When Ministers Leave

Volume XLI, Issue 28, March 26, 2014 www.hillschurch.org

WHEN MINISTERS LEAVE

The Hills Church is always moving. Church life is a river of the faithful: families holding babies and toddlers being baptized, and kids running around at community hour, and teenagers getting confirmed smiling at each other, brides and grooms sharing hopes, and if you look again there are always families hovering together, mourning the loss of a beloved member. Ministers are pastors and teachers, called to share lives, relying on God’s grace. As we experience church life we often remember special marker moments as well as the special ministers in our lives. In church we hear these personal memories all the time: I was married by Jack Wallace… Craig Adams officiated at my father’s funeral… I came when Matt was here…when I needed him, Pash just showed up at the ER… it was Judy’s visit and prayer that assured us that we were not alone in our time of struggle...Karin’s ministry has allowed us to discuss issues we had overlooked...it was important to have my son/daughter confirmed by Jim. This week Jim Brommers Bergquist ends his ministry at the Hills Church, and heads to Orinda, CA to answer his call to be Senior Minister there. As happy as we may be for Jim and the opportunity this new call represents, many of us are sad that Jim and Ingrid, Harper and Ellis are leaving. Saying goodbye is hard. Jim’s ministry has reached the hearts of many, opening up powerful experiences of faith in community. Whether preaching, unloading pumpkins or roofing houses in Belize, Jim has shown many of us a love for God and church. When a minister leaves, his or her departure may evoke other changes in our lives. Sometimes change in church feels a lot like loss in families. Many of us go through life with a file drawer filled with loss. Perhaps a friend or family member died suddenly; perhaps a childhood move left a good friend behind. Saying goodbye often echoes previous loss: an end of a marriage, job loss, or children growing up and moving on. Recognizing these echoes, and asking for God’s grace, can help heal us. One of the ways a church can model resilience is for us to acknowledge that life is filled with both joy and sorrow, and we can find God in both. As hard as we may try to keep sorrow out of our portfolio, we do not have control over every factor of our lives. Change is inevitable. People will move on or away. Children grow up. The river of life of a congregation moves along. The United Church of Christ professional code of ethics for ministers sets clear guidelines for ministerial transition. A minister is called by a congregation to care for members of a congregation, for a time. When a minister leaves his or her position, both the minister and the congregation must acknowledge the change in the dynamic, for new life to come for both. In the liturgy of farewell, the minister acknowledges the deep relationships of church life, and then accepts the healthy boundary of letting go of pastoral responsibility, and congregation agrees to release the minister. Our job now is to thank Jim from our hearts, for the blessing of his ministry.

The Ministers

A GRATEFUL GOODBYE FROM JIM BROMMERS BERGQUIST

As I sit to write my farewell Day By Day article, part of me feels like there is very little left to say. Yet there is another part that feels like I’ll never have enough time or space to say all that I want or need to.

In my resignation letter to the congregation, and in a separate letter to families and youth, I tried to explain the various pieces that opened me to accept the Sr. Minister position at the Orinda Community Church. In subsequent gatherings, and in my exit interview with an enlarged Pastor/Parish committee, I’ve attempted to clarify any points, and answer any questions that have come up. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that I felt ready for a new challenge; and with all the transitions going on at the Hills Church, it seemed that it would be best for me to explore that possibility in a new location.

As I’ve said good-byes these last weeks, I’ve realized again and again how many wonderful people there are in this church, and how much potential resides in this congregation. I have frequently been reminded of the power of relationship, as I’ve had time to reflect on how I have been changed as a person because of so many of you. And it’s meant a great deal to hear that I’ve had an impact on some of your lives as well.

I am proud of the many initiatives we have started together over the last seven years, and I hope that many will stay part of the fabric of the Hills Church. Some will run their course, others will continue to flourish, and other new ideas will spring up from church members and a changing clergy and staff. My biggest hope is that the energy and momentum continues to grow, that people of all ages make an effort to get to know the children and youth of our church, and that there is a continued emphasis on finding ways to build community, and avenues for service, in the life of the Hills Church.

This Sunday will be my last as minister to the Hills Church, and I leave full of many emotions. What I will hold on to is gratitude: for the people I’ve had a chance to work with over these years, for ways you’ve let me minister with you, for times of authenticity and realness, for laughter and creativity, for egg hunts, retreats, and service trips, for children and youth, for parents, for people who took a risk and taught Church School, or mentored Confirmands, and for the many memories and friendships I take with me.

On behalf of me and my family, I offer my deepest thanks.

Jim

SURPRISES IN THE PAST

She’s fair and petite, never was more than five feet tall. Her apartment at North Hill overlooking woods is full of lovely things…beautiful needlepoint and exquisite figures of angels and the Nativity, which she keeps out all year. She explains how she made them, starting with a cardboard form, then molding features and shapes using fabric soaked in paste, which, when dried, were sprayed with specially formulated gold paint. As a homemaker she lived more than fifty years in Wellesley where she raised her two daughters. She was active in the Women’s Association, loved doing the luncheons and dinners. A typical Wellesley lady? Well, maybe, but there are some surprises in her past. “I wasn’t like other girls. I liked walking in the rain rather than in the sun. I liked frogs and toads and wiggly things,” she explained, pointing to her frog collection. Helen Collyer grew up in New Jersey and entered Teachers College in Hudson, NJ, studying biology. As the term neared its end, arrangements were made to care for the department’s live specimens over the summer. Always willing to do her share, she volunteered to care for a four foot long black snake. Snake-sitting has its challenges, but she was up to the task. She got her grandfather to make a 4 x 6 terrarium that she kept in the house. And, since snakes have to eat, she arranged with a family friend who owned a warehouse, to trap live mice. These she collected and hand fed to her snake. And since she saw her charge as one of God’s creatures, she would pick it up and stroke it, and even admitted talking to it. While thus engaged as a care-giver, she came down with a case of strep. This was before penicillin, so she was quarantined for four months. This meant she had to stay in her house on the second floor the whole time. The snake was on the third floor. Her mother would prepare her meals on a tray, which were taken up by her dad, who also dutifully delivered mice. Once a week, someone from the hospital would come in surgical mask and rubber gloves to draw blood (hers, not the snake’s). She met her future husband, Harry James Collyer, at the Methodist church. He was a recent graduate of Tufts University with a degree in chemical engineering who worked in the area and lived at the YMCA. Once when he came to call, she was in the middle of a care-giving chore, and greeted him with the doorknob in one hand and the snake in the other. Fortunately, he had a sense of humor and a liking for adventure, so the relationship survived. Theirs was a happy marriage. She was always a homemaker – that’s the way he wanted it from the beginning. He loved jokes and kept a large collection of them. He would carry 3 x 5 cards with key joke words so that he could always bring a good laugh to friends and co-workers. Once he was assigned to work abroad, so they lived seven years in lovely Chester, England. During this time, his work also took him to Paris and Milan, where they were provided with apartments, and so she went along. Great sadness came with the loss of her adult daughter from diabetes – and later, the passing of her husband. Still, her fundamental nature as a happy person survives. She retains her natural sense of joy, knowing that life is a gift, heartily assenting to the suggestion that indeed “Life is a hoot!” By Elizabeth Robertson

EVERYONE IS A MINISTER

Helped by visits from Bill Spencer, church moderator, and Kelly Ford, Senior Deacon, our Church School children came up with some very convincing thoughts on this month’s Church School theme, "We are all called to minister."

We all can be ministers by sharing kindnesses, listening and helping out. The children have been searching for answers to questions such as, "So, how do you help out? How are you a minister in this church? Why do you do what you do?" Our guests were interviewed by the children and shared some fantastic examples of ministering.

It is awesome the children now understand our church has many people who care about them, who help each other and who are willing to serve. They learned the church IS everyone.

Below are articles written by two of our young reporters. You can read other news articles written by the Church School children in the Assembly room.

HILLS CHURCH CALENDAR

THURSDAY, March 27 10:30 a.m. Staff Meeting 6:30 p.m. New Beginnings 7:00 p.m. Copious Notes Handbell Rehearsal FRIDAY, March 28 7:00 p.m. AA Meeting SATURDAY, March 29 8:00 a.m. Women’s Retreat SUNDAY, March 30 - Jim Brommers Bergquist’s Last WHCC Sunday 8:45 a.m. Lectionary Bible Study 9:15 a.m. Children’s Choir 10:00 a.m. Worship Service – Confirmation Sunday – Liturgy of Farewell 11:00 a.m. Community Hour 11:30 a.m. Reflection/Meditation Group – “Spring Cleaning” 11:45 a.m. Hills Bells Rehearsal 5:00 p.m. Farewell Gathering/Open House in honor of Jim Brommers Bergquist 8:00 p.m. AA Meeting MONDAY, March 31 7:30 p.m. Board of Deacons TUESDAY, April 1 WEDNESDAY, April 2 8:00 p.m. Chancel Choir

SAVE THE DATE Our all-church production of "Noye's Fludde" (Noah's Flood) will be on Sunday morning, June 8 at 10:00 a.m.! Stay tuned for many more details to follow!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

REMEMBER TO RSVP FOR THIS YEAR’S WOMEN’S RETREAT: THIS SATURDAY, March 29 Come and spend the day with other women as we learn from each other and pray and reflect on the Varieties of God’s Gifts. This retreat will take place at the Houghton Chapel and Multifaith Center (lower level) at Wellesley College, from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Suggested donation is $10/person. RSVP to Cynthia Gordan at [email protected]

SPRING CLEANING – A REFLECTION AND MEDITATION GROUP Seminarian Maddie Downer will lead a reflection and meditation group focused on clearing out that which distances us from God and instead filling our lives with what brings us closer to God. This two- session group will be discussion-based, with some time for reflection and meditation, and will meet in the third floor Youth Meeting Room from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. this Sunday, March 30, and Sunday, April 13.

We’ll focus on the Holy and attempt to gain some clarity on the way God is working in our lives. We'll start by looking at our lives in church: Are there gifts and talents we have yet to uncover or have not fully explored? Please bring an item that reminds you of a time you were happy in your work, and for planning purposes, if you can come could you please let Maddie know ([email protected]).

ARE YOU GOOD WITH A HAMMER? HOW ABOUT A SEWING MACHINE? Plans are coming together for our big June 8 production of Noye’s Fludde. Dates are set. Yet we have to begin with construction. Are you good with a hammer? Do you have the right tools? Would you like to be on the ark building team? We are searching for help now with set construction (set painting will come later. If you would like to be involved, please contact Sally @ [email protected]

Also, at this time we are looking for help with animal head creation. Is sewing a passion of yours? If so, we need you. There are 49 animals mentioned in the Noye's Fludde opera. Creating these animal heads will be a creative undertaking – and an exciting way to share your gifts with the church. Contact [email protected] if you would like to help.

LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES! As we get ready to embark on the Ark, let's go find some inspiration at the movies. Come see the new movie “Noah” with church friends. All are welcome.

A flood of publicity has already been created around the “Noah” film and its impressive $130 million budget. The cast includes Russell Crowe, as the sailor himself, as well as Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly, and Emma Watson. Darren Aronofsky of “Black Swan” fame directed the movie. If the trailer is any indication, it should be visually stunning, while taking massive artistic liberties in creating details not found in the biblical narrative. So, let's watch with wisdom and gather for discussion after the movie. Showcase Cinema de Lux Legacy Place, 670 Legacy Place in Dedham. Noah (PG-13) 2 hr. 0 min. Thursday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. RSVP to Sally at [email protected] . If numbers are high enough we can get a group rate!

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRIES PLANNING TEAM On Sunday, March 9, the Board of Deacons voted to broaden the Children and Youth Planning Team’s mandate to enable us to consider best options for continuing our programming for children and youth during the 2014-2015 program year. Our goal is to develop - with gratitude to Jim Brommers Bergquist for the solid foundation - a new staffing plan that will encourage the dynamic programming provided by Sally and Jess, while at the same time, allowing the new pastor and congregation ample time for a more in- depth study of the needs of the congregation. The new mandate from the Deacons allows us the latitude to be sensitive to and reflective upon what Hills members shared during the three Ministerial Transition Planning listening sessions held earlier this month as we move toward our goals. The team will continue seeking input from Hills members through additional conversations with parents of youth and children and the youth themselves.

Current team members are Judy Swahnberg (Staff Liaison), Will Wilson, Becky Williams, Mark Fraga, Dawn McGrew, Karla Pastore, Al Persson, and Jane Tierney. If you have questions or comments, please email co-chairs Becky Williams [email protected] or Will Wilson [email protected].

WANT TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE YUMMY LASAGNA SERVED AT THIS YEAR’S PROGRESSIVE DINNER? Thank you to all who made the Progressive Dinner a success. Here's a link to the recipe for the lasagna that was served at the dinner. Please note that the "heat" factor can be adjusted by using more or less spice, and/or using milder sausage. (We used half sweet and half hot sausage - made by the owner of Casa d'Italia, 203 Newton Street in Waltham, MA – 7781-893-9584). You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/100988

Turkey Sausage-Spinach Lasagna with Spicy Tomato Sauce 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/4 pounds hot Italian turkey sausages, casings removed Spicy Tomato Sauce 1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry 1 3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese 2 large eggs 3 tablespoons whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 9 uncooked lasagna noodles 3 cups shredded provolone cheese (about 12 ounces)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages; sauté until brown, using fork to break up meat into coarse pieces, about 7 minutes. Add Spicy Tomato Sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Whisk ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, eggs, cream, basil, oregano and pepper in large bowl. Set aside. Spoon 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Place 3 noodles over sauce in single layer. Spread 1 cup sauce over noodles. Spoon 1 cup ricotta mixture over sauce. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup provolone over ricotta mixture. Repeat layering with 3 noodles, 1 cup sauce, 1 cup ricotta mixture, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup provolone. Arrange remaining 3 noodles over cheese. Spoon 1 cup sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup

Parmesan and 1 cup provolone over lasagna. Dollop remaining ricotta mixture atop lasagna. Spoon 2 1/2 cups sauce around ricotta dollops. Tightly cover baking dish with foil.

Bake lasagna 50 minutes; uncover and continue baking until noodles are tender and lasagna is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes longer. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm, covered with foil, in 350°F. oven about 45 minutes.)

Meanwhile, rewarm remaining sauce in small saucepan over medium heat. Serve lasagna, passing remaining sauce. From the March 1999 issue of Bon Appetit.

RUMMAGE SALE NEWS FROM WOMEN’S MINISTRY A quick glance at the church calendar shows that there is much going on in the life of the Hills Church in the next two months – special services of worship, farewell gatherings, confirmation, various dinners, an Egg Hunt, and in June, an opera! We are a very busy church! So that we all may turn our full attention and energy to the many extra and extraordinary happenings, Women's Ministry has decided to postpone this year’s Annual Rummage Sale, date tbd. If you've already started collecting items to donate, we will post a list of charities that will take furniture, clothing, etc. in an upcoming issue of Day by Day. Or hold on to them for next year!

We will have a luncheon on Thursday, May 1 to reminisce about past Rummage Sales, and to plan for the future. Lunch will be provided by Café Rummage, and all are welcome! Look for sign-up information coming in April.

Women's Ministry is very grateful for all those who have supported past Rummage Sales, and we look forward to working with you again in the very near future!

With gratitude for your understanding,

Laurie Stewart Otten Chair, Women's Ministry

GRADUATION SCARVES – IT’S TIME TO START KNITTING! Before we know it, our High School Seniors will be graduating, and moving on to the next chapter of their lives. It has become a tradition at the Hills Church to give each senior a red scarf, a symbol of the loving arms of the church which has surrounded them as they grow to young adulthood, and the love which continues to surround them as they go out into the world. Women's Ministry of the Hills Church will provide yarn and instructions, and invites parents, friends, or any interested knitter to make scarves, which will be presented in June. Please contact Laurie Stewart Otten, chair Women's Ministry, at [email protected], or 617-965-5875 for more information.

CLOTHING - AND A BASSINET - NEEDED The Family Promise Network has just notified us that they are in need of a bassinet to use for overnights in the host congregations. If you have a bassinet to donate, please call Judy Mongiardo at Family Promise directly. Her office number is 508-318-4820.

In addition, the Family Promise Network central office has notified us that one of their newest families is in desperate need of clothing. More specifically, this mother and her two children, a boy age 8 and a girl age 11, could use the following clothes:

 For the mother: a winter jacket (size XL), boots (size 7.5), sweaters (size XL), jeans (size 10 long), T-shirts, suits and pants (size L or 10-12), blouses (size L).

 For her 11 year old daughter: T-shirts (size 10/12 medium), rain boots (size 1), raincoat (size medium/large), sweatpants (yoga, gym - size M)

 For her 8 year old son: T-shirts (size 10/12 medium), rain boots (size 1), raincoat (size medium/large), jeans (10 long/slim)

HAVE A GOOD STORY? TELL IT TO DAY BY DAY! Day by Day continues to look for “free lance reporters” to write feature articles for it. All articles submitted by the close of business on Mondays will be considered for publication in that week’s issue or a subsequent issue of Day by Day.

A Grateful Goodbye

Please join us in honoring Jim and showing him our appreciation for his contribution to our church, for his dedication to service and for his love of our children. Jim’s gift of building a church community will remain with us forever.

Let’s celebrate Jim, Ingrid, Harper and Ellis’ new adventure!

This Sunday, March 30, 2014 Open House 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Heavy Hors d’oeuvres and Ice Cream Social Assembly Room

Please RSVP, indicating the number of adults and children attending, to Cynthia Gordan at [email protected] or 781-235-4424.

We would like to send the Brommers Bergquists off with a gift of money. If you would like to show your appreciation to Jim for his seven years of dedication to our church, please make your contribution payable to WHCC, write “Jim's Farewell” in the memo line and send it to Cynthia Gordan at 207 Washington Street, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481.

EASTER FLOWER DONATIONS

If you would like to give Easter lilies in memory of—or in honor of—a loved one, please fill out the form below and place it in the offering plate or send it to the church office by Wednesday, April 16.

You may donate whatever amount you wish. Checks should be made payable to the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church. Please note Easter Flowers on the memo line of your check.

My donation for Easter Flowers is given (PLEASE PRINT)

In memory of: ______or

In honor of: ______

Given by: ______

Mail your check to:

Wellesley Hills Congregational Church 207 Washington Street Wellesley Hills, MA 02481

Out and About with Outreach

We hope you can join us for one or more of these many upcoming events!

Get Your Hammers Ready! The next Habitat for Humanity Build is Saturday, May 17. If you would like to help, please contact Elaine Vildzius at [email protected] and get your hammers ready! Start Training Now for the April 12 Family Promise Walkathon! The 5th Annual Family Promise Metrowest Walkathon will be Saturday, April 12. For details, see the following notice, go to www.familypromisemetrowest.org or call 508-318-4820 Summer Mission Work Available in Karnakata, India Pash Obeng will again be leading mission work this summer with the Siddhi in Karnakata, India. Interested parishioners are welcome to join for as short as 10 days or as long as a month of service. Service opportunities are available in healthcare, education and development. Besides airfare, costs are minimal. More information about the convent that we will be working with can be found at www.holycrossconventmainailli.wordpress.com. Please contact Pash at [email protected] if you are interested in learning more.

Adult Education at the Hills Church – Winter/Spring 2014

Sunday, February 16 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Reception Room “A Faith that Sustains: Exploring Church and Community in Rural Ghana” With Nena Radtke, Hills Church Member Join Hills Church member and current Andover Newton Theological School seminary student Nena Radtke as she reflects on her recent journey with a group to Ghana, hosted by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, a partner denomination of the UCC. Nena will tell of her experience of community life in rural Kpenoe (“Penway”) among impoverished and pre-literate residents; how the group conversed with traditional chiefs and elders; how they interacted with residents of a cured lepers’ village; and how she experienced the rich but unhurried pace of rural village life. Wednesday, February 26 Dinner at 6:30 p.m. – Program at 7:00 p.m. – Reception Room “Introduction to Islam, Part 1 – Understanding Islam: Going Beyond the Headlines” Professor Ali Asani, Harvard University Our distinguished guest speaker, Prof. Ali Asani, will discuss key theological concepts and their interpretations by Muslims in diverse contexts. Prof. Asani is Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures at Harvard and Director of the University's Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Program in Islamic Studies. He obtained both his undergraduate and doctoral degrees at Harvard. He has been on the faculty at Harvard since 1984, providing instruction on a variety of courses on the Islamic tradition. Prof. Asani has been particularly active post-Sept 11 in improving the understanding of Islam and its role in Muslim societies by conducting workshops for high school and college educators and others. Sunday, March 2 – 12:30 -1:30 p.m. “Introduction to Islam, Part 2 - Visit to Islamic Center of Boston - Wayland, Mass.” Join us for the second part of our Introduction to Islam as we take a guided tour of a local mosque and observe their congregational prayers. Our host will be the Islamic Center of Boston whose site is just a short drive from the Hills Church. Scheduling information to be announced when available. Sunday, May 4 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. – Wallace Chapel Rediscovering Wallace Chapel, Part 1 – Organ Rededication and Chapel History John Finney, M.M, Director of Music, Hills Church Susan Walton, Hills Church Member and Former Moderator If you haven’t been inside Wallace Chapel you’re in for a treat. The chapel is one of the hidden jewels of the Hills Church. The beautiful stained-glass windows are surprisingly educational, portraying a history of the Congregational Church. The wooden triptych adorning the altar contains an exquisitely carved Nativity scene, and the wrought-iron lectern holding the Bible is equally of note. The chapel’s crowning glory is the Noack Organ, installed in 1984 and housed in a magnificent antique oak case built in Switzerland over 300 years ago. Susan Walton will introduce us to the chapel’s history and artwork. John Finney will give a demonstration of the organ. Co-sponsored by the Hills Church Music Committee. Sunday, June 1 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Wallace Chapel Rediscovering Wallace Chapel, Part 2 – Organ Recital John Finney, M.M, Director of Music, Hills Church John Finney will present a recital on the Noack Organ, giving us a chance to experience the glorious acoustics of the chapel while enjoying the marvelous sounds of the organ. Co-sponsored by the Hills Church Music Committee.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES NEWS AND EVENTS

DO YOU HAVE A CHILD WHO SINGS IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR?

Would you like your child to have vocal training at church? Is the 9:15am time not working for your family? We are considering moving the rehearsal time for the Children’s Choir to 11:15 a.m.(after church).We are hoping to increase participation with this time change, so we are asking for your input. Please let Sam ([email protected]) know if 11:15 would work better for your family or if you have a child interested in choir. This is a great opportunity for an aspiring singer.

YOUTH MINISTRY

This Sunday, March 30

Confirmation Sunday

Jim’s last Sunday with WHCC

All Church Farewell Gathering and Open House for Jim and his family (5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Assembly Room)