniture Decorations: All holidays, inside or outside Hand tools: Saws, hammers, drills and bits, trimmers, screwdrivers, etc. Books: All books – NO ENCYCLOPEDIAS Sports: Sporting equipment (especially kids) balls, bats, hockey sticks, shin guards, skates, helmets (biking, snowmobiling, motorcycle) adult and kids, skis, camping gear, hunting and fishing gear, sleds, games

WORKERS UNION The Workers Union meeting in March was most

welcome because we hadn’t been in a meeting since December. Many thank you cards were received from our giving through the holidays. It’s always nice to be appreciated!

After our concerns and celebrations, Pastor Bob gave a program on religious history. He always makes learning an interesting session. Dessert was great, too!

At our next meeting on April 13, we will tentatively plan to visit Phyllis Pierce at Jennie B. She has always been a very welcome, enjoyable member and we miss having her at our meetings.

Happy Spring! Gwen St. John, Secretary

Mary Hosford Fisher Women’s Fellowship

Nine members of Women’s Fellowship met March 7 in the annex at 1pm. Co-Chairman, Helen Knose, opened the meeting . Following concerns, Gwen St. John read a bit from Women’s Bible entitled “Starting Again at 65.” She included many concerns.

Notes from many were read including a lovely note from the family we helped at Christmas. Bev Giles brought some news concerning the “Tree of Life.” A brief discussion following.

PAC will meet March 16 following the Lenten Luncheon at Hope Lutheran. Coffee sign-up was passed around. Thank you to Building & Grounds for cleaning the kitchen floor. A thank you note will be sent.

Kitchen clean-up is scheduled for April 11 at 10am. The rummage sale will be held May 6 & 7.

Our next meeting will be held April 4 at 1pm. Margaret Homan, Secretary

April Gatherings

4 Women’s Fellowship – 1pm 5 Worship/Music - 6:30pm 6, 13, 20, 27- Choir Rehearsal – 6pm 12 Outreach – 1pm 13 Workers Union – 1pm 13, 20, 27 – Bible Study – 7pm 13 Building & Grounds – 7pm 16, 17 Tri-County Trout Derby 26 Council – 7pm 30 Community Dinner - 4-6:00pm NOTE: Weight Watchers meets Wednesday evenings at 5:00pm in Wetzel Hall.

The Carillon is being compiled, printed and mailed by a committee of three – Audrey Erick and Margaret Homan and Sheila Vrenna. Please continue to watch for the deadline date for your articles and reports and give them to any of the above members. We hope to produce a quality newsletter. Any suggestions are welcomed. The deadline for the May issue is April 17, 2016.

The Carillon

Published 10 times per year by the United Church of

Christ, Congregational, 297 Main St., Arcade, NY 14009. Pastor: Rev. Robert C. Dievendorf Office Phone: (585)492-4530 Office E-mail: arc-ucc@juno.com Website: arcadeucc.org Office Hours: 9:00am – 3:00pm (T-Th) Worship Schedule: 8:45am – Sunday School

9:00am Choir Rehearsal 10:30am Worship

Arcade UCC Concert Series Presents: Good Friends Making Great Music

Breaking Winds Bassoon Quartet

Monday, April 25, 2016 7pm

For more information or tickets,

call the church office – 585-492-4530

The Breaking Winds Bassoon Quartet is a one-of-a-kind chamber ensemble that plays original music for bassoon quartet with often-comedic performance elements. Dancing, pop culture references, skits, and accessory instruments set the joyous and sometimes surreal tone at BWBQ shows. The four women of the BWBQ began playing together in 2008 as undergraduate classmates at the Eastman School of Music, and since then they have developed a busy schedule of appearances at concert halls, schools, pubs, and community spaces throughout the United States. Their active Youtube channel has garnered a million views.