Hancock UCC Weekly Messenger for September 13, 2026

God gives us life in Jesus' name

she lives in us in Jesus' name

And in Jesus' name I come to you

To share his peace as he told me to. 

Join us at Tidal Falls each Sunday morning through September at 7:00 a.m. for a 25-30 minute contemplative service grounded in the prayer books of J. Philip Newell. All are welcome! Thank you Nancy Gourlie & Robin Stratton for leading these services.

The Meditation Group is back in our Sanctuary on Friday mornings at 9:00 led by Alison Boden. Reach out to Alison with any questions. All are welcome! (aboden3321@gmail.com, 609-865-3236)

During the month of September we will be receiving the OCWM offering. Together we are a

bold witness to God’s extravagant love for all. We share resources to bring our vision to life. Gifts from congregations like ours to OCWM Basic Support make it possible for our Conferences and the National Ministries to strengthen local churches and leaders and engage us in mission beyond our community. Envelopes are available at the back of the Sanctuary.

Our meetings are open to all. You are welcome to attend in the Fellowship Hall or by Zoom. Ask Vicky for the Zoom link, if you need it.

September meetings:

Deacons will meet Friday, September 11 at 4:30 pm

Trustees will meet Wednesday, September 16 at 11 am on Zoom only

Outreach will meet Thursday, September 17 at 4:30 pm

Council will meet Friday, September 25 at 11 am

September Birthdays & Anniversaries

14: Roger & Denise Chandler        15: Nancy Cooledge    15: Priscilla Hirschenhofer     16: Jamie & Gina Tansey           19: Tony Burkart           20: Dianne Eckhardt           20: Jim Singletary

BINGO BASH

The Christian Ed board invites you to our Fall Intergenerational Event: On September 20, from 4-6pm we will host a potluck supper and Bingo! Small prizes will be given for each Bingo scored. (No money needed) Team up with your child or friend, or play on your own. Mark your calendar now for this fun party!

The First Congregational Church of Blue Hill, located at 22 Tenney Hill, will host a special concert featuring acclaimed singer-songwriter Caroline Cotter on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. The concert will benefit The Dolly Fisher Emergency Fund. The fund, founded in 2008, provides critical food, utility and heating assistance for neighbors facing hardships on the Blue Hill Peninsula. The concert will take place in the church's historic main sanctuary.

Cotter, a Maine-based artist who has played over 1,000 shows across 46 states and 19 countries, will deliver an afternoon of indie-folk music rooted in themes of human connection, gratitude, and wanderlust. In 2025, she spent months crisscrossing the US, two months touring in Germany, two months performing at The World Expo as an artist in residence in Osaka, Japan, and a month touring through Italy on an “End of War Peace Tour” with her WWII era banner Gibson in honor of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. She plans to release her fifth album, “The Answer,” in October.

"We are thrilled to welcome Caroline Cotter to our sanctuary for an afternoon of incredible music that serves an urgent purpose," said Lisa Durkee, Pastor of The First Congregational Church of Blue Hill. "The funds raised from this concert will provide immediate, practical support to our neighbors on the Blue Hill Peninsula."

Tickets are $20 when purchased in advance online at carolinecotter.com/shows and will also be available at the door for $25, cash only, please. Caroline's music and more information can be found at carolinecotter.com. Direct donations to the Dolly Fisher Emergency Fund may be made by visiting the church website at bluehillcongregational.org or calling the church office at 207 374-2891. .

The First Congregational Church of Blue Hill is a historic and welcoming faith community located in Blue Hill, Maine. Dedicated to spiritual growth, inclusivity, and active outreach, the church regularly hosts community programs, musical events, and charitable initiatives to support the well-being of the Hancock County region.

SAVE THE DATE: The Ecclesiastical Council for Sarina Brooks to be held on September 26th at 1 p.m. at the Centre Street Congregational Church UCC in Machias. This meeting requires a quorum. When we gather as an association for an ecclesiastical council we discern whether or not the individual is ready to receive a formal call to ministry on behalf of the United Church of Christ. It's a big deal...and important work we are doing. We hope you will make the effort to attend. There will be a Zoom option available for those unable to participate in person. The Zoom link will open at 12:30 for the 1:00 pm scheduled meeting that day. Zoom participants will be able to unmute and make comments or put their comments in the chat. The Zoom link will be forthcoming. Some of you may need to copy the link into your browser to initiate the Zoom functionality.

As I enter my final month at Hancock UCC, I am focusing on visiting members and friends of our church community. If you would like a visit, please reach out to me by phone, email, or text so that we can arrange a time that works for you.  ~ Pastor TJ

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. Prayers for Noah, 18 year old son of Alex and Melissa of Warren, recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer. 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 Roberta and her family; for Renata recovering from anaplasmosis; and for Bobby. We pray for Betty Johnston; Sonny & Gerry; Scott; Dean; David; Don; Dexter B.; Cynthia W.; Judith C.; Debbie; Kirk; Ruth & Peter; Patrice’s step-sister Patricia; Sally’s friend Darren; Herbie Lounder; Sandy Phippen; David Mack; Sue Davies; and Sue Davenport. 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 mental illness and addictions. Prayers for those who are experiencing family conflict; and prayers for all that is in your heart…

Over the past year, the Maine Conference has been engaged in a Capital Campaign to renovate the Farm House at Pilgrim Lodge into a new home for our Conference offices. The goal is $150,000.

This project is about much more than a building. It's about bringing together the ministries of the Maine Conference, Pilgrim Lodge, and the Maine School of Ministry in one place, creating a shared home that reflects who we are: one church, joined together in covenant, mission, and hope. As Conference Minister Marisa Laviola has shared, this move is a tangible reminder that although we are spread across the state, we are one body in Christ.

Renovations are well underway, and each step forward is possible because of the generosity of people throughout our Conference who believe in this vision. Whether you've already made a gift, are considering a pledge, or are learning about the campaign for the first time, we invite you to join us.

Every gift—large or small—helps create a welcoming, accessible, and lasting home for the ministries that support our churches, equip our leaders, nurture our youth through Pilgrim Lodge, and strengthen the work we do together across Maine.

To learn more about the campaign, see the progress of the renovations, or make a gift, please visit: Maine Conference Capital Campaign maineucc.org/capital-campaign

Thank you for your faithful support of the Maine Conference and for helping build a home that will serve generations to come.

A Testimony of Giving 

Hello friends!

My name is Kathy Woodside. I have been a lay member of the Bar Harbor Congregational Church United Church of Christ and our church delegate to the Sunrise Association and Maine Conference for more than 40 years.

In the not too distant past, I had the honor and privilege of serving on the Maine Conference Board of Directors, Governance Committee, Resourcing the Local Church …and I currently serve on the Conference Social Action Committee and am a current Synod Delegate.

I share my UCC history with the Maine Conference to give you a sense of my perspective. I have seen the Conference function in its heyday when we had a Conference Minister and three Associate Conference Ministers with a full time support staff to the present time where we have two people serving in these roles along with a part-time support staff. Over time we have seen a reduction in the number of campers at Pilgrim Lodge and wondered if the camp was sustainable. We witnessed the closing of Bangor Seminary and have seen churches throughout our Conference move from full time to part-time ministry…and sadly there are those who have had to close their doors and sell their buildings.

But we in the Maine Conference are a feisty and resilient bunch. We don’t give up! After the closing of Bangor seminary…the Maine School of Ministry was created to address the need for training for both full and part-time ministry to serve our smaller congregations.  And our beloved Pilgrim Lodge has become self-supporting through the herculean efforts of the Pilgrim Lodge Leadership Team and the staff.

As an adult Pilgrim Lodge Camper, I have walked or driven by “the farmhouse”.  I have often thought how great it would be to have all of our ministries housed on the Pilgrim Lodge Campus. The renovation and restoration of the “farmhouse” that sits at the entrance to Pilgrim Lodge campus is the perfect place to consolidate the ministries of the Maine Conference in one place. I was so excited when the Board of Directors of the Maine Conference initiated the One Vision – One Mission – One Home Capital Campaign to make this consolidation a reality. This consolidation will help our Conference maintain financial viability and frankly, it is simply the smart thing to do, which is why I have made a contribution to this campaign. I hope many of you will join me in this capital campaign so we are able to move forward together with One Vision and One Mission in One Home.

Thank you my friends…and blessings to you in these days!

We have raised thus far:  $64,740.50 

Here's an opportunity to support Pilgrim Lodge. This is a work session sponsored by the Katahdin Association to prepare the PL campus for our Maine Conference Annual Meeting. Hope some of you can make it....  Kathy Woodside

The Katahdin Association is hosting….so I’m inviting you to join….

Work Session at Pilgrim Lodge - Monday, September 28, from lunch time, to Thursday, October 1st after lunch is finished.  You can come for a day, or two, or all four.  There is no cost for food or housing because our work is valued by the PL staff. Those who attend might find themselves helping get meeting spaces ready for the Conference Annual Meeting which will begin the day after we’re done.  Or there may be other work to do.  If you let Bruce know of your interest he will fill you in further as the time gets closer.  For food and space planning, please do check in via email with Bruce. (katahdin.me.ucc@gmail.com)   **For Monday arrivals bring your own bag lunch and meet us on the porch of Quito. Another group is renting the space til later afternoon and then by dinner it is just us.  ~ Pam & Bruce Burnham  😀👍

A Letter from our Conference Minister–Rev. Dr. Marisa Laviola PhD.

Celebration and Challenge

Dear Beloved of the Maine Conference,

Lately my heart has been full of celebration. And my heart recognizes that with celebration we can anticipate challenge. Celebration for all we are and have today; challenge to continue forward, in Christ’s name, the work that has brought us here thus far.

So much to celebrate! And we will be celebrating—a lot—at this year’s Annual Meeting on October 2 and 3. If you haven’t registered yet, please consider doing so after reading this.

➢ Our budget is once again a balanced budget.

➢ Our slate of officers and committees has been filled with eager volunteers.

➢ Pilgrim Lodge is not only 70 years old. It is thriving mightily.

➢ Maine School of Ministry is not only 15 years old. It is growing richly as a sacred place to prepare future pastoral leaders.

➢ We have been an Open and Affirming Conference for 15 years. More than half of our congregations have voted to become Open and Affirming.

➢ We have been a Just Peace Conference for 20 years. Two of our congregations are Just Peace churches.

➢ Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, our General Minister and President will be with us at the Annual Meeting, presenting a workshop, delivering the Keynote, and meeting with us in conversation at Friday evening dinner

➢ AND we will be blessing our new conference offices at the Farmhouse. The renovation will be completed by November 1. Painting and carpeting should be finished when we gather at the blessing.

➢ BUT MOST OF ALL, we will celebrate that across a wide geographical divide, we come together in one sacred space to see old friends and make new friends; have joy in the midst of all of us who are beloved of God and who follow in the ways of Jesus’ life and message.

Ah, the celebration! Ah, the challenge moving forward:

To continue our good work for the sake of the gospel: How?

➢ Covenant one with another for the health of our faith communities and the conference ministries that undergird our faith communities.

➢ Pray for our ministries of the conference (Pilgrim Lodge, MESOM, the work of judicatory, our office staff).

➢ Pray for one another and the many ministries through churches and associations.

➢ Commit to work diligently and lovingly with folks we find hard to work with; those whom we struggle to see as beloved.

➢ Continue financial covenant through OCWM, Friends of the Maine Conference, donation to the Capital Campaign for the Farmhouse renovation.

➢ Be willing to communicate openly with Marisa and John about concerns, support needed, consultations for kerfuffles in your churches, your associations, your COMs, your committees.

➢ Get to know your Board of Directors and the fiduciary responsibilities that undergird our conference.

I know I’ve written a lot here; perhaps more than the heart can take in; more than the spirit can hold with one sitting. Try focusing on one celebration and one challenge and make them your own through commitment, purpose, and action—for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus who taught us how to live for today and into the future.

And always remember: you are beloved—there is nothing you can do to push God away or to bring God close. God’s love surrounds you with an unending love.

And always remember: everyone around you, no matter who, no matter where, is beloved— even those we don’t think are worthy. God’s love has nothing to do with worthiness. We are all beloved because God is love and we all are God’s children.

And always remember: as Christians, we have committed to follow the ways, the teachings, the life of Jesus; as we are the hearts, the spirits, the hands, the feet of Jesus to care for those that society does not care for; to welcome the marginalized, care for the poor, feed the hungry.

Leaving you with: A scripture of Celebration: Psalm 95:2

Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to God with songs of praise!

A scripture of Challenge: 

Matthew 25:35

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Deep blessings on all. Continual prayers for each.

     Marisa 

This letter, in opposition to ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) in Maine, is an opportunity to speak out against ICE. More info is provided at the end of the letter.

Bangor Area Multi-Faith Action

September 10, 2026

Mr. Charles W. Cox, Esq.

175 Exchange Street, STE 200,

Bangor, Maine 04401

Dear Mr. Cox,

We the undersigned faith and community leaders are asking you to reconsider your rental of space in Newport to ICE. As community leaders we are appealing to your conscience and asking you to reconsider your decision to host an agency that is threatening to the neighbors we are called to love.

We feel strongly that aiding ICE abets a clear and present danger to our most vulnerable neighbors, especially people of color, refugees, Muslims, and migrant workers. ICE has lost the trust of the legal system and the vast majority of US citizens because of the atrocities they commit against citizens, legal residents, and immigrants who are doing their best to comply with immigration law.

A brief review of the record shows:

● The killing of legal resident Johan Sebastián Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine on July 13, 2026 in front of his three year old daughter and wife.

● The illegal arrest and detention of nursing student Olivia Andre, 19, an asylum seeker from Congo who was transported out of state and released from detention 6 months later after her arrest was deemed illegal in court.

● The brutal killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

● Recruitment and hiring of poorly qualified and unstable ICE agents as typified by the agent who shot and killed Mr. Guerrero. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/us/ice-recruits-national-security-risk-w histleblower.html

● Inhumane conditions in detention centers: https://www.hrw.org/report/2026/07/15/youre-only-getting-out-deported-or-d ead/abusive-us-immigration-detention-at-ft

● Illegal use of administrative warrants

● Loss of the ‘presumption of regularity’ in the courts.

As an attorney, we are sure you believe in due process, the rights of the accused, and the importance of trust and transparency to the functioning of law enforcement and our judicial system. We are calling on you to take a stand on your beliefs and deny ICE an outpost in our community.

We do not want the disorder and danger ICE brings with it. Please reverse your decision to rent to ICE. We do not want their chaos and craven flaunting of the rule of law in our community.

We request a meeting with you to discuss our concerns no later than September 15, 2026.

To get your name on the letter, send your name, congregation and title as appropriate to: Rev Jarrett Kerbel at jarrett.kerbel@gmail.com . Thank you Jarrett and Alison for bringing attention to this issue.

(Pastor TJ has signed this letter.)