If you haven’t purchased your opportunity to win the 18th annual quilt by Old Parish Quilters, hurry now!!!!!! The queen/king size “Garden Path” on display in Fellowship Hall will be awarded at the Sheffield Fair on Saturday, September 11th @ 6PM. Ticket sales are a bit slow this year, so help us out by selling some as well as your own support. Need tickets? Contact Marion.

Just as it ends the planning begins again so if the spirit moves you please join in the planning for next years show.

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Formal Church Directory:

Marion Whitman has volunteered to administer this project. It was decided that we need to review the on-line option, but as the feasibility of this option is reviewed, we can begin to organize the materials, procedure(s), forms, and copy necessary for putting this directory together. We do need a photographer and editor to work with Marion on this project, so we are looking for volunteers that have strengths or talents in these areas. Please see Dale Alden if you are able to help us. It is the same procedures that Christ Church used to produce their directory.

Deacon:

Any member of Old Parish, interested in this opportunity to serve as a deacon, just let us know!

Old Parish Church was fortunate in being notified of this hazardous situation so corrective action could be taken as soon as possible to reduce a fire hazard and potential loss of the building.

The recent replacement of the1800’s ‘Knob & Tube’ vintage wiring and additional old wiring updates has allowed us to preserve Old Parish Church.

The wiring upgrade was without a doubt necessary and the unexpected $6,636.00 expense was a necessary preservation investment.

The Trustees are, therefore, seeking your help to reduce this unexpected $6,636.00 expense.

Please help us preserve Old Parish Church for your family, friends and community for generations to come by making a donation to the Old Parish Church Preservation Rewiring Fund.

DONATION – OLD PARISH CHURCH PRESERVATION REWIRING FUND

Name : ________________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________

Amount Enclosed: _______________________________________________________________

Please note on your check: “Old Parish Church Rewiring Fund.”

Mail your slip and your donation to :

Old Parish Church
PO Box 387, Sheffield , MA 01257

~ THANK YOU ~

On May 23 the Strengthening the Church Offering will be received. Half of what is collected stays in the Mass. UCC to help our own church growth. Envelopes are available on the table at the rear of the Sanctuary if you need one. Otherwise, send your offering to the church office, designating so on the check’s memo line. Results will be in next month’s Messenger. Thank you.

The MAUCC partnership with the Pentecostal Church of Chili is hoping to raise funds for “Blessing Cabins” for those displaced in their recent earthquake. Donations will go through our Berkshire Association. Rev. Jill and the Mission Committee have committed $500, 1/3 of the cost of a cabin. Please make your contribution soon.

Tom Driver will speak on Thursday, June 10 at 7pm. The subject is Anti-torture. Come and join us for this informative discussion. Dessert and coffee will be served.

Should you have concerns, please contact co-chairman, Sandra Alden and Becky Schopp.

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Your committee has been busy during March and April.

First of all, word went out early this year that health and layette kits were needed for the people of Haiti who lost everything in the earthquake. We have packaged several boxes and they are about every to be delivered to the Ludlow western area office via Pastor Jill. From there, they will be delivered to the warehouse in Baltimore. Old Parish is known for its generosity in times of need. Thanks to all who helped make this very worthwhile project such a success. The exact number of kits will follow.

In March the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering was collected. This special UCC offering, as part of Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM), carries God’s message of love and hope to people in more than 80 countries. The UCC works with international partners to provide, food, clean water, education and health care, and so much more for refugees and displaced persons. This year OPC collected $582, nearly $100 more than 2009. Again thanks to all for your support.

Jill has brought to our attention that since the earthquake in Chile, there is a need for housing there. You may remember that the Massachusetts Conference of the UCC is in partnership with the Pentecostal Church of Chile. Jill talks of this special project of funding homes for 300 families in her message. The houses cost $1,500 each. She has already committed $250 and the Mission committee has voted to use $250 of their discretionary fund. We are already one-third of our way to funding one house. We hope that OPC will support this project and build at least one house in Chile.

This month Strengthen the Church Offering will be received. Your gift to STC builds the UCC’s future now by funding the Still speaking Ministry, new and renewing churches, youth and young adult ministries, and lay and pastoral leadership formation, especially among women and people of color. Leaflets and envelopes are available.

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The One great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) Offering, administered by Wider ChurchMinistries, is the refugee, relief and developement fund of the United Church of Christ. It provides support to people in more than eighty countries. The 2010 OGHS theme is inspired by John 21:15-17 when Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” If you are familiar with this scripture, you may know that after Peter confesses to loving Jesus, Jesus tells him, “Feed my sheep.” We too are called to care for all who are in need, just as God cares for each of us. You, the members and friends of Old Parish have always generously answered this call. As the March 14 One Great Hour of Sharing date approaches, please consider, once again, sharing your gifts with the hungry and thirsty, fearful and oppressed.

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Twelve years ago the members of Old Parish Church embarked on a remarkable mission ministry reaching individuals in need far from our home. Each of these 12 years, members of OP were asked to support the India Old Age Project and as is usual for our members, the giving was always generous. Old Parish, through the missions committee, has received regular correspondence from Sudhaker Telore, the program coordinator, over the years. His latest letter is posted on the Mission board in the social room. He has indicated through this letter and e-mails that the India Project has been finalized. He has been extremely grateful for the generosity of the members of Old Parish over the years and thanks you all for your commitment.

The History of the O.P. Indian Old-Age Project

(The following “history” was provided by Sally Kelly)

In the late 70’s the Mission Committee was inspired to raise over $1500 for a well to be dug in a village in India. This came about because of inspiration from visiting missionaries, first the Rev. Gifford Towle and then a protege of his, Sudhakar Telore. A well was built in a small village under Sudhakar’s leadership and had a sign which read “Abundant Living Water from Friends in Sheffield, Mass.” King and Sally Kelly corresponded with Sudhakar for 15 years, and became interested in his family. All this time Sudhakar never asked for money so it was truly a friendship that was established.

The Kellys’ trip in 1996 was the trip of a lifetime for them. They experienced life in Osmanabad, India and particularly Sudhakar’s mission work helping the poorest of the poor, educating children and women, providing shepherds with starter sheep, and many other programs. When the Kellys returned to Sheffield, the mission committee decided to ask Sudhakar how they could help him. He responded by suggesting we could help by supplying wherewithal for him to start an Old-Age Project. He said there were many old people who had no children to look after them and were destitute. With our support he could arrange a daily good meal, and so we decided to raise the money for this with a Talent Show. It was successful, and so for 12 years that is what happened at Old Parish, and now Sudhakar is retired and there is no more Old Age Project.

Our show will feature internationally known story tellers The Storycrafters as well as Anson Olds and Ed Hotaling.
Start Time: 2:30
Date: 2010-03-06
End Time: 4:00

The steeple will be lit for June in memory of Martin Graham’s June birthday. His light still shines in the hearts of his beloved family, Betty, Barbara, Rev. Jill and each of their families.