Boards

[Activities] [Announcements] [Archives] [Boards] [Calendar] [Giving] [History] [Home] [Links] [Newsletter] [Photos] [Staff]

Board Descriptions & Responsibilities

Stewardship Committee

Mission: To educate the congregation about using our gifts from god in the form of time, talents, and treasure to support the good works of the church. Our committee plans and executes the annual Stewardship Pledge campaign in the Fall.

TIME
The Stewardship committee meets once a month. Members serve a 3 year term. We supply inspirational quotes for the weekly bulletin, write articles for the monthly caller, and get involved in additional budget related meetings as necessary. Our busiest time of the year is October - November during the pledge drive which can involve evening time to call congregants to follow up on pledges. Once a year, we collect and deliver Thanksgiving collection bags to local shelters.

TALENTS
The Stewardship committee needs members who are looking for both a creative challenge and enjoy a task based project. We develop a fresh take on the pledge campaign theme and develop the related materialseach year. There are many distinct activities that would benefit from someone with computer savvy and a good way with numbers. Most importantly, our committee members have a firm belief in the importance of pledging to support the church.

TREASURE
While the prime focus of the Stewardship campaign is to raise funds for the upcoming budget year, the bigger picture is setting aside time each year to prayerfully consider ways that we as Christians can give back to God and his church. Our committee is not responsible for following the pledge monies as the year progresses. Our focus is on educating the congregation and gathering the pledges for the church secretary to track.

___________________________________________________________________________

The Diaconate

The Diaconate with the pastor is entrusted with the spiritual life of the church

At least one “deacon on duty” is scheduled for each worship service. At the service the deacon: assists the ushers if needed, makes parishioners and visitors feel welcome, prepares the microphone for announcements, assists with baptisms when needed, and after the service deposits the offering into the safe in the office.
For communion several deacons help at each service to buy the bread and grape juice, set up the elements for the service, serve the elements during worship, clean up afterwards and be sure the linens get cleaned.

Duties of the Diaconate:
Attend monthly meetings
Set up chairs, podium, flowers, etc. for outdoor services.
Maintain Advent Wreath, supply of candles for the bobbages for candlelight services
Set up for, rehearse, and assist with readings at the Tenebrae service.
Easter vigil: Schedule volunteers, set up sanctuary and brides room for vigil, organize keys for volunteers, and have prayer booklets made and distributed for vigil and to shut-ins.
Meet with prospective new members of the church, and assist with formal coffee hour for new member Sunday. Meet with confirmands prior to confirmation.
Review membership rolls of the congregation periodically.
Assist pastor with visitations to shut-ins as needed.
Provide a pastoral relations subcommittee for each pastor.
Evaluate the senior pastor annually, including performance and salary review.
Interview and hire interim pastors.

___________________________________________________________________________

Christian Growth & Nurture

The Growth and Nurture Committee generally meets the first Tuesday
of every month for approximately 2 hours per meeting.

Our primary mission includes:

Welcome Center - We have introductory packets available
    for visitors and those interested in our church. We also schedule
    “Welcomers” for Sunday services.

Mentoring Program - This usually occurs twice a year when
    we welcome new members. The Mentor lead person usually spends
    approximately 10 hours per year in new member meetings.

Fellowship Hour - Growth and Nurture maintains a list of
    kitchen staff and bakers for the Fellowship Hour after services - a
    most important ministry.

   Name Tags - Name tags are available for all attendees at services
    and the committee spends approximately 15 mins. per week keeping
    name tags organized and adding/deleting as necessary. The Visitor
    book and Pastor welcome letter are also part of our responsibility.

   Publicity - for Easter and Christmas advertising in local newspapers.

___________________________________________________________________________

Board of Missions

Our mission is to meet the deepest needs of people locally and worldwide

Our mission money at work this year:

As part of our Mission Sunday in January, we collected for One Great Hour of Sharing. $509 was collected to send to the Church Families in Need.

In February $300 was given to Hawkwing for the Lakota people in South Dakota.

In April we participated in the Lenten Appeal of which $800 was divided among the food pantry in Ellington, Crystal Lake and Hockanum Valley Cornerstone.

In May our mission team completed our Blanket Sunday donations. This is a $5.00 donation in honor of a mother or grandmother for Mother’s Day received and given to Church World Service providing disaster victims a blanket for warmth, protection from the weather and the comfort of knowing that someone, somewhere cares. This year $330 was collected.

On May 24^{th @}7:00 pm for the Women’s Fellowship program, we featured a speaker on the Back Bay Missions. This is a community ministry of the United Church of Christ serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast.   The Rev. David Taylor, Senior Pastor of the First Church of Christ in Glastonbury, shared with us first hand experiences of their work. This mission offers hope and purpose to persons of great need in that area. We have given the Back Bay Missions this year $400.

We support the Church World Service for Tools of Hope in honor of a father or grandfather for Father’s Day. A $5.00 donation, given in memory of or in honor of, places the right tool in the hands of people in need. It may mean a new beginning and future with hope for a struggling family. This year $360 was collected.

Mission Donations: December 2011

* Cornerstone Foundation (Shelter)      $400

* Tri-Town Shelter $200

* Covenant to Care for Children $200

* Christmas Fund (UCC) $150

* Greg Caron Benefit Fund   $500

* Toys for Tots     $300

* Connecticut Hospice $200

Also in December,our congregation, with the Christmas Giving Tree tags, provided 28 gifts to 3 families through Ellington Human Services, 20 books of stamps, cards and 1 gift card to Ellington Elderly Outreach, and 43 gift cards for DCF children and a $100 Stop & Shop gift card for the DCF Christmas party.

Board of Missions extends their thanks to all who contributed to this year's projects.

___________________________________________________________________________

Prayer Shawl Ministry

The Prayer Shawl Ministry Group at Ellington Congregational Church has been meeting since January 2003.    We are a small group, and have enjoyed either knitting or crocheting prayer shawls. Members who cannot attend our meetings work at home. Our meetings are the fourth Thursday of the month at the church beginning at 9:30 a.m. and we begin and close our meetings with a prayer. This past year we have enjoyed a few minutes of quiet time during the meeting listening to music while we knit. This is a peaceful time for reflection and meditation. We are fortunate to have ladies from a Lutheran Church, a Methodist Church and two Roman Catholic Churches who often join us. This past year members of our group visited the prayer shawl group at the Emanuel Lutheran Church in Manchester and the newly formed group at St. Bernard’s Church in Rockville.

These hand made items have been given to church members, community friends and neighbors, friends and relatives, Connecticut Conference United Church of Christ, Hartford Hospital Pastoral Services, Interval House, Rockville General Hospital and the Veteran’s Hospital. The TELOS group has also taken shawls to the areas they have visited and worked.

The prayer shawls are used by women and men and provide comfort, solace, hugs and warmth. The maker begins with a prayer for the recipient, and, upon completion, a prayer of blessing is offered by the group. Shawls, scarves and lap robes have been given to those undergoing medical treatment or recovering from an accident or operation. They have been given to caregivers and for bereavement. Some of the shawls have been presented for happy celebrations such as the birth of a baby, a special birthday celebration or a wedding. They have also been given as a gift of friendship, love and caring. Shawls are available in the room off of the Narthex, and you may help yourself at any time.

If you are interested, please call Jan Starkweather (860) 875-1543. We would be pleased to have you join us for a cup of coffee, fellowship and knitting.

___________________________________________________________________________

Committee & Ministry Fair - 9/26/10

Report of the Nominating Committee

Adopted at the 2012 Annual Meeting held on January 19, 2012

Moderator: Jill McAllister
Financial Secretaries: Ellen Adams
Asst Moderator: Caren Rasmussen
Clerk: Lyn Allen
Asst Clerk: Nancy Miller SS
Assistant: Deanna Piotrowski
Treasurer: Jol Sprowles
SS Financial Secretary: Scott Noble
Asst Treasurer:
Historian: Wendy Peterson, Susan Shepard
Asst Historian: Deborah Wallace
CT Conference and
Tolland Assoc. Reps.
Esther Shoup
Auditor: Karen Conley

Deacons
Chas Gross 2012 Bill Durgan 2014
Earl Palmer-Lavoie 2012 Dave Adams 2014
John Bellezza 2013 Richard Steele 2015
Jol Sprowles 2013 Michael Aiezza 2015
With thanks to those who have completed their term of service:
Basil Stone 2011 Vincent Savino 2011

Deaconesses
Carolyn Ladd 2012 Betsy Cottle 2014
Jennifer Boynton 2012 Beth Cocuzzo 2014
Alice Sprowles 2013 Beth Tautkus 2015
Cynthia Morton 2013 2015
Jr. Deacon
With thanks to those who have completed their term of service:
Laurie Hazleton 2011 Carol Hagopian 2011

Board of Missions
Cheryl Dinse 2012 Lorraine Knowlton 2013
Susan Shepard 2012* Laura McLellan 2014
Marty Nickerson 2013 Edwina Thirsher 2014
With thanks to those who have completed their term of service:
Esther Shoup 2011 Priscilla Bazan 2011
* = Unexpired Term Underlined = Person elected this meeting
** = Appointed to fill term after Annual Meeting

Board of Christian Education
Vicki Oravits 2012* Charity West 2013
Andrie Bellezza 2012 Pam Moriarty 2014
Bob Knowlton 2012* Lori Savino 2014
Leslie Ledoux 2013 BJ Aldrich 2014
Claudia Steele 2013
With thanks to those who have completed their term of service:
Lucie Parisi 2011 Gary Duckett 2011
Emily Renaud 2011

Board of Trustees
Bill McAllister 2012 *Duane Van Deventer 2013
Elisabet Aiezza 2012 Jacquelyn Charest 2014
Chad Albano 2013 Jack Hagopian 2014
With thanks to those who have completed their term of service:
David Sirag 2011
Jeff Simonson 2011

Stewardship Committee
Glenn Eberly 2012 Jackie Plourde 2013
* Vivian Hary 2012 Esther Shoup 2014
Peg Doffek 2013 Stuart Magdefrau 2014
With thanks to those who have completed their term of service:
Michael Aiezza 2011 Elizabeth West 2011
Jon Allen

Music Committee
Sue Ludwig 2012 Tom Mason 2013
* Carol Brown 2012 Beverly Russo 2014
Stephen Quinlan 2013 Curtis Thompson 2014
With thanks to those who have completed their term of service:
Scott Noble 2011 Mary Sole 2011
Memorial Committee
Cynthia Caldwell 2012 * Deborah Wallace 2015
Betty Heim 2013 Judy Ball 2016
Susan Shepard 2014
With thanks to those who have completed their term of service:
Dawn Stone 2011 Mildred Dimock
* = Unexpired Term Underlined = Person elected this meeting
** = Appointed to fill term after Annual Meeting

Christian Growth and Nurture
2012 Dottie Marshall 2013
Lou Jeffery 2012 Melissa Ciesco-Rolland 2014
Judy White 2013 Jamy Magdefrau 2014
With thanks to those who have completed their term of service:
Janet Wieliczka 2011 Barbara Peck 2011
Joanne Raulukaitis

Board of Ushers
Brian Cocuzzo 2012 Bob Russell 2013
Bob Knowlton 2012 2013
Richard Malone 2012 Edwina Thirsher 2013
*Melissa Ciesco-Rolland 2012 Duane Van Deventer 2014
Dan Parisi 2012 Janet Van Deventer 2014
Joanne Scott 2012 Billy McAllister 2014
Bryan Forst 2013 David Feindel 2014
Robin Miller 2013 Johnett Simonson 2014
George Nickerson 2013 Todd Rolland 2014
With thanks to those who have completed their term of service:
Peter Bazan 2011 Priscilla Bazan 2011
Jackie Charest 2011 Pam Moriarty 2011
Alan Tiedt 2011 Dave Danforth 2011
Amy Zander 2011 Bob Durgan 2011
Stuart Mazlak 2011 Curtis Thompson 2011