roundhillcommunitychurch.org Round Hill Round Hill Community Church Community Church @395roundhill The News Letter September 2016 PASTOR’S MESSAGE SEPTEMBER EVENTS On many summer nights of my RALLY SUNDAY childhood, my family and I would September 11 drag some of the patio furniture out to the middle of the open field next Worship at 10:00 a.m. to our home, eat dinner, and talk Picnic and Fun at 11:00 a.m. well past midnight. Those late night conversations under the stars often drifted in the direction of big questions. What’s out there in the star speckled night sky? What in the world are we up to? What makes life worth living? During this past year the Center for Faith Devel- opment at Round Hill Community Church began to wonder how we might form a faith formation pro- gram around one of these big life questions. In that process of discernment, we discovered that the Center for Faith and Culture at Yale University developed for Games Bouncy Castle its students a new class entitled “Life Worth Living.” Round Hill Express Train Rides That captured our imagination: what would it mean Ben’s Ice Cream Truck to examine this theme as a congregation that lives at the intersection of faith and culture? And to do so for an entire year! To design the program, we enlisted the counsel of John Roberto, an outstanding educator who helps communities across the nation with these kinds of endeavors. So this year we will have an opportunity to learn and grow in faith together by participating in a unique educational program that has been designed especially for Round Hill Community Church. Each month we will focus on a theme to help us explore the larger question of a life worth living. Our focus for September will be on gratitude, and in addition to the Sunday sermons on this theme, you can visit our website, roundhillcommunitychurch.org, to access music, book suggestions, artwork, spiritual practices, and readings to enhance our learning. continued on page 2 PASTOR’S MESSAGE CENTER FOR FAITH DEVELOPMENT continued from page 1 A Life Worth Living We are thrilled with the launch of this year’s faith formation program, A Life Worth Living, and I look “In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang forward to learning and growing alongside you as a question mark on the things you have long taken for we delve into this big theme. Please drink deeply of granted.” the resources that we will provide, and just as impor- – Bertrand Russell tantly, share them with your friends and family mem- bers and neighbors at Growing in Faith: Learn, Like, Students at Yale University can select courses from a Share. May our lives become more loving, vital and dazzling array of possibilities, but I wonder if many of compassionate as we strengthen the world by nour- them will be as beneficial as a relatively new offering. ishing our faith. This recent addition is a course entitled “Life Worth Yours in Christ, Living,” and it gives students a way to assess that most Ed important of questions from many religious and ethical perspectives. I am grateful to the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, whose faculty and staff have brought to reality this exciting adventure in learning. Learn This is how their leaders describe the purpose of the • Sunday sermons – Each week the sermon course: will explore one aspect of the current theme. • Website – The yearlong Faith Formation Today, more than at any previous time in history, the curriculum, sermons, scriptures, resources, question of the good life – what makes for a flourishing links, videos, and more are uploaded. (Perfect life – is a pressing one. This question once came pre- for those who like to learn at their own pace answered – by culture, by religion, by tradition – but and refresh their learning periodically) these days, we each have to ask and answer for our- selves: What is the good life? What does it mean to Like live a flourishing life? These are difficult questions that • Facebook – Join the RHCC Facebook page require intellectual muscles we’ve long let atrophy; we by clicking on the Facebook icon on our web- need one another’s help to ask and answer them well. site and then click the Like button. Each week we will be uploading videos and additional re- Starting in September, the Center for Faith De- sources to our Facebook page. This platform velopment at Round Hill Community Church, with makes it easy to share your experience with the full support of the Board of Trustees, is offering your community of friends. a yearlong examination of the question, “What is a life worth living?” Through sermons, classes, guest Share speakers, website resources, art, music, and literature • Email – You will receive a monthly email we will give you many ways of engaging this question: snapshot of the current theme. If you like what with one another, family members and friends, and you are learning, forward the email to your cir- on your own. cle of friends and family. Let’s start a dialogue. We will update you regularly with invitations to start and enjoy this journey of faith, and may all our As we grow in Faith together by listening to explorations help us to deepen our commitment to a sermons, watching videos, and reading scrip- life that is worth living in every possible way! ture, we encourage one and all to share your experience and spread the word. – Ed Horstmann 2 ASSOCIATE PASTOR’S MESSAGE All over the Western world, there is our second year of life and ministry here at Round the annual ritual of people returning Hill Community Church and I am beyond excited to to their normal lives at the end of the see what the new school year brings. Our boys, Jack Summer – from school children, to of- and Blake, will begin attending the Round Hill Nurs- fice workers, to politicians. Lauretta ery School five days a week (exciting for them and for and I experienced a very unique ver- Mom and Dad) and a host of programs and minis- sion of this in France, known as la tries resume in September. rentrée. Every September there emerges a renaissance after the August shut-down, a new beginning after long holidays on the coast and slow summer days at rural retreats. In the blink of an eye, life in France changes. Children go back to school, people return to work, and the rhythm of day-to-day life resumes. This is la rentrée – with all the optimism and oppor- tunity this time of year brings. Streets become busy once more, restaurants pull back the shutters to wel- come back the crowds, and a new calendar of cultural events begins. In many ways, life in Greenwich mirrors this ex- Our Youth Group will relaunch “Friday Night perience as summer camps cease operations, schools Live” on September 16 as middle and high school begin opening, and families hustle back from vaca- students from local towns come to our campus for tions and summer homes to “re-enter” the often fren- a fun evening of games, activities, music, relevant zied pace of life here in town. There is an air of opti- discussions, and food! Additional monthly meetings, mism and opportunity in Greenwich, and certainly social events, and meaningful service projects are here at Round Hill Community Church. planned for the start of the school year as well. The Contrary to the typical French experience, life did children’s ministries are also gearing up for a year of not slow down here during the lazy days of summer. growth as we anticipate the arrival of a new Director Far from it! Our summer at Round Hill saw the first of Children’s Ministries this fall. of “Friday Night Live” youth group gatherings; three Our plans will be guided this year by our church “On the Lawn” community events – Graham Clark theme “A Life Worth Living,” and September’s focus concert and two movies, with all three events averag- is on Gratitude. Youth will explore this topic through ing approximately 75 guests; youth group trips to Six discussion, testimonies, activities, and through our Flags and Mini-Golf; our annual Beach Day at Tod’s website at roundhillcommunitychurch.org/youth. Point, where we welcomed close to 100 friends for a Similar content for young parents, grandparents, and day of summer at the beach; our summer service trip children is avialable at roundhillcommunitychurch. to the reservation in South Dakota; and two search org/families-children. committees working hard to ensure the continuation I must acknowledge that summer has come to an of our amazing music and children’s programs. end and September is already upon us. However, let These exciting events and programs helped us us keep these words in mind from Helen Hunt Jackson; extend a warm welcome to hundreds of guests and “By all these lovely tokens September days are here, friends over the summer. In addition, thriving and With summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best dynamic worship continued each Sunday and five of cheer.” Thank you for the wonderful summer we new young families began to attend Church. What a shared together and as our tans begin to fade, may summer we have had indeed! our hearts remain full of summer’s cheer and antici- We are now fully entering a new chapter in our pation of an incredible year ahead! journey together. Lauretta and I are thrilled to begin – Dan Haugh 3 CHURCH SCHOOL AND FAMILIES “A child is not a vessel to be filled but a lamp to be lit.” Back to School Belongings RHCC Welcomes New Director of Children’s Ministries: Jenny Byxbee “How was your summer vacation?” “What did you do for summer?” These are often the two most asked questions by children on the first day of school.