Congregational Church of Putnam, CT
United Church of Christ
175 Main Street, PO Box 463
Putnam, CT; 06260
(860) 928-4405

As I write this article, the month of  February is almost over.  I noticed  yesterday that crocus' are  beginning  to appear along the  foundation of our home.   Spring, although still in the background, has begun its new cycle of growth  and new  life.  That first yellow flower yesterday, reminded me of this upcoming season of Lent.  It seems that just the other day, we were preparing for the Advent season  with all the excitement that season holds for us.  Last week, on Ash Wednesday, we began that journey once more to Jerusalem and the cross. Lent is always a special time to reflect on what God has given to us in the life, death and resurrection of God's son, Jesus.  That new life exists not only in the spring growth, but also in us, as we believe in Him.  At church, the month of February has been very exciting. We have been learning some new hymns during worship, preparing for the Turkey Pie Dinner, and Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper, the proceeds of which will be matched by Faith Fellowship and given to support the efforts in Haiti.  I am proud of the work that we are doing as a church to reach out to those in need.

Lent is a time of reflection. It is time to look again at the “Good News” that God gave to each of us in the death and resurrection of Jesus.  The journey through Lent and finally to the cross is filled with tension and marked with surprise.

In our Mission Statement, we talk about acting as the body of Christ. What does that really mean to each of us as we journey through these 40 days of Lent? As you think about the human body, what part would you be?  Some may want to be the hands, who help others or who use their hands to pray to God.  Others may want to be the feet, walking for a cause, or spreading the news of Jesus to others through out the world. Some may want to be the mouth, to speak and tell others about Jesus' love for us.  Perhaps you would like to be the eyes, watching over those whom you care about both at church and in your own family. Where would you place yourself in the body of Christ to fulfill your part of our mission while finding the true meaning of this season?  I hope you will find time to come and worship with us and to participate in the body of Christ that comes to us each week as we worship together.   May God's blessings be with you and yours during these 40 days of journey together.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Tom

Trustee Coordinator  Report
February 2010

The damage to our roof that allows a leak into the balcony was repaired on Friday 5 February 2010.  This repair, needed to be done quickly and the cost of $6,400 was approved by vote of the Congregation on Sunday, 24 January 2010.  Accomplished at the same time was repair to some of the slate roof tiles, in particular one hanging over the main entrance along with loose brownstone.  Approval was also granted by the Congregation to replace the outer door to the Chapel at a cost of $4,500 although an anonymous donor has graciously accepted the responsibility for the necessary funds so the church treasury is spared.  Painting of the remaining soffits and the clock/bell tower as reported previously is estimated to cost $18,800.00.  The longer we wait to have this done, the more likelihood of further damage to the wood and the costlier the repairs will be.  For a much-needed handrail at the steps of the main entrance, the only bid received thus far, $4,500, seems much higher than could be expected so I am continuing to see alternative bids.  Other items remaining, and repeated from last month's report are as follows: The set of stained glass windows on the north side of the bell tower have been pushed out over an inch and are currently reinforced in a crude manner to help hold them in place.  To restore these windows, the cost will exceed $4,000.  The bell tower itself is missing tiles that should be replaced and as these are copper-stamped tiles, an estimate is close to $10,000.  There is also brick work that I have mentioned previously that needs to be done to our chimney.  The estimates for this work range from $5,400 to $7,000.  We all just need to realize that due to the age of our beautiful building, repairs, replacements, and rework will be needed on an ongoing basis.
Due to code requirements that would mandate that any attempt to make the handicap ramp at the Chapel entrance more permanent would mean major renovation to the entire entrance, this Trustee Coordinator would recommend that we simply replace the exterior door and only provide maintenance and repair to the existing ramp.  There remains concern over the safety of our congregants and visitors due to the condition of the east parking lot as Cargill Chevrolet who plows the snow does no sanding or snow melting.  Therefore bids were requested from several sources that will be presented to the Council to replace them with a more reliable contractor who will plow and sand.  Please let Larry Christy or I know if there are other items that need our attention.  Thanks again as always to those who are always willing to step forward and help out when something needs to be done without having to be asked. 

Don Reid, Trustee Coordinator

Moderator’s Report
March 2010

With the coming of spring, (I hope it's soon), we begin to get real busy at church again. I guess the only month that is fairly slow is January. It is the beginning of the church suppers that we have throughout the rest of the year, and all other events.  According to the sign-up sheets that are posted in the chapel for help, food donations, etc., we are getting more people than ever willing to help. What a great feeling. Thanks to all who take part in our activities. I am looking forward to another year of fun and fellowship with members of my church family. Let's have a ball.

According to the report given by our Trustee coordinator Don Reid, the water leak in the roof has been repaired. Don has been very busy securing bids for the projects that have been mentioned in previous reports. I can't thank Don enough for the hard work and diligence he has given to the position of Trustee Coordinator.

I truly believe that under the leadership of Pastor Tom, the Church Council, and the church membership, we have come a long way in being the successful church that we are. Let's keep it going. I know that we can, because God is with us in our prayers and endeavors.

Blessings to all.
Bob

Faith Fellowship Report
by Charlie Leach

The last meeting of the Faith Fellowship Group was held on Sunday, February 14. 2010. There were approximately 20 people present. Myrna called the meeting to order and led the group in prayer. 

Both the Secretary's and Treasurer's reports were read and approved. During the Treasurer's report it was pointed out that $5000 had been appropriated for use in church repairs. Don Reid, Trustee Coordinator would be handling this funding.  

Under Old Business, Charlie pointed out that the nut sales were winding down and that the remaining nuts would most likely be sold at our two upcoming suppers. Sales of nuts this year will bring the church approximately $4500.  

Charlie also reported that the kitchen spray unit has been installed and that it was ready for use, starting with the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper to be held on Tuesday, Feb 16th. 

Preparations for the upcoming Turkey Pot Pie Supper were discussed and all seemed to be in order. Those who are heading up this years supper included, Myrna Paulhus, Audrey Lombardi, and Marge Auger. Hopefully we will have good weather and a good crowd. 

The Faith Fellowship Group voted to extend the payment plans for church advertising, the church electric bill and the church propane bill for the next year. Cost for these bills was to be approximately $270-$350 per month. 

Under New Business, advertising was discussed as a possible revenue producer. Discussion centered around what was appropriate and what was not. It was decided that advertising in the Sunday Bulletin was not appropriate and that the best thing was to use the Beacon and place
mats at church suppers. Roger Franklin was to meet with an area representative to discuss, in more detail, the possibility of such advertising. 

Another topic that was discussed at the brief meeting was a proposal by Myrna Paulhus that the Faith Fellowship Group match the donation of the Missions Committee ($250) in support of the Haiti Relief effort. She also suggested we should challenge the congregation to match the donations as well. Charlie will write an article for the Beacon asking for this support. It was recommended that the funds collected go to the Foundation of Good Samaritans headed up by Peter Deary and others.

As a final item, Charlie proposed a family bowling outing to be held in the near future. He will coordinate with the local bowling establishment as to the best date for the event. Right now he is trying to survey the congregation as to their interest level and their preference of dates.

“Make Note”
by Marilee Morse

If a survey were taken asking parishioners what motivates them to attend church each week, the answers would likely be as diversified as the people being surveyed. A similar response would likely result on what the congregation likes about the music. Music plays a significant part of the service including the initial praise songs, hymns, responses, organ selections, and anthems. Some people like to sing/hear the old favorites while some like new music, some like the classics and some like contemporary music, some like to sing - some don't, some like foreign language - others don't, some like variety while some like tradition, and on it goes. We are all Christian Congregationalists, but our music tastes and interests are wonderfully diverse. Our music ministry strives to appeal to as many interests as possible, providing what is known as a “Blended Worship Service.”

Our Worship Service begins with two selections of Praise Music. The purpose of the Praise Songs is to help us transition into worship mode. The first selection is often upbeat and/or grandiose while the second is of a more quiet, prayerful nature. The Praise Music works best when everyone joins in the singing. If the spirit moves you, clapping with the music is also appropriate. Because some worshippers may be unfamiliar with a particular song, we sing one verse songs twice, once to familiarize the congregation and the second time for the congregation to join the choir in the singing. On songs which have more than one verse, we hope you will join in the singing as you become familiar with the tune.

The Prelude begins the formal part of the Worship Service. This is when the music becomes the language during which one can silently listen, reflect, and pray. As with the Offertory music, the Prelude can be a very personal time of meditation. Consequently it becomes very important that we each be respectful of those needing that quiet time.

During the course of the Worship Service is the singing of three or four hymns. The hymns serve the two fold purpose of allowing us to participate in the worship through singing and allowing us to stand and stretch our legs. Each hymn is carefully selected to enhance the sermon topic or event in the service such as Communion or Advent. Our fabulous Chalice Hymnal is full of not only the traditional favorites but also contains many new beautiful selections. In recent months we have introduced many of these new hymns, and for some, this has become a bit overwhelming. For the future and in order to better learn each new hymn, we will introduce one new “Hymn of the Month.” The first Sunday the choir will sing the new hymn alone as the offertory music. The following two or three weeks the new hymn will be sung by the congregation giving everyone the opportunity to really learn the music.

Also regarding the Chalice Hymnal, there have been comments about the fact that the words have been changed on some of the traditional hymns.  There are two schools of thought on this. The first is that the text needs to be updated to modern language in order to appeal to current needs and trends. For example a number of traditional hymns refer to parishioners only in the male gender. When I was growing up, I learned in school and church that “he” could refer to both genders. For many contemporaries this is no longer an acceptable definition. In order to modernize these hymns, the text has been changed to be inclusive of both genders. The second school of thought is that we should not altar another poet's writing. I can understand both sides of the debate and have given it much contemplation over the years. The teacher/historian in me very much wants to keep tradition alive, and I think the only way to do it with the next generation is to compromise, and hence the text changes. For those who get tripped up singing the new version, please always feel free to sing the hymns as you have learned them. The important thing is to sing and I love that our Congregation is so good at it!!

In past Beacon articles I have often said how much the choirs and I appreciate your support and positive feedback. This remains so very true. Now I'd like to add that I also welcome your input. If you have a favorite hymn or Praise Song that you'd like to have sung, please let me know.

Remember to be with us during Holy Week beginning with the March 28 Palm Sunday Worship Service. The afternoon Concert of Sacred Music at 3:00 promises to be the best yet with five other churches now planning to participate! There will also be special music at the Maundy Thursday Service on April 1 and at the joyous celebration on Easter Sunday.

Hello Everyone!

Missions is working on two separate ways to donate to the Haiti Relief Fund. One is by donating various items that are listed on the poster in the Chapel such as face cloths, towels, toothbrushes etc. Those items will be used to make Medical Bags to be shipped out to Haiti on February 26th. We will be working with our local Faith Community to assemble the bags before shipping them out. I'm very grateful for the amount of donated items we have so far. Thank you so much...I will be proud to represent our church when I bring them to be assembled!! It always amazes me how giving our congregation is. Another way to help is by monetary donations. These donations can be given to myself, Reggie Hilton, Chris Paine, or to Pastor Tom. We've decided to use FGSA ~ Foundation Good Samaritan in Action which is a group out of Brooklyn, CT that actually has a healthcare and educational facility in Haiti. They have done a wonderful job over in Haiti since the 1970's and will continue to do so. I hope you agree that this is a great local organization that we can give our monetary donations to. I like the fact that 100% of our donations will go directly to helping the people of Haiti whose lives have been in such turmoil since the hurricane.

I am still looking for names of friends and family that are serving in our military. If there is anyone you know of that we could communicate with, please let me know.

If anyone has any knowledge of any families, elderly, children, or any individual in our local area that needs any sort of help that we may be able to provide, such as food, everyday living supplies, rides to church, company... etc, please let Pastor Tom or me know and we can try to help. I believe that's what the core of our missions should be about...helping people in our local community.
  
That's all for now! Think Spring!!

Blessings,  Wendy

HAITIAN RELIEF EFFORT

In an effort to support the Haitian Relief Effort, both the Faith Fellowship Group and Missions are asking your support in matching their contributions to a local relief organization.  

At a recent Church Council meeting, Missions Coordinator, Wendy Warren, outlined a plan in which the missions committee would support the Foundation of Good Samaritans headed up by Peter Deary. The amount of the Missions donation to this no-profit group was to be $250. The Council approved the idea and thanked Wendy for her efforts in supporting the cause. This donation would be in addition to the collection that is taking place for the UCC.  

Following the Council meeting of February 9th, Myrna Paulhus suggested that the Faith Fellowship Group lend it's support to this effort as well. With this in mind, Myrna brought the donation idea to the Faith Fellowship meeting held on February 14th. The “Group” approved the matching donation and challenged the Church Congregation to match their effort.   

So we are asking the Congregation to help support “our effort” to assist in the Haitian Relief Program. Give as you can and lets match the donations of the Missions and Faith Fellowship Group. Donations may be made through the weekly offering or by giving your gift to either Wendy Warren (Missions) or Myrna Paulhus (Faith Fellowship). Please use an envelope marked “Haitian Relief Effort” so as not to
confuse it with our regular Church offering.

Thank You and God Bless! 

Charlie Leach

ATTENTION:   E-MAIL SCAM

I am writing to inform you that my e-mail account revtom10@hotmail.com has been compromised.  Some of you have received a message that I am stuck in England and have lost my wallet and need money to get home.  ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE!  I don't believe that anyone fell for this scam, which is the good news.  The bad news is that at this time, I am unable to recover the address book for that account. While this scam doesn't seem to carry any computer virus' with it, the THIEF may try to get into your accounts as well.

PLEASE: do not respond to any request for your Username:  Password:  Date of Birth: and country of origin, now matter who sends it.  This is what got me in trouble. I was convinced that Hotmail was going to cancel my account if I did not reply to this message. The first two times I received it, I did not follow through as I was suspicious.  By the third time, I decided it must be real and responded with the information requested.  I am now told this is “fishing”.   So please beware.   If you were in my e-mail address list, please send me another message at revtom10@mac.com for now and I will be able to rebuild my address book.   Thank you for your help in this matter, and I apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you as well.

Pastor Tom

Update on Randie L. Dixon

Our youngest son, Randie Dixon has been medically retired from the U.S. Army following 3 tours of duty in Afghanistan and 2 in Iraq with the 160th Special Ops Aviation Regiment, also known as "The Nightstalkers" and of "Black Hawk Down" fame. Most recently Randie served on the First Faculty and Staff at the U.S. Army Aviation and Logistics School at Fort Eustis, VA. Randie will remain in the Virginia area while completing a couple of degrees towards his goal of obtaining his Bachelors Degree in Engineering. We are obviously proud of Randie's service to our country, and continue to pray for all of those who serve wherever they are stationed. We thank you for all of your prayers and know you will also maintain your prayers for our troops as well.
   
 Sharon & Don Reid

Golf Tournament Committee Report

Planning for The Ninth Annual Putnam Congregational Church Golf Tournament is underway.  The first planning meeting took place on Tuesday, February 2, with eight enthusiastic people present.  Several other people, who have committed to serve on The Committee, were unable to attend.  A review of last year's tournament centered around ways to improve the event as well as ideas for prioritizing or directing the net proceeds.  The meeting also reviewed the Task List and made assignments for each task.

The Golf Tournament will be held on Sunday, June 27, at the Raceway Golf Club in Thompson.  The fee for each golfer remains at $125, or $500 for each foursome.  Included for each golfer is eighteen holes of golf, cart, a sit-down lunch, a steak dinner, a starter gift and prizes for the top three teams.  Golfers will have an opportunity to enter raffles and participate in a Par-3 Challenge.

Further details will be forthcoming in future editions of The Beacon or you can contact any Committee member.

Anyone interested in participating in the tournament as a golfer, volunteer or by donating in various ways, please see Charlie Leach or Roger Franklin.  Your support is vital to the success of this popular event.

     The Golf Tournament Committee

A FAMILY OUTING

I would like to know how many members of the church would be interested in attending a family bowling outing.  Since I do this on a weekly basis, I have investigated the possibility of holding this outing at the Auburn Ten Pin Lanes in Auburn, MA.  The outing, for both children and adults will include unlimited bowling, shoe rental, pizza, beverages and will be held either on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon (Sunday preferably). Cost for the outing will be around $14 per person. If you are interested please let me know as soon as possible so I can make the reservations.  A sign up sheet will be made available in the church chapel to monitor the interest level.  Let's try and make this family outing a success!

Charlie Leach

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sunday, March 28th Palm Sunday Reception,     Lead(s) FF Group 

Saturday, April 17th Spaghetti Supper,               Lead(s) Tom and Bunny Meyer

As always, anyone interested in joining the FF Group may do so at anytime. Our meetings are held the 2nd Sunday in each month. Come on in and have some fun and join in on the fellowship.

 American Red Cross Blood Drive
 Friday, March 19, 2010  
12:30 -6:00 p.m.
Congregational Church of Putnam

Call for an appointment
1-800-GIVE-LIFE   or  1-800-448-3543

Beacon Articles

May and June are fast approaching.  Do you have a graduate in your family or something  you would like to share with the congregation?  Either email or mail your article to the church office prior to the 15th of each month so it can be included in the next month's Beacon publication.

Sunday, March 21st is the last day to order Easter Plants

Daffodils are $12.50 per plant        Lilies are $11.50 per plant

   Tulips & Hyacinths are $9.50 per plant

The plants are in 7 1/2” pots

Click here for a printable order form.  Complete the form and bring it to church or mail your order and payment to the church. Wanda Fontaine is coordinating the flowers and she can be contacted at 935-5072.

2010 BOOKS, ETC SALE

Please keep bringing in the books, etc. and putting them under the coat rack downstairs. 

Paperback & hard cover novels          Children's books
DVD's and VCR tapes                         CD's and cassette tapes     
Records                                                 Current cookbooks
Puzzles and board games with all the pieces

But PLEASE do NOT bring in text books, encyclopedias, Reader's Digest, health books, foreign language books, dictionaries, magazines, how to books.  These do not sell and we have difficulties disposing of them

Thanks you, Shannon Labonte and Jan Christy

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse or Congress is this --you cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians ..... it creates a hostile work environment.

Old Farmer's Advice:

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.  

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

A bumblebee is considerably faster than a Farmall tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

Meanness don't jes' happen overnight...

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads...

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.

Don't judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time..

Don 't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around...

Don't pick a fight with an old man.  If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.

Minutes of a Special Meeting   Sunday, January 24, 2010

Bob Picard called the meeting to order at 11:50 am. and prayer was led  by Bob.
Brenda Pontbriand read the Official Meeting Call.

New Business:  Don Reid proceeded to explain church damages and repairs that are needed.  Costs and quotes were explained.  Brick work on the chimney, steeple tiles, stain glass windows in the bell tower, handrail at the main entrance and pieced of slate and brownstone above the front entrance that pose a risk of falling.

Seeking a motion to approve monies to be spent to repair the chapel door, repair of slate shingles on the roof and repair roof due to water damage.  Motion made to appropriate money to repair said areas by Roger Franklin and seconded by Jay Walker. Motion approved

Motion made by Roger Franklin and seconded by Jay Walker to continue to allow Don Reid to handle issues regarding church maintenance and hiring of contractors to perform said repairs.  Motion approved.
Motion to adjourn made by Myrna Paulhus and seconded by Audrey Lombardi. Motion approved.    

Respectfully submitted by,   Brenda Pontbriand, Clerk

Congregational Church of Putnam
Church Council
January 12, 2010

The meeting was called to order by Chair, Bob Picard at 6:04PM

Present: Bob Picard, Don Reid, Charlie Leach, Pastor Tom Meyer, Naomi Peterson, Brenda Pontbriand, Wanda Fontaine, Shannon Labonte, Myrna Paulhus

Pastor Tom offered an opening prayer.

Minutes were reviewed and, accepted with revisions. Motion made by Charlie and 2nd by Don

Financial Report: by Roger Franklin. $3,549.29 currently in checkbook. Motion to accept treasurers' report by Charlie and, 2nd by Don.

Committee Reports

Deacon's report: by Wanda Fontaine and Naomi Peterson. Rev. Meyer, Wanda Fontaine, and Naomi Peterson visited our members of our church who have not been able to attend our service. We gave them poinsettias plants and Christmas greeting on behalf of our congregation.  Our church was beautifully decorated for our celebration of our Savior's birth. A special thank you to Barbara Smith and Wanda Fontaine for donating our Christmas trees. Again … thank you Audrey Lombardi for all her expert advice and help. We would like to clean out the closet upstairs on the balcony. Anyone who has things placed in there for storage, please remove or mark it as soon as possible. We would like to organize it. Anyone interested in helping out….let us know. Christmas Evening services were held at 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm. A few glitches…. We need to remember to have greeters or usher at the door handing out programs and candles!!! Also in proof reading the programs for the evening we will re-check the hymns. It's been brought to our attention the verse numbers were wrong for the last two years on one of the hymns.  We apologize for the errors.
Our fellowship time after church service is going well. Thank you to all who have donated their time and goodies. We had the baptism of Aubrey Paquette daughter to Penny Lamoureux and Kyle Paquette.   And sadly we held the funeral of Shirley Benoit.

Trustee report:  by Don Reid As mentioned in my last report, our church building, built originally in 1870, is in need of many repairs.  I now have some estimates on the costs for some of the projects and it will be necessary to prioritize them. There is damage to our roof that allows a leak into the balcony.  This repair, needed as soon as practicable, will cost $4,000 or more depending upon the selection of a competent contractor.  Painting of the remaining soffits and the clock/bell tower is estimated to cost $18,800.00. For a shingle hanging precariously over our main entrance and a crumbling brownstone that needs to be repaired to avoid pieces falling down onto the area at the two doors, the cost is $1,500.00.  For a much-needed handrail at the steps of the main entrance, the cost will be $4,500.00.  The set of stained glass windows on the north side of the bell tower have been pushed out over an inch and are currently reinforced in a crude manner to help hold them in place.  To restore these windows, the cost will exceed $4,000.  The bell tower itself is missing tiles that should be replaced and as these are copper-stamped tiles, an estimate is close to $10,000.  The exterior door to the Chapel has been in need of repair for some time and to replace this door to match the existing shape, color and size and install all-new hardware will cost $4,500.  The handicap ramp at this entrance also needs to be made more permanent and brought to code.  The cost for a permanent concrete ramp will cost $8,500.  There is also brick work that I have mentioned previously that needs to be done to our chimney.  The estimates for this work range from $5,400 to $7,000. Please let Larry Christy or I know if there are other items that need our attention.  The parking lot snow removal is something the Council needs to discuss as safety has become a potentially overriding factor to the cost of professional clearing and sanding.  Motion made by Naomi to allow Don Reid to collect price quotes from snow removal companies. 2nd by Wanda. Snow removal discussion took place.  A January 24th meeting of the congregation is slated to seek approval for roof work to be done.  Church usage request from the Daisy Scouts to meet on Saturdays from 11am-12pm. Motion made by Myrna to allow the Daisy Scouts use of the church basement on said days. 2nd by Naomi.

Christian Education: by Shannon Labonte. The children's Christmas pageant was a success. Discussion regarding Pastor Tom visiting the children during Sunday school.

Faith Fellowship: Sunday December 13th after services, a meeting was held to assemble the calendar for 2010. The Faith Fellowship account stand at over 11k. Faith Fellowship has paid 4k on previous electric bills and, will continue to handle this bill.

Pastor's Report: by Pastor Tom Meyer. Thanks to everyone who made the Christmas season a success.
New Business: Bob will attend the Putnam Car Cruise meeting next Thursday.

Next meeting: February 9, 2010
Motion to adjourn made by Don and 2nd by Wanda

Respectfully submitted,
Brenda Pontbriand- clerk

Treasurer's Report for Faith Fellowship Group
February 14, 2010

Activities Since Jan. 10, 2010

Applying Bible Principles

“Strategic planning” is a two-word term that can best be described as a “buzz word.” It's in vogue. It's trendy for businesses (and churches) to talk about and engage in strategic planning.

Frequently, when quizzed about why they should engage in strategic planning, business owners and managers will respond with a host of reasons and yet miss the basic benefit that comes from planning: Businesses which plan are more profitable than those which do not. In other words, those who aim at something are more likely to hit it than those who aim at nothing.

Similarly, when it comes to giving, Christians are to develop a “strategic plan.” We are instructed to set aside funds systematically, regularly, for support of the Lord's work. In that way, when we come to worship each week, we'll be prepared to give. We will have “planned” our giving under the divine leadership of the Holy Spirit. Then, by giving that which we have set aside, we will put our plan to work as the offering is received.

Yes, the Holy Spirit can and sometimes does lead us to give gifts in a spontaneous manner without planning. But as a rule, spontaneous, unplanned giving is the exception. Most of the time, God wants His people to give systematically and to respond to His direction in their lives by careful planning.

Speaking of consistent givers (the kind who generally plan their giving), Randy Alcorn described them as the “backbone of the church.” Such people do not miss giving to the Lord's work, even when they are unable to attend. Just because they are not physically present when the offering plate is passed does not mean that they skip a Sunday or two in supporting the life and ministry of the church.

Be ready to give as the Spirit of God leads, even on a moment's notice. Be ready to give when a special need arises. But most of all, develop a “strategic plan” to give by seeking God's direction concerning your giving and by putting aside funds in preparation for giving. Then “work your plan” by giving those funds as you gather at The Congregational Church of Putnam with other Christians each Lord's Day. And when you can't be present for worship, plan carefully to be sure that your giving follows your plan. Remember, the work and ministry of The Congregational Church of Putnam go on week after week, even when you are unable to be present.

March Remembrance Flowers are in Loving Memory of

 7th - Russell Snelgrove
          by Frank & Audrey Lombardi
          
14th - William P. Karpenski
          by his wife Marguerite, children, Marilyn and Jeffrey and their families
    
21st - Robbie Fontaine
          by  Wanda Fontaine

28th - All the Deceased Members of Group II of the Woman's Fellowship

          Michele Tibbetts
          by Wanda Fontaine

The Music Window is Illuminated during the month of March
in Loving Memory of Russell Snelgrove
Given by Frank & Audrey Lombardi

March Daily Bread
Canned Fruit
Spaghetti Sauce

Readers, Greeters, Ushers & Servers for March

Special March Dates

Birthdays

Anniversary