Hancock UCC Weekly Messenger for June 7, 2026

There's hope for the hopeless, And all those who've strayed Come sit at the table, Come taste the grace There's rest for the weary, Rest that endures Earth has no sorrow That heaven can't cure

Sunday we will share Holy Communion. For those who will receive the sacraments at home, please prepare a piece of bread or a cracker, and a cup of juice or wine and join us at the table. Also, we will be receiving monetary donations or non-perishable food items, toiletries, and pet food for the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.

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

Sunday, June 14 our Sabbatical Minister, Hannah Mondrach will join us. Please plan to stay after church for Coffee Time. We will all have a chance to say hello to Hannah in the Fellowship Hall and start to get to know one another. Her first official Sunday with us is July 5^th!

The Meditation Group starts meeting at the Hancock Point Chapel on Friday, June 12, at 9:00 am, for the summer months. 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)

Our meetings are open to all. Please let Vicky know if you want the link to attend via ZOOM. Upcoming April meetings:

Christian Ed will meet Friday, June 5 at 12 noon.

Deacons will meet Friday, June 12 at 4:30 pm.

Outreach will meet Thursday, June 18 at 4:30 pm.

Trustees will meet Wednesday, June 24 at 11 am.

Council will meet Friday, June 26 at 11 am.

There are currently six of us signed up for our retreat to     Pilgrim Lodge for Lighten Up Loosen Up (LULU)

camp for adults, June 17-20. Join us!

Register on the Pilgrim Lodge website or ask

Vicky or TJ for more information.  

Your Returnable Bottles and Cans Provide Easy Help for Hungry Students -

Although the school year is coming to an end, the Backpack Food Program at the Hancock Grammar School will continue to provide assistance to food insecure families throughout the summer and into the coming school year. Please continue to save your cans and bottles so we can continue this easy support of this critical food assistance program. Call David Wildes (422-3739) if you would like a bottle pickup or just bring them to the church whenever you can. A few 5 cent and 15 cent cans and bottles can add up to a significant donation to support this very worthy cause. Thank you for your participation.

On Friday, June 5, at 7:00 pm the Historical Society and Hancock Women’s Club will present a program about the two cabarets held in the 70’s and 80’s. A film of the later group will be shown. Participants from both cabarets will be present. Myrna Coffin will lead the panel discussion. You do not want to miss this!

Hancock Grammar School Mitten Tree

The mitten tree project is still going strong after 40 years. Sue Croteau is its longtime coordinator. Thank you, Sue. Each student in grades K-3 as well as Life Skills students get to choose a pair of mittens from the tree. Each year approximately 125 pairs are given. It's never too early to start knitting for this project. Any pattern is acceptable. Sue has patterns for those who need them. She or Linda Cunningham will  teach whoever wants to learn to knit. Kathy McGlinchey and Linda Cunningham have some extra yarn if anyone needs any. There will be a collection box in Fellowship Hall for completed mittens. Please label with your name so we can thank you.

Amelia is playing Sheldon Plankton (the bad-guy) in Sponge Bob the Musical later in June at the Grand! Come see Amelia rap with the rest of the talented cast!

Lucy is at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta this week competing at the middle

school level in the National SkillsUSA competition. Her team of three LCS students is one of 10 competing in the Team Engineering Challenge. Their challenge is to build a vehicle with an hydraulic arm that can move 10 (soda-can sized) barrels from one point to another in a course. They're building Wednesday and will complete the challenge Thursday. Wish them luck! 

Graduates

Senric Hanna, son of Dulari Holt and Jason Hanna, grandson of John Holt & Joyce Cornwell, graduates from the Charles M. Sumner Learning Center. He will be attending EMCC this fall for their Diesel, Truck & Heavy Equipment program.  

Olivia Kitton LaSalle, granddaughter of Barbara Reeve, is graduating with National Honor Society High Honors from Charles M. Sumner Learning Center on June 4th. Olivia is enrolled at U-Maine Orono and will be studying Choral Music Education.

Stephen Lounder, son of Harry Lounder III and Sarah Lounder,      grandson of Annabelle Lounder, will graduate from Mount Desert Island High School.

McKeon “Mick” Nowell, son of Chris and Melissa Nowell, grandson of Marcia and Clayton Nowell, graduates from Camden Hills Regional High School on Friday, June 5th. Mick is going to the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in elementary education.

June Birthdays

07: George Connor      08: Doug Kimmel       09: Brad Bamford        

10: Catherine Genn   12: Eleanor Ritchie       13: Bob Schmid        

              14: Clancy King         15: Roslynne Lowry   17: Ginny Shaw Coleman           

17: David Mack             19: Ron Schwizer       19: Sandy Phippen   

              21: Herbie Lounder    25: Kenny Houghton  26: Pat Shannon

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 BJ and the Raymonds, and for Bobby, recovering from a stroke. 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. We pray for Sonny & Gerry; Sarina’s dad James, Scott; Dean; David; Don; Dexter B.; Cynthia W.; Judith C.; 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…

A Letter from our Associate Conference Minister

 Rev. John Fiscus 

Recently I was honored to be with many of our clergy at the convocation. It was a time of fellowship, centering, and learning. As I sat there and listened, I kept hearing a theme pop up over and over, “being our authentic selves or practicing authenticity”. I think I have trained myself to listen for that word. I started this practice in a prophetic leadership course where Brene Brown was one of our anchor points. Her articulations of self often rely on shedding shame, accepting imperfection as a gift, and embracing authenticity. She writes; “Why, when we know that there's no such thing as perfect, do most of us spend an incredible amount of time and energy trying to be everything to everyone? Is it that we really admire perfection? No - the truth is that we are actually drawn to people who are real and down-to-earth. We love authenticity and we know that life is messy and imperfect. (Brown, Gift of Imperfection.)

Here is another observation, living authentically is often really hard. We are at the very start of Pride Month. Many of our churches will celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride or Open and Affirming Sundays this month. As an Open and Affirming Conference we join in marking this time. As a queer man raised in a fundamentalist home the move to inclusion by churches saved my life and has helped define my ministry. For years I compartmentalized my identity in a brick walled closet of my making. I was riddled with shame and far from living an authentic or connected life. I walked away from church when I felt it had abandoned me. Then, I remember hearing the words; “no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” Did they mean that? Did they just say it or did they live it?

Our world is often harsh. Since 2022 there have been 3382 hate crimes observed by GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.) That is a sobering number. In 2025 alone, over 1000 cases were reported. Last year six queer persons were murdered and at least 70 were severely injured based on identity alone. Last year saw a 400% increase in anti LGBTQ+ actions during June’s pride celebrations. Over half these incidents were targeting our Transgender siblings. Legislative attacks are rising. Freedoms are being eroded. Emboldened hate speech is no longer a memory. It is hard to live without shame and authentically when you feel hated. (read more at GLAAD)

We are offering an alternative to this hate. I want to thank all our Open and Affirming (ONA) churches in Maine. I am amazed how often I drive through rural stretches of Maine to be greeted with rainbow ‘Be the Church” banners, pride flags or welcoming messages. We are leading! To all of you I offer thanks! You may not reap anything that you see on Sunday mornings, but you are helping erode internalized struggling and shame for many. I do know that not all our churches have made formal declarations of being ONA. In those spaces there is often still a sense of hospitality to all that is palatable. I also know that there are still many of our churches on journeys into this space. If you are contemplating becoming an ONA church, there are great resources available for the journey. Let me know if you need a starting place or visit UCC Open and Affirming Coalition – Resource center for LGBTQ-welcoming, Open and Affirming congregations in the United Church of Christ.

Queer activist and martyr, Harvey Milk, famously said; “Hope will never be silent.” I thank you all who are living and leading loudly with hope. There are Pride services and celebrations throughout the month. I will be leading the ONA celebration at Dover Foxcroft Congregational on June 28th at 9:30AM, please join me if you are in the area. There are two different hope filled Pride camps being offered by Pilgram Lodge this year. Do not let finances deter your joining us at camp, there are scholarships that have been gifted for these times. I invite you to visit their schedule at Camp Schedule – Pilgrim Lodge. I will offer you one more Brene Brown quote as my close and my Amen. It goes out to all my Siblings embracing hope.

Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, joy and gratitude into our lives. - Brene Brown