Belleville Congregational Church

An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ

MISSION OF BELLEVILLE CHURCH Centered in the inclusive love of Jesus Christ, we seek to be a welcoming, affirming, and healing congregation. Led by the Holy Spirit, we are inspired to grow and be renewed through our sharing of our gifts. Strengthened by God’s love and guidance, we strive to serve with compassion those in need, both near and far.

Please join us for worship, Sunday, September 1st at 10am in the Fiske Chapel.

Rev. Ross Varney leads worship. Children experience a mixture of worship with family and classroom time. Refreshments and fellowship follow after the service.

Whoever you are, wherever you are on life's journey, you are welcome here! Visit our website at Our e-mail address http://bellevillechurch.org [email protected]

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Contents

Calendar 3

Pancake Breakfast – Sunday school registration 4

Men’s Fellowship Dinner – Women’s Coffee & Conversation 5

Happy Birthday 6

Adult & Youth Choir 7

Thrift Shop – Board of Worship & Education 8

Ken Medema Concert & Fund 9

Roots Concert with Barrence Whitfield 10

Newburyport Choral Society 11

Chair Yoga & Easy Tai Chi 12

Ushers & Scripture readers 13

Coffee hour 14 2 Contacts 15

2019 CALENDAR

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10am Worship in 6:30pm Thrift Shop closed 6:30pm Thrift Shop closed the Chapel NCS Choir rehearsal rehearsal

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8:450am Pancake 7pm CODA 9am 9-12 Thrift Shop 6:30pm 9- 12 Thrift Shop Breakfast with Worship & 6pm Men’s Choir 10am Women’s Sunday School Education Fellowship Dinner rehearsal Coffee & registration 6:30 NCS 7:30pm Conversation 10am Worship in rehearsal Stewardship & the Chapel Finance 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 10am Worship in 7pm CODA 6:30pm 9-12 Thrift Shop 6:30pm 9-12 Thrift Shop the Chapel NCS 7pm Executive Choir Fellowship & rehearsal Board rehearsal Outreach will meet after the service

22 23 24 25 26 21 27 10am Worship in 7pm CODA 7pm NCS 9-12 Thrift Shop 6:30pm 9-12 Thrift Shop the Chapel rehearsal Choir 11:15am Youth rehearsal choir rehearsal 28 29 30 10am Worship in 7pm CODA 7pm NCS the Chapel rehearsal 11:15am Youth choir rehearsal

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th Sunday, September 8 at 8:45-9:45am followed by

Fellowship & Outreach will meet on Sunday, September 15 after the worship service.

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Wednesday, September 11th Gather at 6pm, dinner at 6:30pm

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Women’s Coffee and Conversation Saturday, September 14th from 10–11:30am, in the parlor

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September October

8 Virginia Lowell 9 Diana Grandoni 8 Erv Bode 17 Tim Dean 13 Denis Ipbuken 19 Ryan Overbeek 16 George Hangen 20 Lori Wiswell 22 Keith Conway 20 Ben Heersink 24 Janet Woodman 20 Keri Pennell 26 Emily Fay 25 Jim Utterback 29 Irene Bradford 26 Ross Varney 29 Colin Dean 27 Carolyn Kyle

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The adult choir rehearses Thursday evenings at 6:30pm beginning September 5th. New members welcome.

Rehearsal s begin September 15th after the 10am Worship service

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Come by and see what’s new! The thrift shop is

Open every Wednesday from 9 – noon – Closed Sept. 4 & 7th

The Board of Worship and Education is in charge of scheduling ushers and scripture readers as well as helping with some of the structure of worship over the holidays specifically Holy Week and Christmas worship. W&E oversees Sunday school and books for Adult Ed, communion supplies, candles, palms etc. Our group often works directly with Ross trying to meet his needs as well as the church community. We are akin to a Planning Board for the whole year. All volunteers to serve with us are most WELCOME. Contact Gail Gandolfi, [email protected] if you would like to join us.

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KEN MEDEMA CONCERT AND FUND!!!

For those of you who were here in the 2008 Bicentennial year, remember the concert? Remember how Ken incredibly is able to take stories from the audience and compose a song on the spot? even with some nice rhyming to the lyrics?! Remember that since then Rev. Ross recorded 3 CD’s in Ken’s home studios, benefitting from his amazing harmonizing and orchestrations. Well, a few of us would really like a return visit from Ken, and he has agreed to PALM SUNDAY WEEKEND (April 4-5) of 2020! Well, “agreed,” comes with a substantial fee of course, and that’s why we need to start raising some funds now to offset expenses, even as we hope for great publicity and large ticket sales! We could engage Ken any way we wish (within reason!) on that Saturday eve and Sunday. He could work with our choir; he could help lead Sunday morning, and the actual concert (publicized WIDELY) would be most likely April 5 Sunday afternoon at 4pm. Wouldn’t you like to be on a planning team? If so, please let Ross know. If you write a check one day (to Belleville Church), just put in the Memo line: KEN MEDEMA CONCERT FUND. Ken attracts almost all manner of Christians, though I hear he has recently joined a UCC church after growing up in a conservative Calvinistic church and school. He knows how to speak many languages of faith….. using incredible poetry and metaphors! Future newsletters will include more of his lyrics… but here are some words from a recent song: I wanna see the Real thing, I wanna see the big deal. I wanna see a church that sounds and smells like “Welcome." I don’t want to see one more institution, with promises and platitudes and pretty songs. I wanna see the God-life that can turn a soul around. I wanna see the God-power that can break the barriers down.

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Belleville Roots Music Opens Fall Season with Barrence Whitfield on Saturday, September 28th

Barrence Whitfield is a Boston-based singer who is a powerful soul singer and rock and roll disciple. He has been described as a “soul screamer in the spirit of , , , and early Don Covey.” Barrence has been busy releasing the critically acclaimed , Soul Flowers of Titan, in 2018 and Songs from the Cosmos in 2019. He is a musical troubadour who has travelled the world and gained international acclaim. Barrence has garnered 7 Boston Music Awards, including Best All Around male Vocalist, Best R & B Vocalist and Best R & B Band.

Tickets are $30 in advance/$35 day of show/$10 children 18 and under.

Tickets are available at Dyno Records, Belleville Congregational Church Office on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings from 9-1, the Belleville Thrift Shop on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 9 to noon, or online at: www.brownpapertickets.com or, if available at the door.

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The Newburyport Choral Society will hold its singer registration for the fall 2019 season on two Tuesdays in September: September 10th and 17th.

The registration will take place at Belleville Congregational Church Parish Hall, 300 High St., from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Rehearsal will follow and run until 9:30 p.m. Registration can also be completed online by visiting www.newburyportchoralsociety.org.

There is a modest member dues and music fee; scholarships are available.

For anyone who has ever wanted to join a chorus, or perhaps return to singing with others, this is a great opportunity to experience the warmth and camaraderie of a choral community.

The Choral Society accepts singers from high school age and up, and of all musical skill levels. NCS offers singers many opportunities to deepen their music appreciation and practice vocal technique. At each week’s rehearsal, the chorus receives expert guidance and instruction from Musical Director Dr. George Case, who is Director of Choral Activities at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Singers will begin rehearsing music for the group’s Winter Concert in December entitled "NCS Christmas with Brass,” which will feature music from different centuries and countries, as well as holiday favorites.

For more information or to register online, visit www.newburyportchoralsociety.org.

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USHERS

September

1 Gail Gandolfi & Audrey Clarkson

8 Peggy Utterback & kathy Raywood

15 Jean Kirkpatrick & Norma Dean

22 Gail Gandolfi & Kelly Burke-Anderson

28 Bob & Shirley Locke

September October 1 Gail Gandolfi 6 Ron Schmidt 8 Peggy Utterback 13 Carolyn Kyle 15 Sue Heersink 20 Lynn Varney 22 Kelly Burke-Anderson 27 Barbara Colton 29 Bill Silsby

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September 2 No coffee hour, holiday weekend 8 Pancake Breakfast 15 Mary Lou Tyler, Diana Bondar & Dorothy Williamson 22 Gail Gandolfi, Tracy Gorman & Bill Silsby 290 Mardee Beauparlant, Tim Conway & Karen Conway

October 6 Lynn Varney, Norma Dean & Audrey Clarkson 13 Potluck – Holiday Weekend 20 Martha Kelleher, Lori Wiswell & Ryan Overbeek 278 Gail Gandolfi, Sue Heersink & Sean Goguen

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Belleville Congregational Church An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ

300 High Street Newburyport, MA 01950 978-465-7734 [email protected]

bellevillechurch.org

Newsletter Submissions

Do you have an article that you would like to include in the monthly newsletter?

Church Staff & Contact Information If so, please submit your article to the church office by the 20th of each month. Pastor Ross Varney 978-462-4899 Office hours: Tuesday 11 AM – 12:30 Thank you! Wednesday & Thursday 10:30 AM - Noon; or by appointment.

Church Office 978-465-7734 Valerie Gates, Office Administrator Office hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Church Email: office@belleville -church.org

Website: www.bellevillechurch.org

Andrea DeGiovanni, Organist & Music Director

James Gorman, Sexton

Church Officers Contact Persons Sunday School Coordinator

Moderator: Kelly Burke-Anderson Board of Fellowship & Outreach: Trevor Souther Clerk: Kathy Raywood Martha Kelleher Treasurer: Jim Samuelson Board of Worship & Education: Flower Coordinator Collector: Norma Dean Gail Gandolfi Memorial Fund Treasurer: Board of Stewardship & Auditor: Finance: Bob Locke Hospitality Coordinator Members-at-Large (Ex. Board) UCC Delegate: Audrey Clarkson Shirley Locke & Ben Heersink 15