Choir rehearsals will resume on Thursday, September 7 at 7:30 pm.
For those of you who do not know me, my name is Claudia Waite. I have been active in the church life of Burlington Presbyterian since November of 2016. Professionally, I am an opera singer and my roots in singing grew from participating in church choir since I was a child. My first university degree was in choral conducting and I was the choir director at First Presbyterian Church in Bainbridge GA during my graduate school years. I have taught private voice lessons since 1991 and, over the decades of my career, I have worked with many different volunteer choral organizations. I was asked if I would provide my services until a new music director is found.
I truly believe that anyone can sing! It has been said before that you need no prior experience to join the choir and I REALLY mean exactly that!! What I am hoping for is folks who want to make a JOYFUL NOISE in a friendly, supportive, musical community! The direction we take as a group will really depend on how many folks volunteer. If you have ever wondered if you would enjoy choir, don't let this opportunity pass you by!
Weekly rehearsals on Thursday nights from 7:30-8:30 pm.
Anthem will be performed prior to Message for Children and there will be no extended rehearsals on Sunday mornings, so Sunday School teachers and students would be welcome to participate!!!
If you are on the fence or have questions or concerns about the time demands of participating, do not hesitate to contact me directly by email or talk to me at coffee hour: I'm the tall girl … in the orange glasses … You can't miss me!
James will be assisting Claudia with the music for the Fall. He has been here a few Sundays during the Summer.
Justin VandenBosch of Chicago, and James Myers of Portland, OR, met in Denver in 2008, and moved to Boston in 2012 to marry on the South Shore, in Scituate. Justin completed his graduate studies at Endicott last year, and after five years with the MGH nursing team, is now a Nurse Practitioner with Commonwealth Care Alliance. As vocal coach/pianist, James is a member of the dynamic Boston Conservatory at Berklee opera department, and directs a substantial professional private vocal coaching studio. His students have secured roles with major opera houses, summer festivals, and prizes at international voice competitions. At Boston Lyric Opera he is coach and lecturer, coordinating collaborative projects with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Public Library, Boston Symphony, Beacon Hill Seminars, and Boston University. Justin and James enjoy outdoor adventures throughout New England and in the Colorado Rockies each summer white water rafting, fishing, boating, hiking, ATV, and camping. They are travel fanatics, having each visited 49 states, and countries in five continents. Justin speaks fluent Spanish having worked in Honduras, and James fluent German through studies in Hannover and Berlin. This summer they celebrated a friend's 50th birthday at a villa on the Italian Amalfi Coast, toured Madrid and Andalusia, and James coached with Berklee's Summer Opera Intensive through Placido Domingo's Palau in Valencia, Spain. This passion is only matched by their enthusiasm for good food, drink, laughter, and natural beauty. Lifelong Christians, they seek spiritual nourishment in Presbyterian and Lutheran settings. Their home is a restored historic convent in Chelsea, with regal kitties Caesar and Octavia.
We receive donations for the Food Pantry on the 1st Sunday of each month. The donations have been dwindling. Please consider purchasing some 20 oz. dish detergent, individually wrapped bars of soap or bottles of shampoo. The Pantry is in desperate need of these items. Your help is appreciated. Thank you!
We are currently looking for drivers and people to prepare meals for some of our members that are experiencing the need for help at this time. If you can provide a meal or pick someone up for church please contact Linda Roscoe.
Starting on Sunday September 17th, we will be placing all different kinds of cards out on a table to send to anyone that is sick or just needs a kind word and a prayer. We hope to keep this program going on the third Sunday of every month. We will provide the cards, the stamps and we will mail them. You provide the message.
The letter to the Ephesians tells us that Jesus came to proclaim a universal peace. While the earthly ministry of Jesus occurred in a specific age and place, the peace he shared is limited by neither time nor geography. As followers of Christ, our call to work for peace begins in our own neighborhoods and extends to the ends of the earth.
On Sunday September 3, we begin our annual Season of Peace. It culminates on Sunday October 1. On that day, we will be receiving the Peace and Global Witness Offering.
We have been blessed over the summer to have music provided for worship services by several different musicians, and appreciate the variety and each musician's musical gifts.
Some exciting plans are in the works for the fall for our ministry of music and you will read about them in another article.
In addition to those plans, we invite Middle School and High School age students to participate in Sunday services as worship assistants. Assisting in worship this way involves leading the congregation in reading the Call to Worship and Prayer of Confession, and reading one of the scripture lessons and the Assurance of Pardon. Rev. Trina and the class teachers are available to help guide worship assistants, and Kathleen Stegall always provides the written materials that the assistants need each Sunday. Please sign up on the sheet in Fellowship Hall and/or contact a member of Worship Committee or Rev. Trina.
Another way for older students to be part of the service on communion Sundays is to help take the offering and to bring it forward to Pastor Trina during the singing of the Doxology.
A new schedule for communion servers is in the works and will be included in the next issue of Crossroads and posted in Fellowship Hall in September.
The atrium cross was given a trim and most of the weeds were cut back. The atrium still needs attention around the plantings. Any volunteers with green thumbs?
The company that had been cutting our grass for the past several years has told us that they can no longer do it. We did a number of mowings during the summer that kept the front lawn looking well care for. All the shrubs around the church were given their annual haircut.
We had a locksmith look at the front side door and he fixed the lock so we can use it without it being frequently troublesome.
We had a tree service take down a very large tree behind the church next to the shed that over hanged the church. We also cut down two other smaller trees and trimmed back some brushes.
The unused gas grill and stand behind the church were removed.
The damage on the front walk was repaired.
The rhododendron near the play yard was cut back to fence level and several branches near the lines to the church were trimmed back.
The hallways and Fellowship Hall were cleaned and waxed.
Remember, if you open a window, make sure YOU close and lock it when you leave the building. Same goes for the playground door.
On September 10th our Sunday school classes will start afresh. Our classes for children and youth meet during the worship service after the "Word for Children". To kick off the year on September 10th, all our classes will meet in Fellowship Hall for a special mission activity. This year we will be focusing on local missions. We will be putting together some activity/learning bags for the twelve pre-school children whose families use the Burlington Food Pantry. We already have some supplies for the bags, but we need some additional items and hope that you will donate them. Here is what we would like to provide (appropriate for ages 3-5). Everything should be new.
On Sunday, October 29th Anne Boyden will be here after the service to lead Safe Child training for teachers, assistants & Elders. If you haven't had the training in the past 3 years, you will need to attend. We'll do it right after the worship service – lunch will be provided. The training should last about 1 1/2 hours.
Womens Bible Study will begin with a brunch on Sept. 14. The following week, Sept 21, we will begin the Horizons study of Hebrews called "Cloud of Witnesses: The Community of Christ in Hebrews". Please join us. We meet on Thursday mornings at 9:30.
St. Marks's Episcopal Church, 10 Saint Marks Road, Burlington, will hold their fourth annual Pumpkin Patch event during the month of October. Our church, along with many other churches and civic organizations, has been asked to help with the selling of pumpkins during the month. Our staffing dates are Friday, October 6th and Friday, October 20st. The patch opens at 12 noon and closes at 6pm. We need volunteers to sign up for two hours or more on each day. The hours are 12-2, 2-4 and 4-6pm. Please refer to the sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall if you can commit to helping out. A percentage of the sale proceeds go to support People Helping People. Please speak to our church coordinator, Ken Dewar, if you have any questions.
The Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is now available online for free at https://www.presbyterianmission.org/yearbook/. Printing costs became prohibitive so they switched to a digital format. This also allows them to keep current and to provide videos. Check it out and keep in touch with what the church is doing around our nation and the world.
FREE T-SHIRTS TO THE FIRST 200 WALKERS TO REGISTER!
Details & forms available in the office.
Give today to help Presbyterian Disaster Assistance bring hope & healing to Texas families impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is in touch with Presbyteries affected in Texas to offer assistance. We are standing by with resources and National Response Team members ready to deploy upon invitation and when it is safe to do so.
Please join us in praying for courage for those who are suffering; wisdom and diligence among agencies and individuals assessing damage and directing relief efforts; and for generosity to flow as powerfully as rivers and streams, as we respond to the deep human needs left in the wake of the storm.
In a great shock to his family, church, and many, many friends, Whitey Graham died suddenly on July 9.
The service of witness to the resurrection took place in a full sanctuary.
Our special prayers are with Jean, Alex, and Andrew, and Hazel, Christopher, Barbara and Ryan, and the many dozens of foster children cared for by the Grahams.
Our church family is just beginning to comprehend this loss, to the Deacons, the Dwelling Place, our cookouts and suppers, and so much more.
…swam with a team from the nation of Lebanon in the Rome and Jordan international meets during the summer, and did very, very well!
With great pleasure, the congregation will be providing Amina with a scholarship of $1,000 a year over 4 years in loving memory of her mother, Lynda.
Chancel Choir rehearsals resume on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. The choir meets from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays and at 10:00 a.m. before morning worship on Sundays. The ability to read music is NOT REQUIRED. All voice parts are welcome. Please join us.
Yes! Another year of exploring the faith with young and old will begin on September 13, with a rally for children in Preschool through Grade 5 at 10:30 a.m.
We hope that you had a good summer; it has been one for the history books! Now we move into fall and the CE Committee wants to give you a few facts about our program this fall. The curriculum that we are using is the same as last year. We Believe – God's Word for God's People. The class structure will remain the same as well. Preschool (ages 3-5), Younger Children (K-grade 2), younger youth (Grades 3-5) and Older Youth (Grades 6-12) all classes begin after the Word For Children.
On August 30, the teachers will be meeting for a workshop in preparation for Rally Day on September 13 and the first day of classes on September 20.
Positions available! That little "nudge" you're feeling might be God's call to be part of one of our rotating teaching teams, as teacher or assistant. For more information, contact Judy Brunner (781-275-8353) or speak to Rod MacDonald. You'll have lots of support, divine and human!
Bell choir rehearsals will resume Sunday, September 27, at noon, before if possible. We have lost a few people so we need some people who would like to learn to ring. Ringing hand bells is a good way to be part of the music program in the church if you feel your vocal skills are not up to singing in the Chancel Choir. We rehearse after church for about an hour. Show up or call me.
The Deacons would like to thank all the people who contributed food and supplies for Whitey's funeral reception and all who helped with set-up and clean-up. We are sure that Whitey would have been happy that all the leftovers went to the people at the Dwelling Place. Thanks to all.
I recently read an article in Presbyterian Today entitled, "Valuing Families." The article emphasized the importance of families and their foundational function of inspiring young disciples. Families are where kids first learn to model important values like fairness, equality, justice, integrity, and honesty. Unfortunately, making sure that our families make the most of the opportunity to instill these values is much easier said than done. You, as a parent/family member, most certainly want the best for your children and family, but we all face challenges that complicate our best intentions. Some of the barriers you may face are busyness, the current economy, unseen tragedy, disability, or personal issues. So what can we do as a congregation to become a community and make sure that amid adversity we can still value our families? Personally, I was raised in a family with many challenges, a single-parent home with a mom who was extremely busy and who often had more on her plate personally than she could handle. Even in the middle of economic and personal challenges my family was able to become a discipleship tool, because of my church community. Valuing families is a job for all church members. Parents, grandparents, adults, children, everyone should be on the lookout to help value families and provide a foundation of Christ-like living to inspire the youngest members of our church family.
For the first part of the year, the Adult Class will be reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship. The book is a study of the Sermon on the Mount and was written during the Nazi party's rise to power in Germany in the 1930's. Copies of the book are available at the church. We'll also be taking a look at the Barmen Declaration, assembled by Boenhoeffer and other leaders of the Confessing Church in response to the National Socialists' efforts to nationalize the churches – this is its 75th anniversary year. The class meets from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings in Fellowship Hall beginning on September 20th. If there is a need, child care can be provided. If you have any questions, please speak with Rod or with Mary Anne McDonald. Hope to see you on September 20th!
Our gifts to the Peacemaking Offering helped to fund a travel/seminar to South Africa and Malawi where participants learned about the effects of HIV/AIDS and ways PC(USA) partner churches are responding to the pandemic. Peacemaking money also supported a project in New Orleans to help the urban poor rebuild their homes and lives after Hurricane Katrina.
Twenty-five percent of the Peacemaking Offering stays in the congregation to support peacemaking activities. In recent years, our money has helped to provide Peace Scholarships for local high school seniors who have participated in peacemaking activities during their high school years. An additional twenty-five percent goes to Presbyteries and Synods for their peacemaking work. The remaining fifty percent supports the denomination's various peacemaking activities.
Your efforts in providing care and learning activities for our mixed age children's group on summer Sunday mornings were generous, and very valuable. And thanks to David Bielik, our CE/Families coordinator, who developed the activity plans around the parables of Jesus.
Session has granted permission to the Presbyterian Church in Whitinsville, MA to adopt the fine program for the safety of children and training of adults which was developed and approved here at BPC. The church found it to be just what they were looking for. Once again, our thanks to BPC members who put such time and care into developing and implementing our policy—Ray Gabler, Sue McGilvray-Rivet, and Linda Roscoe.
Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. – Organ Concert in the sanctuary. Nancy Timmerman will play works of Bach, Pachelbel, Stanley, Guilmant, Leighton and others. There will be a freewill offering to support the organ fund (to reimburse expenses paid a year ago in the purchase of our instrument). The music is different from that of the concert she gave in October, 2008. Please come.
Have you "fed" the Got Books box in the church parking lot on occasion? It should interest you to know that since it was installed, the congregation has benefited by over $1,250 dollars. The book collection organization gives us 5 cents for each pound of books placed in the box.
"God's Eternal Song of Love", a Service of Ecumenical Song will be October 25, 2009 at 4 p.m., at Gordon College in Wenham. Members of Burlington Presbyterian Church will be participating. If you are interested in singing, please let Nancy Timmerman know, as music needs to be ordered. Alternatively, music will be available at the regional rehearsals: Tuesday, October 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Brookline (Korean Presbyterian Church), Saturday, October 17 at 7 p.m. in West Acton (Baptist Church), Sunday, October 18 at 7 p.m. in Woburn (United Methodist Church) or Monday, October 19 at 7 pm in Beverly (Second Congregational). A final, "dress rehearsal" will occur at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 25 at Gordon College. The concert is free and open to the public. Please see Nancy Timmerman if you want to join the singers from our church.
Beginning in September, I will be helping people with food stamps, fuel applications, and housing for free. Anyone who needs help can contact me at coffee hour through my email address, joannejstp@aol.com. Please let me know if you need help.
During the months of July and August, worship services at Burlington Presbyterian begin at 9:30 am on Sundays. There is no adult Sunday School prior to the service. Nursery care is available for under 3 year olds year round. After word for children is 'Summer Celebrations' time for children in Preschool to Grade 2.
July 5 at 9:30 am we are delighted to host Burlington's United Church of Christ, Congregational! We'll be visiting their congregation in August.