Hancock UCC Weekly Messenger for April 26, 2026

Loving Shepherd, ever near, teach your lambs your voice to hear; suffer not their steps to stray from the straight and narrow way.

Choir rehearsals are on Sunday mornings at 9:10am. All are welcome.

The Meditation Group meets Friday mornings, at 9:00am in the Fellowship Hall. Reach out to Pastor TJ or Alison Boden with any questions. All are welcome!

(revtjmack@gmail.com, 207-323-6743 or aboden3321@gmail.com, 609-865-3236)

During the month of May, we will be receiving the Strengthen the Church (STC) Offering This is one of the 5 for 5 special offerings supported by the Maine Conference. The STC Offering reflects the shared commitment of people across the United Church of Christ to cooperatively build up the UCC. Conferences and the national setting equally share the gifts given by members and friends through their local congregations. The funds raised support leadership development, new churches, youth ministry, and innovation in existing congregations.  By your generosity to this offering, you build up the Body of Christ. Envelopes are available in the back of the Sanctuary.

Spring is coming, and we are getting ready for our spring clothing and linen sale on May15 and16. Donations of clean spring and summer clothes and any linens will be accepted from May 1-13 at the church. From May11th-May15 please consider helping with setup (and do your presale shopping). On May 15th we will need volunteers for the sale, cleanup, and distribution of the leftovers. Thank you all for your support of this important event.

Our meetings are open to all. Please let Vicky know if you would like a link to attend via ZOOM. Upcoming April meetings: Outreach Thursday, April 23 at 4:30 pm

Save the Dates

●     May 15th and 16th. Pat Summerer and Jennifer Ashmore are preparing for our Spring Clothing Sale scheduled for Friday night and Saturday morning. Volunteers will be needed the week before to create the attractive retail space for which we are known. Clothing donations will be welcomed at the church beginning on Friday, May 1st.

●     Monday, May 25^th – Hancock Memorial Day “Breakfast on the Green”. This fundraiser is sponsored by the Christian Education Committee. Enjoy breakfast sandwiches and burritos, muffins, coffee, water, and more while attending the Town Memorial Day event. Your support creates Pilgrim Lodge Camp scholarships for this congregation.

●     Sunday, March 31st will be an opportunity to hear our Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. Marisa Laviola preach in our congregation. Also, our Sabbatical Minister, Rev. Hannah Mondrach will be with us that morning to “meet and greet” during Fellowship Time after the service. A great morning to be in the pews or online!

●     It is time to start planning our retreat to Pilgrim Lodge for Lighten Up Loosen Up (LULU) camp for adults, June 17-20.

We always have a wonderful time. Stay all three nights or only one or two. Join Pastor TJ and others for the schedule that works best for you. Let’s spend time with              old and new friends at PL!

Our last hot dinner for the warming center is Sunday, April 26th. The menu includes hot meatball and sausage subs, potato and pasta salad, and dessert. There will be a sign up sheet at church on Sunday for those who wish to provide food donations.  Financial support is also welcome and we'll do the shopping for you! The Outreach team is deeply grateful for your support of this important mission - When we bless others, we ourselves are blessed!

We are planning to rejuvenate the “Crabtree Memorial Library” located in our choir room. On Sunday May 3rd after church we will have an informal discussion led by Pat Summerer about the goals of having a church library, who it should be geared towards, and how it can be reworked for accessibility to our members and beyond. Please join us for the discussion and help getting this goal accomplished in the next few months.

Last of April Birthdays

27: Jeff Springer           28: Marcus Oak            30: Ruth Butters

Upcoming May Birthdays

01: Kelly Hudson          07: Liz Singletary       07: Marge Severance

07: Nancy Baril          09: Jeanne Edwards           14: John Wells

The Outreach team is curious about your interest in a "Crafting Circle"!  Once a month at the church and open to the public, these casual gatherings would provide the chance to share and connect and have snacks!  Just bring your sewing, knitting, quilting, painting, felting....whatever it is that you do....and enjoy the company of cool, creative friends!  We are still working out the details so if you think you might be interested, please reach out to Tamara and let her know! 

Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:

Prayers for all God’s creation, that peace may prevail here and around the world. Our prayers remain with Aaron & Ashley, Lincoln & Debbie, Alex & Savannah, Andrew & Tamara, Tyler Crabtree and all of their families. We pray for all those who live and work at Golden Acres. Prayers for Tracey Arsenault and Joe MacKay as they both await test results. We pray for all those who are saddled with grief, ancient or new. And for Charlotte and others struggling with depression. Prayers for Jeanne and her brother Clem. We pray for Sarina’s dad James, Graham, Joey & Morgan; Vicky & Everett; David; Dean; Don; Dexter B.; Cynthia W.; Judith C.; the Raymonds; Hollis & Debbie; Ira & Ginny; Bruce’s sister Lynn; Kirk; Ruth & Peter; Patrice’s step-sister Patricia; Herbie Lounder; Sandy Phippen; David Mack; Sue Davies; Sue Davenport; and James B. Prayers for all in Hospice Care and for all caregivers. Prayers for all that are unsafe, unhoused, hungry & in need of care & compassion. Prayers for individuals and families affected by addictions. Prayers for those who are experiencing family conflict; and prayers for all that is in your heart…

From the Sunrise Association of the Maine Conference UCC

The Sunrise Association UCC will be holding our Spring Meeting on the morning of Saturday, May 2nd at the Somesville Union Meeting House on Mount Desert Island. There will be brief committee reports and two inspiring speakers. Rev. Jane Field, Executive Director of the Maine Council of Churches and Rev. Jodi Hayasheda with the Multi-faith Justice Maine at Maine People's Alliance. Lunch will be provided by the Somesville church.

Later that afternoon, we will gather at the Bar Harbor Congregational Church UCC at 2 p.m. for the Ordination of Carter Baxter. This is an important event in Carter's life and the Sunrise Association. The ordination ceremony is the next step in Carter's ministerial path. CLERGY ARE ASKED TO WEAR RED OR RAINBOW STOLES.      All are welcome!

The BTS Center

For two years, The BTS Center has been researching the unique role churches can play in a climate-changed world.  Now they are ready to share their findings. 

So... we are invited to come to a research presentation like none other!  While they won't offer cheese cubes and club crackers (though you can bring your own to the virtual event), you will be treated to joy-filled music, moving stories, and of course: the profound findings of this research and what it means for –your (our!)– faith communities.

Thursday, April 30, 7:00 – 8:30pm ET • Zoom • Free

Go to BTS web site for Details & link to register

A Practice of Discernment

 Rev. Dr. Malcolm Himschoot, MESOM Dean

The Maine School of Ministry offers theological education for the life of the church. For some students this educational journey proceeds in a parallel process alongside the ecclesial process of authorization for ministry. Academic advising is situated close – but adjacent – to a UCC context for Members in Discernment. With the support of one’s local church, further relationships in an association as a Member in Discernment signal an intentional approach to leadership development, and openness to exploration of God’s call. Discernment is a funny word that means not really knowing, but somehow coming to know in the midst of not knowing. None of us can be certain what God is up to – but it is our job to attest to what we do know.

Each year, MESOM offers some kind of short program for those students who are putting together output of their learnings and evidence of work into a portfolio they might show to their discernment partners. With a portfolio a Member in Discernment can demonstrate what their spiritual formation looks like and what their ministry might look like. “The Marks” guide personal and churchwide reflections on learning – whether learning from life experience or from the classroom – and help structure communication around leadership competencies as identified across the United Church of Christ, and about the purpose of those leadership competencies in a theological sense. This year’s portfolio event will be on Saturday, June 20th in a space for prayerful and creative hands-on exploration. MESOM students and other Members in Discernment are invited.

Based on a “Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers” portfolio – and other evidence of capacity such as work experience, academic transcript(s), CPE, psychological evaluation, ordination paper, etc. – someone in their association might be moved forward to approval for ordination, or not. Ordination reflects the wider church’s confidence that this person’s call and their equipping will help summon the life of the church in the future, through all that is meaningful for participation in Christ’s baptism and communion. It reflects a recognition that this person will steward the resources of scripture through preaching and teaching, not alone but as part of a living tradition. Ordination invokes an ecclesial relationship across time and place, accountable to ethical standards, and for that reason is overseen by associations of the UCC. Committee on Ministry (COM) members serve the whole church through enacting authorization with oversight, making decisions based on their values and a multi-year perception of an individual’s preparedness, readiness, and ongoing fitness for ministry. It is said, “We do not ordain a degree, and we do not ordain a job; we ordain a person.” So the practice of discernment is important, and COMs dedicate a great deal of time to it.

Along the way, it is worth thinking about what ordination is not. Ordination is not the same as a cookie, a prize, or a merit-badge. It is not anything an individual can earn or deserve, unlike other professional credentials. Authorization for ministry is always relational, and it always belongs to the church. Ordination is not as broad as the primary sacrament for Christians which organizes the arc of a life. Compared to baptism, which is dedicated to following Jesus throughout the world, ordination in and on behalf of the church is a subset of discipleship, not the pinnacle. Ordination is not a guarantee nor an indicator of employment.

Yet ordination holds significance for people of faith. The stole is a symbol more than a commodity. Each local church cherishes something precious when they find ways to raise someone up, or call someone forward, and lay hands upon that person, in witness to what is possible through embodied acts of service and proclamation. A prayer is prayed for leadership on behalf of the body. The Spirit is invoked. Gifts are shared. A font. A table. A basin. A towel.

MESOM’s Drop-In Marks Fishbowl will be held on Saturday, June 20th from 10:00-2:00 at the conference office in Augusta. All Maine-related Members in Discernment – not only MESOM students, but all MIDs – are invited. You can expect to see and hear some portfolio samples and stories. With peers you will get to workshop your own content and think creatively about examples you would share in dialogue with a Committee on Ministry. For those who come for lunch, the style will be brown bag (bring your own). Individual MIDs might choose to invite their MID advisors along for hands-on workshopping of ideas.

If you would like to come to this year’s Drop-In Marks Fishbowl, please drop me a note: mhimschoot@maineucc.org.

Hancock UCC Tote Bags are available for $15. Made of durable canvas, they are attractive and eco-friendly, with a side pocket for a water bottle, and two interior pockets for cash, driver license, or credit cards. Great as grocery or book bags.