Light of God Blog – CCU in Lowell

Where have you seen God’s light shine?

Empowered by God — Responding by Grace: CCU Stewardship Message #1

Posted by author on November 8, 2009

“ . . . just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Cor. 8:7).

We are entering into our annual stewardship emphasis entitled, “Empowered by God — Responding by Grace.” During this time, we will consider how God has empowered us and how our response, by grace through faith, can be used by God, especially in the ministry here at Christ Church United.

Just what does it mean to be empowered by God? The Lord Jesus said that His disciples would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). That not only happened as He said it would, but we, too, receive God’s power by God’s grace through our faith in Christ as the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us. The words of a contemporary anthem by David Clydesdale and Claire Cloninger express this truth clearly: “Empower me! Like a rushing river flowing to the sea, Lord, send Your Holy Spirit flowing now thru me. ‘Til I’m living as Your child, victorious and free. Send the power of Your love; empower me!” (Copyright © 1984 John T. Benson Publishing Co./ASCAP. All rights reserved.)

As we experience God’s power through faith in Christ, our hearts respond. Our response begins with the realization that God owns everything. As Edwin Frizen stated, “ . . . Scripture is full of evidence that all that we have comes from God.” God is our Source. God is the Creator and Sustainer of life. God is the Provider of all that we have, whether it be life itself, the air we breathe, water which sustains us, or financial resources through which we obtain the necessities of life. On a daily basis, God demonstrates again and again abundant power as God “richly provides us with everything” (1 Tim. 6:17).

And what should be our response to God’s provision for us? According to 2 Corinthians 8:7, we respond by “faith,” implicitly trusting God to provide all that we need. We respond by “speech,” sharing the good news of the Gospel with others. We respond by “knowledge” through the study of God’s Word. We respond in “complete earnestness,” that is, through a demonstration of the sincerity of our love for the Lord. And we respond by excelling in the “grace of giving.”

As an example of what it means to give by grace, the Apostle Paul points to the Christians at Macedonia. These were poor people — dirt poor, poor as the proverbial church mice — who were commended by Paul for giving beyond their ability to give. How could they do that? The answer is found in 2 Corinthians 8:5 — “ . . . they gave themselves first to the Lord.” Giving does not begin with the movement of the hand to the wallet, purse or pocketbook. Giving begins in the heart.

In fact, this principle goes back to God’s instruction to Moses in Exodus 25:2, “You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.” This principle is still in operation today. As we give our time, talents and treasure to the Lord, we do so by God’s grace because we have already given our hearts to God.

“Empowered by God — Responding by Grace.” That was true of the Macedonian Christians. May it also be true of us here at Christ Church United.

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City Park Beautification

Posted by author on October 12, 2009

Come help Christ Church United and the Progressive Christians of Greater Lowell make their favorite city park, Kittredge Park in Lowell, a more beautiful place (Sat., Oct. 24, 9am-12noon). In partnership with the Annual City-wide Parks Beautification Day, our group will plant bulbs, care for planting beds, and clean the park.  Kittredge Park is at the intersection of Andover Street & Nesmith Street in Lowell.  Hope you can join us!  For more information, click here.

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CCU goes green online

Posted by author on October 3, 2009

Hi Green Christ Church United folks,

I came across this cool website called Earth Aid (www.EarthAid.net) and I thought it would be a fun way for us all to reduce our carbon footprints in our own homes, earn rewards for our reduction efforts, and compete with each other at the same time as an incentive to reduce even more.  This is how they describe it on their website:

Earth Aid empowers you to save money and save the environment by reducing your energy consumption. More importantly, for the first time ever, you as an individual will be able to earn rewards for saving energy and water.

So, go ahead and register for this FREE service and compete with me to see who can reduce their consumption more.  Let me know when you sign up so we can link our accounts and let the games begin!

In Peace,

Chris

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Sunbeams are back!!

Posted by author on September 12, 2009

Christ Church United in Lowell YOUTH AND FAMILIES—

Come One, Come All!!!!

!!! Sunbeams start TOMORROW – Sunday, Sept. 13th for all school-aged children during the 10am church service!!!!

Come and be a part of this exciting, God-inspired Christian Education program, based on the Workshop Rotation Model.

And adults, don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of this energizing ministry, growing in your faith along with our youth.

Please see our Youth Director Jenn Macy to volunteer to help as a teacher (3-week commitment) or as a substitute teacher (as-needed commitment).

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Contribute to your church electronically

Posted by author on September 12, 2009

Christ Church United, UCC, in Lowell has been offering members the option of contributing donations electronically since December of 2008.  We currently have about 7 families taking advantage of this convenient way to contribute to the work of CCU.

I came across a good article detailing the benefits of electronic donations for churches as well as church members…

Today, there are few good reasons for a church not to provide its members with an electronic giving option. Electronic giving offers important benefits to congregations while overcoming many of the risks posed by traditional giving.

The most compelling benefit of electronic giving is the increase in church revenues produced when donations are received automatically on a scheduled basis uninterrupted by travel and other commitments. Participation from even a small number of families can create a noticeable improvement in the summer donation slump and other seasonal shortfalls.

Other benefits include streamlining the weekly task of manually processing collections and reducing the amount of money and sensitive information that is handled and stored in the church office. (click for complete article)

If you are interested in taking advantage of this convenient way to give regularly to support the work of Christ Church United in Lowell, please read more about CCU’s StillSpeakingMoney program.

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Fall 2009 Reaching Out Newsletter of CCU Lowell

Posted by author on September 11, 2009

Summer 2009 Reaching Out

Newsletter of Christ Church United, UCC, in Lowell, MA

Pastor’s Message

Christ be our light, shine in our hearts, shine in the darkness,

Christ be our light, shine in your church, gathered today!

The song “Christ Be Our Light” captures the tone of our summer together at CCU, as words alone cannot explain the good, sweaty, shared work and witness to God seen during the months of July and August this summer. It’d be hard to top the awesome month we had in July, with our Vacation Bible School week, followed by Mission Possible. As a bystander of sorts, I experienced countless transformational moments among youth and adults who consider CCU to be their home. (We had wonderful participation from both the Lao UCC and Iglesia Hispana!) God was at work during these camps. Jenn M. planned for and executed two weeks for youth that truly opened hearts and minds. In addition to Jenn, many members and friends participated behind the scenes, making sure the facilities were clean, toddlers were cared for, youth were kept safe, children were fed, and more. It was a tremendous effort, well worth the hard work. We should be so proud of ourselves and for CCU, as we made July a month where the light of Christ brightly shined and brought hope and light to so many lives.

In a similar vein, August proved to be a month were the light of Christ burned brightly in our church. I was glad to be relieved of my preaching and worship leadership responsibilities! Although you did not see me on Sundays, I was in communication with church leaders. And, to my delight, reports of “light of God” moments were reported. Five beautiful individuals took responsibility for leading worship, including preaching. I thank Jenn M. & Rev. Ted Rasakham, Nancy B., Rev. Sylvia Robinson, Elaine C., and Judie B. for preaching. I thank our Senior Choir (Neil B., Leonard K., Lorrie G. and Stephanie G.) soloists, along with Kathy K., Heather S. (July) and Dick C., for sharing their musical gifts. A big thanks to the Deacons, nursery care providers and Ushers and Coffee Hour Hosts, for keeping the church “together”… all without me! Now that’s being the church!!!

Pastor Peter

***** Read the rest of this entry »

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Families living in hotels

Posted by author on August 26, 2009

As many of you know, Christ Church United in Lowell is undergoing an ambitious effort to convert its administrative building into five 2-bedroom apartments for homeless families. I just read an article titled, “Cutbacks pinch homeless programs” talking about how the need for assistance for the homeless has never been greater due to funding cuts and rising need.

“Even in areas without funding cuts, there aren’t enough beds, providers say. In Montgomery County, Md., 43% more families with children sought shelter in June than a year ago. In Boston, a record 248 families are in hotels, says Evelyn Friedman of the city’s Department of Neighborhood Development.”

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Going Green at Christ Church United, UCC, in Lowell

Posted by author on August 11, 2009

Christ Church United, UCC, in Lowell is emarking on an ambitious effort to reconfigure its church facility to accomodate church life as well 5 apartments for homeless families.  In the process, one of the goals is to have a facility that is much more energy efficient.  Read this article to learn about how other churches are “going green”.  Which of these other “going green” strategies can CCU commit to?

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Local faith coaltion outlines approach to helping homeless

Posted by author on July 19, 2009

Local faith coalition outlines approach to helping homeless

By Debbie Hovanasian, Lowell Sun Correspondent

Updated: 07/18/2009 06:35:30 AM EDT


LOWELL — Faith communities are in a unique position to help the homeless, says Brent Rourke.

“Many in trouble turn to the church in times of need,” Rourke said, citing a recent federal Housing and Urban Development survey. When those in danger of losing their homes were asked who they’d turn to first for help, the second most popular answer was their pastor.

The problem is becoming a crisis, says Rourke, of the SHIFT Coalition, a part of Community Teamwork, Inc.

More than 2,800 homeless families in Massachusetts are being housed in the state shelter system; an additional 836 are living in motels, according to statistics released on July 1 from the Massachusetts advocacy group Homes for Families.

Those numbers don’t even account for the thousands of homeless adults living in Massachusetts, according to Rourke.

“This is an all-time high,” he said.

Since March, the Greater Lowell Interfaith Partnership to End Homelessness (GLIPH) has been working to enlist local faith communities in finding solutions.

On Sunday, GLIPH and the Merrimack Valley Project hosted a barbecue on the lawn of Christ Church United in Lowell, where attendees — many new to the partnership — networked and shared ideas, Rourke said.

“The talk about GLIPH really took on a life of its own. People were very interested in what we’ve done, our plans for the future, and how they can get involved.”

Attendees also added to a collection of more than 200 pairs of clean cotton socks for the homeless living at the Lowell Transitional Living Center. Donated socks — a staple for homeless people struggling with rain-soaked feet, ill-fitting shoes, constant standing and disease — “are still coming in,” Rourke said.

GLIPH is working to address homelessness in three ways: prevention, legislative advocacy and Direct Service.

Each is a critical step in advocating for the homeless and they build upon each other, Rourke said.

Direct services, such as volunteering at soup kitchens, “won’t end homelessness, but they improve their quality of life. It also touches the heart and leads people to get more involved in the root causes of homelessness and in legislative advocacy. Legislative advocacy and prevention are what is going to put an end to homelessness.”

By October, GLIPH will make it easier for faith communities to learn how they can make a difference through direct services, legislative advocacy and prevention. A Web site, funded by a grant from One Family Inc. and the Episcopal City Mission of Boston, will connect GLIPH to the Merrimack Valley Regional Network to End Homelessness, a state-driven initiative to end homelessness across the state.

“Any faith community who wants to know how to get involved in ending homelessness, this (web site) will show volunteer opportunities, events and legislative issues,” Rourke said.

Brent Rourke can be reached at 978-459-0551 or e-mail brourke@comteam.org

Full Story: Lowell Sun

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Lowell Church Dons Poodle Skirts for the Food Pantry

Posted by author on July 19, 2009

Lowell Church Dons Poodle Skirts for the Food Pantry

Member’s Birthday Wish of Feeding the Hungry Comes True

Lowell Elvis When Karen Stairs turned 50 years old, she did not want to be known as ‘over the hill’ so instead she went back to ‘Blueberry Hill‘ to find her thrill.For her half-century birthday, Stairs’ wish was to help end hunger in the Lowell area. To help make that wish come true, she threw a 50’s Sock Hop/School Dance party for the community with proceeds to benefit The Open Pantry of Greater Lowell — and the members of Christ Church United in Lowell pitched in.

The Open Pantry serves over 1,500 people each month and more than one-third of those helped are children.

Stairs, a former Head Start teacher and daycare provider, is a single mom who raised four children. During that time, however, she never had to worry about feeding her own children. Family, friends, church family and co-workers would never let them go hungry, and Stairs felt blessed to have that community around her. The story, however, was not so happy for other families with whom she was acquainted.

“I saw many families that were hungry. Sometimes the only food the children in my classroom had was supplied by the Head Start program,” Stairs explained. “One day I saw a little boy put mashed potatoes in his pocket to take home for his little sister to eat. From that day, I have made it my mission to help end hunger when and where I could.”

The Sock Hop was held at Christ Church United in Lowell. During the dance, there was an old fashioned “School Bake Sale,” a silent auction and a raffle. The mayor of Lowell, “Bud” Caulfield, acted as Honorary “Principal” for the evening. Members of the church helped set up and clean up, provided auction and raffle items, sold tickets, and bought tickets. The youth group ran the bake sale. Two members even appeared in costume as Elvis Presley. The Rev. Dr. Peter Lovett, the pastor of Christ Church, served as the master of ceremonies and was dubbed the “Dick Clark” of the event.

“This was a great opportunity for our ChristCare Small Group Ministry to support Karen and her vision,” said Lovett. “But what really amazed me was the support from the community. We underestimated the meaning to an urban community of an event like this — a reasonably priced source of entertainment and fun. Over one hundred people showed up; a lot of strangers came to support Karen and were not bashful about getting out on the floor and dancing. It was amazing.”

Stairs calculates it cost $160 out of pocket, for flyers, raffle tickets, decorations, dance tickets, and miscellaneous items to run the party. A DJ volunteered to play the music. Tickets cost $15.50 per adult and $5.50 for children under 12 years old.

“I couldn’t believe how fast we filled up the red thermometer,” said Lovett. “We eclipsed the projected proceeds of $1,500 and just blew that goal out of the water.”

Over $3,100.00 was raised at the event — not counting the food pantry items people brought to the party — and checks are still coming in. According to Stairs, since The Open Pantry receives major discounts on the food they purchase, $3,000 translates into approximately $30,000 worth of food the Open Pantry will now be able to purchase for the hungry individuals and families in the community.

“In our vision quest last year the congregation concluded that Christ Church stands for: Being Loved by God, Loving Our Neighbors and Walking in the way of Justice. That is what we are all about,” said Stairs. “I knew that I needed to do something I was passionate about — that is making sure that no one goes hungry. That is why I did it and I am hoping that the word will spread and people will think about doing something like this for the milestones in their own lives.”

It looks like Karen Stairs’ birthday wish is already starting to come true.

The Rev. Dr. Peter Lovett can be reached at the church office at (978) 459-9631 or Email: revlovett@cculowell.org.

“Source: Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ, www.macucc.org/spotlight”

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