T h e n e w s l e t t e r o f A s y l u m H i l l C o n g r e g a t i o n a l C h u r c h

Open to and affirming of all God’s people

Volume 69 • Issue 20 • July 15, 2014

See “Discipleship” pg. 3

Discipleship for Everyone

- Rev. Matt LaneyDiscipleship.

We’ve been hearing that word a lot re-cently and it’s elicited a range of reactions:

“Discipleship? That sounds pretty tough. All that stuff about selling everything you have and taking up your cross. Church, yes. But discipleship? I’ll leave that to the professionals.”

“Discipleship? What the heck is that? Something to do with discipline … on a ... ship?”

“Discipleship? Absolutely! Been doing that for years. It just means I look to Jesus to show me the way of life.”

“Discipleship? Sounds kind of evangeli-cal and therefore suspect. Couldn’t we fi nd a less awkward term like ‘Jesus-head’?”

Yes, quite an interesting conversation is developing around that word. I happen to think discipleship is not only what church and Christianity are all about, it’s what life is all about. So wherever you are on the spectrum of comfort, stick with me in this article and we’ll do some unpacking.

Let’s start with a parable. Once there was a beautiful little coastal

town with a long sandy beach that attracted tens of thousands of people every summer. Unfortunately the beach also had a nasty undertow and every year scores of people would be pulled out to sea and drown.

One year, a few townspeople got together and decided to form a rescue squad. They called themselves “The Life Savers.” It started with about three people who would take turns watching the waves for people in trouble; before long there were six of them, then twelve, then twenty four. Most of the new members of the rescue squad were people who had been saved from death them-selves and were so grateful that they wanted to join the team and save others.

AHCC Welcomes Youth Director Kara Price

Kara has lived in southern New England for most of her life, with the exception of her early childhood and college years, which were spent in Georgia and the Carolinas. She comes from a large Ecumenical family that continues to expose her to a variety of faith communities. Having been nurtured and educated by people with an array of beliefs and traditions, she is equipped to be a bridge builder in religious dialogue.

See “Youth” pg. 2

Bidding for New Steam Boiler In ProgressAs many of you know, the age and perfor-mance of our approximately 35-year-old steam boiler has been a concern for some time. We have been scrutinizing a plan for a major HVAC upgrade addressing more than just the steam boiler and totaling approxi-mately $900,000. However, in the midst of planning for this upgrade,we discovered that an otherwise common repair to the steam boiler would not be possible due to lack of availability of parts. Consequently, we will have to replace the boiler entirely in order to have heat for this winter.

After due diligence, staff and lay leaders presented several options to the Executive Committee and the Board of Deacons who have approved a sum of $150,000 to replace the boiler and potentially add a second heat source to the system as a backup, which is highly recommended and would provide some utility effi ciencies. This type of system redundancy would allow AHCC’s heav-

See “Boiler” pg. 2

AHCC Adopts Fiscal Year Used by Jennifer Aniston and Peyton Manning

by Paul Pescatello, Chair of Administration and Finance Committee

Several years ago, I attended a conference about the safety of vaccines. The science and track record indicated great safety, but getting this message out was proving diffi cult. A team of expert writers was tasked with drafting a clear, concise, “user friendly” memo about vaccine safety. Another team used social media to Tweet that various celebrities gave the high fi ve to vaccines. About 20% of those receiving the memo responded that their worries about vac-cines had lessened. For 80% of those receiving the Tweet, anxiety over vaccines vanished.

How does this relate to AHCC changing its fi scal year? I’m not sure if Jennifer Aniston and Peyton Manning run their business lives – as most celebrities do – on a July 1 to June 30 fi scal year, but I hope I’ve gotten your attention! Despite what you might think, the fi scal year of a church is important. So please read on.

After much study and deliberation by the Administration and Finance Committee over many years, a recommendation was made and approved by the Diaconate to change AHCC’s fi scal year – the 12-month period used to organize our fi nancial and accounting matters – from a calendar year (January 1 to December 31) to a July 1 to June 30 year. This change has many advantages and is common among organizations, including churches.

See “Fiscal” pg. 4

transitions

buildings & groundsYou may have noticed a large hole in the west side ceiling of Drew Hall. The area, already a patch repair, failed and is be-ing repaired over the summer. Cracks on the opposite side of the ceiling have also been iden-tified and will be reinforced in order to prevent further damage.

The Return of AHCC’s Stained Glass WindowsDuring the past two weeks, the ventilator windows and the “Mary window” were re-installed in the sanctu-ary. These historic windows were donated by church members in the early 1900s, designed and created by Charles Connick, “one of the greatest stained glass artists in the history of the craft,” according to a 1945 New York Times article.

During the 14-week process, the windows were meticulously catalogued on-site, then carefully removed and shipped to Bovard Studio in Des Moines, Iowa. Upon arrival, tracings were made of the windows, they were disassembled, the pieces washed in Orvis horse shampoo, and reassembled with precise attention to detail. Did you know that the Mary window consists of 321 separate pieces?

The restoration of these windows was generously and graciously underwritten by a gift from Doug Russell in loving memory of his wife, Mary Thomson Russell.

Did you see the storyboard chronicling the process? You’ll find it in the entrance to the courtyard.

“Boiler” cont. from pg. 1administration & Finance

“Fiscal” cont. from pg. 1

“Youth” cont. from pg. 1Since she was a youth, Kara’s focus in life has been finding opportunities to encourage and engage young

people. She comes to Asylum Hill Congregational Church with over a decade of volunteer youth ministry in the Quaker denomination and seven years of classroom teaching experience in the public school system.

Kara believes strongly in the notion “of God in everyone” and the power of the “still small voice.” She aspires to help teens recognize their beloved worth that they might treat others with Christian compassion and learn to trust divine leadings.

Kara attended Guilford College and Eastern Connecticut State University, earning respective Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the field of education. Her hobbies include running foolish distances, strumming chords in various combinations, and documenting as many moments of her daughter’s life as possible.

John Ewen died may 9, 2014

member since 1966

Joan St. John died may 15, 2014member since 2001

Eric Travis died June 28, 2014member since 2004

ily used facility to continue to operate should the single boiler fail. The option of a second heat source is one of the variables being explored in the current bidding process. The design and bidding process began on June 30 and is expected to be complete within a few weeks.

To fund this project, we will be using the capital depreciation account which was started several years ago for circumstances such as this. This account is funded by the net revenue from the parking lot lease with St. Francis Hospital and an additional annual amount from our operating funds since 2013.

A key advantage is that a July 1-June 30 fiscal period separates the many details of closing out the financial year from the activities and events that occur at the end of the calendar year. This is espe-cially advantageous for a church such as AHCC with all that goes into producing the Boar’s Head Festival. This change will also align AHCC’s fiscal year with that of most of the non-profit or-ganizations to which we provide financial support through grants.

The change in fiscal year will also mean that the church’s budget will have been finalized prior to new leadership taking

office, with AHCC’s Annual Meeting and budget and nominat-ing processes occurring in late spring. Unlike current practice, this allows new leadership a long lead time to consider budgetary/financial issues before having to formulate a budget.

The most challenging aspect of the fiscal year change is the 18 month period over which the transition from a calendar to a July 1-June 30 fiscal year will oc-cur. Although this transition will entail some administrative com-plexity, it is meant to “even out” and thereby lessen the burden of preparing and meeting budgetary

milestones for AHCC staff.Devising a strategy for the

span of the transition period is underway. Once the new fis-cal year is in place AHCC will seek EMC pledges toward the beginning rather than at the end (as is current practice) of the calendar year. This will likely place AHCC on a better footing as Members consider how they will allocate their annual giving among the organizations to which they donate.

Staff and Leadership:matthew laney, senior minister - mlaney@ahcc.org

erica a. thompson, assoc. minister - ethompson@ahcc.orgdonna K. manocchio, assoc. minister - dmanocchio@ahcc.org

daniel J. campolieta, organist & assoc. music director - dcampolieta@ahcc.orgtony mein, director of outreach ministries - tmein@ahcc.org

Helena F. carvalho, director of operations - hcarvalho@ahcc.orgmarcie Jackson, director of children & Family ministries - mjackson@ahcc.org

steven a. mitchell, minister of music & arts - smitchell@ahcc.orgeditor, rhonda mitchell, communications manager - rmitchell@ahcc.org

Kara Price, Youth director - kprice@ahcc.orgmolly reynolds, director of member engagement - mreynolds@ahcc.org

ted carroll, moderator Holly deYoung, Vice moderator

ASYLUM HILL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

814 Asylum Avenue Hartford, CT 06105-2892

Ph: 860.525.5696; Fax: 860.525.3457

www.ahcc.org • info@ahcc.orgWorship Services

sundays at 9:00 & 10:15 a.m.

2 Sign up for all events at the Opportunity Table unless otherwise specified.

Soon the squad became quite large and began to receive donated equipment and other resources. After a few years, The Life Savers celebrated their first year of not losing a single beach visitor to the undertow.

Word of their success got out, people began flocking to them and they began spawning other life-saving groups up and down the coast. Whenever people asked for the secret of their success, they would say, “It’s simple. We see people struggling in the water, we dive in and pull them out. Then we teach them how to save others.”

A few years later The Life Savers decided that they needed a clubhouse, so they began an aggressive capital campaign and put up a magnificent, impressive-looking structure. Not long after that, they realized they needed a committee to manage the building, another committee to manage the finances, another committee to administrate the clubhouse, another committee to interface with the community and still another to raise money to keep it all going. But they enjoyed themselves and each other and got a good deal of meaning from their committee work… although it did require a lot of meetings!

Finally someone looked around and realized there was no one left to save people, so naturally they decided to form another committee, a search committee to hire a professional, someone with an advanced degree in life saving to do that part of their work.

As you might guess, before long more and more people were again losing their lives to the swift undertow and fewer and fewer people paid any attention to The Life Savers Club. The town eventually decided to close the beach and the vacationers went to different places.

Concerned about declining membership, the life savers fired their director, initiated numerous outreach programs and recruited a new charismatic young leader to connect with the younger generation.

One day, a visitor happened to come by from out of town for one of their morning gatherings featuring outstanding music and the char-ismatic young speaker who used a screen to illustrate his points. The visitor innocently asked, “So what’s this place about?”

One club member answered, “We are a warm welcoming com-munity seeking meaning and goodness in life.”

The visitor said, “OK, but the sign outside says you are life savers. Don’t you do that too?”

They replied, “Well, that is part of our illustrious history, but we don’t do much of that any more… except for the missions committee. We mostly just keep our club going.”

The visitor never returned. You might have picked up by now that this story really isn’t about

a group of lifeguards who lost their way. What church does this par-able describe? What church doesn’t it describe? At some point, any church will lose focus of its purpose and become more focused on self-preservation, institutional concerns and fall into an inward-looking club mentality. The trick is to recognize when this is happening and seize it as an opportunity to come back to basics, and re-engage our purpose.

So we come to this very important question. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH? Why do we exist? What are we called to do and be? What separates the Church from every other institution and organization out there? What business are we in?

It’s critical for a business to know what business they are in. Ford makes cars. Kellogg’s makes cereal. Walt Disney World makes people happy. Trying to run an organization without a purpose is like trying to write with a broken pencil. It’s pointless.

What business are we in? What do we make? And by we, I don’t just mean this particular church, but the Church universal. What job

and mission or purpose have we been given by our founder and CEO? At the end of Matthew’s gospel Jesus makes it perfectly clear. Our

purpose is to MAKE DISCIPLES. We are in the business of saving lives and join with God in the redemption of all creation. And there has never been a world or an ecology more in need of salvation and redemption than the one we are living in right now.

We might still reserve the term “disciple” for SUPER-CHRIS-TIANS (or at least for people who think they are), people who are faith professionals and really have their spiritual stuff together. But if you consider the first disciples, all of them were pretty messed up, were just a little thick and very rough around the edges. You sometimes even get the feeling that the disciples aren’t even trying. But it doesn’t matter. They are still disciples because Jesus chose them and they stuck with him despite all their foibles, fumbles and failures.

Many of you are no doubt familiar with the story of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. The poem begins as an old sorcerer steps out of his work-shop on some official sorcerer business, leaving his apprentice in charge, with plenty of chores to do to keep him out of trouble. Tired of fetching water from the well by pail, the apprentice enchants a broom to do the work.

Soon the floor is covered with water and the apprentice realizes he doesn’t know how to stop the broom. So he attacks the broom with an axe which creates two enchanted brooms who continue flooding the workshop twice as fast. Finally the Master returns, says a few magic words and restores everything to order.

What happened next is left to the imagination. Did he get 20 whacks with a broom? Was he demoted? Did he lose his apprentice-ship altogether, getting fired in Donald Trump-like fashion for poor performance?

Or does the Master remember that apprentices are supposed to make mistakes and learn from them because that is what apprentice-ship is all about? An apprentice who makes no or very few mistakes is no longer an apprentice, and perhaps not even human. People who are apprentices – of a politician, musician, lawyer, a craftsperson, art-ist – if you ask them if they are an apprentice, don’t need more than a split second respond to respond. Students know they are students.

But if you asked if they are good apprentices, most would hesitate to answer too quickly. They might reluctantly say yes, or very easily say no, or they might confess that they could be better. But it doesn’t matter. One can be completely incompetent and still claim to be a sincere and legitimate apprentice.

All of this is true about discipleship as well. “Disciple” is just another word for “apprentice.”

A disciple is a person who desires to follow and learn from Jesus, no matter how badly they end up doing it, no matter how much of the Bible they have memorized, no matter how strongly they believe or understand this or that point of theology or doctrine.

We are all disciples by grace not by works. We are disciples because Jesus chooses us not because we live perfect, holy lives. That’s the good news. If you come to AHCC seeking God in Christ I believe you have already begun the journey of discipleship. While we’re trying to figure out how comfortable we are with Jesus’ command to “Go into all the world and make disciples,” we might not realize that we are already doing it. The first step to becoming a more discipleship-oriented church might simply be to claim all of our ministries as expressions of that purpose, recognizing and celebrating how Christ is working through us, drawing people to himself, and healing the world.

What could be more important?

“Discipleship” cont. from pg. 1

3860.525.5696 • www.ahcc.org Asylum Hill Congregational Church - Open to and affirming of all God’s people

outreacH & communitY

For more than 25 years, the AHCC Crisis Food Support Program (CFSP) has provided emergency food to Hartford families in need. The CFSP works in cooperation with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and with support from Covenant to Care for Children.

Efforts by the CFSP demonstrate AHCC’s commitment to be “a church in the heart of the city with a heart for the city.”

How does it work? A CFSP volunteer is on duty two or three times a month and receives a call directly from a DCF social worker when a needy family has been identified. CFSP also takes occasional referrals from Friends of the Family and the Village for Families and Children. Calls typically are for single moms and their children or grandparents raising grandchildren. The volunteer gets the name and contact information for the family, the number of children and their ages and confirms a delivery time.

Using a food list designed by a dietician to provide a family of four with enough food for one week, the volunteer first visits the AHCC food pantry, then purchases any food not cur-rently in the pantry and fresh food items on the list at nearby supermarkets. Volunteers are speedily reimbursed by Covenant to Care for items purchased.

The food is usually delivered to the fam-ily in need but may be delivered to the social worker making the request. Direct delivery to families can be very rewarding. Two vol-unteers recall making a delivery to a Bosnian family that had just emigrated to the US: the

Feeding Neighbors in Need

As the first municipality in Connecticut to implement a plan for citywide early child-hood education, Hartford has established a department, endorsed by the City Council, to oversee six early childhood centers. AHCC is home to one of the programs, the Asylum Hill Early Learning Center, which operates from classrooms on the lower level of the building. Weekdays, the center serves a total of 44 children, most of whom live in the neigh-borhood or in close proximity to the church. Twenty-four children attend the infant and toddler program and are 6 weeks – 3 years old in age. As a requirement for the child to attend, their parent must be a Hartford resident and currently attending school or enrolled in a training program. Twenty additional students age 3 – 5 years, whose parents are employed, under-employed or unemployed, also attend the program. Parents pay a fee to enroll their

children; however, assistance is available through the State’s Care 4 Kids initiative if needed and they qualify.

The learning center staff provides the children with an age appropriate creative curriculum. All the children are assessed, monitored and provided with individualized attention tailored to their needs. The ten teach-ing staff hold Associate or Bachelor of Science degrees, exceeding state mandatory levels, and bring skills, knowledge and a dedicated commitment to serve children. The Center is committed to family engagement recognizing parents as a child’s first and most important teacher, and partner with them in order to promote the health and development of each child. Following strict procedures, all children arrive and depart with a parent, are signed in and out, and are provided with breakfast, lunch and a snack daily.

From an operations perspective, while students and teachers are involved in active exploration and social interaction, Kiesha Har-din, site administrator, handles the oversight and administration necessary to adhere to state and local requirements. The Center is licensed by the Connecticut State Department of Public Health and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Chil-dren (NAEYC). The physical space has been tailored to their expanding needs including upgrading the Spirit Hill Grill to a commercial kitchen and undertaking a number of renova-tions such as resurfacing the playground.

Affirming her pride in the learning center at AHCC and the students it serves, Kiesha is quick to state: “We love it here. It’s so wonder-ful, it feels like our own space, just like home.”

- Deb Werner, Communications Committee

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” - Matthew 19:14

family insisted on serving them crackers and soda in order to thank them, and told some of their story through their teenage daughter. Other volunteers tell of making a delivery to a family that had lost their apartment in a fire.

The CFSP is one of many programs sup-ported by AHCC’s Outreach Committee. Covenant to Care handles finances for the program. Food supplies for the pantry are pur-chased from Foodshare at 15 cents per pound or received free from Foodshare through sev-eral government programs. A small group of volunteers pick up the food at the Foodshare warehouse.

Demand for emergency food continues steadily throughout the year. In 2013 CFSP made deliveries to 50 families serving about 200 people. The program needs more volun-teers in order to reduce the number of days on call from the current two to three days a month to once or twice a month.

New volunteers receive training from the program chairs Wayne/Sandi Lobdell or a current volunteer and can accompany others until they feel comfortable being on their own.

If you would like to volunteer or would like additional information, please contact Wayne/Sandi Lobdell at 860.255.7290, John/Nancy Calderbank at 860.633.0622, or Tony Mein at 860.216.9833.

Early Learning Center on Asylum Hill Continues to Offer Quality Care to Hartford’s Youngest Residents

AHCC member John Calderbank checks the food list in the Food Pantry prior to making a delivery

4 Sign up for all events at the Opportunity Table unless otherwise specified.

Construction Volunteers Needed Over the past seven years, volunteers from AHCC have been working with non-profit de-veloper NINA (Northside Institutions Neigh-borhood Alliance) to build and rehab some beautiful historic houses in the neighborhood around the church. Working together, we have generated a community-wide effort to increase the rate of home-ownership in Asylum Hill while keeping housing affordable. Starting in June, we will again be working with NINA and The Hartford Financial Services Group to build a Victorian style house at 54 Huntington Street – just down the street from the church.

Over the next six months, there will be a need for construction volunteers on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday each week. There will also be periodic Build Days for families and other groups within our church. The work will include carpentry, hanging sheetrock, paint-ing, and finish work under the supervision of crew leaders with years of experience in work-ing with volunteers. In addition, volunteers will be needed as hosts in the mornings and as cooks to prepare lunches for the construc-tion volunteers.

No prior construction experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn and to have a heart for the city. If you would like to volunteer for construction, hosting, or meal preparation, please contact Rich Grobe at 860.306.5394 or rrgrobe@aol.com.

adult cHristian education

Summer Reading at AHCCSummer is a time for rest, renewal, and reading! AHCC members and friends ( yes, invite a friend!) have the opportunity to read and discuss two books that explore themes of freedom, faith, hope, and desire. Books may be purchased from your favorite bookseller; there are a few copies FOR LOAN. Please contact the church office.

“Learning to Walk in the Dark” by Barbara Brown Taylorbook discussion, thursday, July 24, 7:00pm at aHcc

We are joining in the “One Book, One Spirit” community read this summer. Initiated by the Spiritual Life Center in West Hartford, groups in the Greater Hartford area are reading and discussing this book on the spirituality of the nighttime. Using scripture, story, and personal experi-ence, Taylor invites us to put aside our fears and anxieties and to explore all that God can teach us “in the dark.” Rev. Donna K. Manocchio will facilitate the conversation.

evening retreat, saturday, august 16, 4:00 – 8:30pm at spiritual life center, 303 tunxis road, West Hartford, $75 per person

Come and further explore themes from “Learning to Walk in the Dark.” The evening will include a time of prayer, conversation, a shared meal and a walk in the dark. Rev. Donna K. Manocchio and Melina Rudman, Director of the Spiritual Life Center, will facilitate the retreat. Cost for the evening is $75 (some scholarships available – please contact Donna Manocchio) and registration is made through the Spiritual Life Center’s website at www.spiritlifectr.org or by calling the Center at 860.243.2374.

“The Invention of Wings” by Sue Monk Kiddtuesday, august 19, 7:00pm

Kidd’s latest book is rooted in historical facts and persons and begins in 1803 in Charleston, SC on Sarah Grimke’s 11th birthday, when she is given ownership of a ten year old slave Hetty “Handful.” The novel follows their journeys over 35 years as each woman strives for a life of her own, shaping each other’s destinies and forging a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love.

We Are ... Justice SeekersSummer Film Series on Social Justice Issues July – august, 7:00pm in reel to real (movie room)

July 15 – Fruitvale Station – “We are Youth” Passionate and powerfully acted, Fruitvale Station serves as a celebration of life, a condemnation of death, and a triumph for star Michael B. Jordan who plays the lead role in this true, contemporary story of perception, misperception, bias, love and tragedy. Co-hosts: Devon Mein and Brian Gaidry

July 22 – Menachem & Fred – “We are Brothers” Host: Joyce Kennedy Raymes. A true story of two brothers (one of whom was Joyce’s father in law) whose parents were in a concen-tration camp and the brothers hidden in an orphanage during WWII; the brothers were reunited coming to terms with their past and developing a relationship with the sons of their parents’ murderers.

July 29 – Path to Violence – “We are Parents” Ever since the wake-up call at Columbine, schools and law enforcement have developed multiple strategies to prevent attacks. The horror of Newtown must be seen in a context that’s not defined by defeat. Co-hosts: Judy and Dennis Carrithers whose son was involved with the filming.

August 5 – How to Die in Oregon – “We are Caretakers” Seen at Sundance Festival and win-ning a number of awards, this film gently enters the lives of the terminally ill as they consider whether – and when – to end their lives by lethal overdose. The filmmaker examines both sides of this complex, emotionally charged issue. A bill recently passed the CT state legislature to create a pilot program for the process called Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST). Further, an organizing effort is underway to assist in the passage of a bill similar to one in Oregon. Tim Appleton as the State Director for Compassion and Choices, is the key CT person spearheading the initiative to inform voters of the issues surrounding choice at end of life. Co-hosts: Joan McCormick and Tim Appleton.

August 12 – Education vs. Incarceration – The Cost of Failing Our Kids – “We are Educa-tors” This film examines how socioeconomic factors, geography and race affect those who come into contact with the justice system, and the effectiveness of intervening in children’s lives to get them the help they need in order to succeed in school and in life. Co-hosts: Tiana Hercules of Project Longevity and an AHCC educator TBA.

5860.525.5696 • www.ahcc.org Asylum Hill Congregational Church - Open to and affirming of all God’s people

We Need Your TRASH!Summer Parade Project heads to “The Jungle” this August; Please leave donations on the stage in Drew HallAHCC’s annual Community Art Project & Parade is getting its act together! But we need supplies and decorative items from YOU. As you continue your spring cleaning, keep us in mind and bring usable items to church. We will reuse and recycle them into works of “mov-ing art” and costumes for the neighborhood parade on August 23. This year’s theme is In the Jungle, so we expect to see lots of plants, animals and insects in the parade line up.

What can YOU offer to the collection? We are looking for the following items:Fabrics: bed sheets, large pieces of colored fabric (1 yd. or more), animal prints, smocks and rags, T-shirts, pantyhose, tights or stock-ings;Cardboard: large pieces – single ply (fur-niture/fridge boxes), toilet paper and paper towel rolls;Decorative items: Colored paper, feathers, pipe cleaners, shiny and colorful things, yarn, bottle caps, egg cartons (paper or Styrofoam)Paint Supplies: brushes, rollers, drop cloths (no paint, please);Structural: egg crate foam (like a bed roll), water bottles: any size – with caps, aluminum cans, wire hangers, umbrellas, bicycle inner tubes, PVC pipe, wood poles, dowels, mop/broom handles;Tools: pliers, hammers, wrenches, wire cut-ters, screw drivers, utility knives;Rolling stuff: strollers, wheel chairs and wagons.

Start collecting now and bring it in as you get it together. Thanks for your “trash” and support!

The Summer Community Art Project is presented by the Worship & Arts Committee and funded by the AHCC Thrift Shop and the Greater Hartford Arts Council. For more infor-mation, contact Steve Mitchell at smitchell@ahcc.org or 860.216.9831.

music & arts

WHENAugust 18, Registration | 4:30pm

August 18–22, Create & Build | 5:00 – 8:00pmAugust 23, Parade to park | 11:30am

WHEREAsylum Hill Congregational Church

814 Asylum AvenueHuntington Street parking lot

INFORMATIONwww.ahcc.org | 860.525.5696

ASYLUM HILL NEIGHBORHOOD

ART PROJECT AND PARADE

THE JUNGLE

6 Sign up for all events at the Opportunity Table unless otherwise specifi ed.

caring ministries

member engagement

Grills Gone Wildsaturday, september 7, 4:30 - 7:30pm

Do you have skill with a grill? Do you think you can smoke the competition? AHCC’s Men’s Fellowship is hosting a Rib Cook-off Kick-off to start the program year. This fun and delicious gathering (open to all men and their families) will feature a friendly BBQ rib cook-off competition. We invite master grillers, Bobby Flay wannabes and anyone in between. If you’re great with the grate, contact Scott Nierendorf at 860.529.0455 to fi nd out how you can participate.

Come on out and get all up in your grill. The Rib Cook-off Kick-off will be held at the pondside home of Doug and Polly Gugino in Bloomfi eld. Non-grillers are requested to bring a side dish to share – we guarantee it’s a gathering you’ll relish.

Christian Sharing Groups Resource Book Of course you already have September 14 on your calendar (it’s Spirit Sunday), but it’s also the date for the release of the Christian Sharing Groups Resource Book. This resource is the result of the work of the Small Group planning team (Christie Davis, Nancy Martin, Alfred Schrader, Ron Cheesman, Jen Reed and Karen Olsen) and a Writers Group (Susan Aller, Den-nis Carrithers, Julie Fewster and Jay Baker).

This resource is designed to be a compan-ion to the Scripture passages which will be shared in worship over the next program year. Our hope is that users will be able to explore the messages they have heard in worship in a small group setting. Available primarily for Christian Sharing Groups, it’s a great resource for any small group participant.

Stop by the Member Engagement Table on Spirit Sunday and get a copy.

Overnight RetreatFriday, october 19 - saturday, october 20

AHCC’s Men’s Fellowship will be offering a retreat at Camp Wah Nee in Torrington, CT. We hope you will join us for this time of connection, fellowship and renewal.

More information coming soon!

Peter’s Retreat: Meals with FriendsFor over ten years, members of AHCC have been sharing a meal with residents and staff at Peter’s Retreat, a home for men with HIV/AIDS in Hartford. On the second Saturday of every month, a small group of people prepare an evening meal, serve, and eat and visit with residents. Over the years and conversations, many friendships have developed. We are looking for some folks who want to join us in this “faith in action” opportunity. If you like to cook (you don’t need to be a professional – there’s a job for everyone!) and visit and enjoy sharing a meal with others, we’d love to have you join us in this wonderful experience! Please contact Donna Man-occhio at dmanocchio@ahcc.org or 860.216.9821 to volunteer or if you have any questions.

Circle of Care: Expanding Caring Ministries at AHCCCaring is one of the core values of AHCC. We have lived out this value in good and faith-fi lled ways, proclaiming and practicing that we are called to share God’s love for each person. We have faithfully sought to make the church a caring community where members support one another through times of joy and times of struggle. Our current model for caring is primarily directed by and focused on the ministerial staff, the pastoral care staff – June Day and Joan Hopper – and our Stephen Ministers. No less important, however, are the many and signifi cant ways our members care for each other – through phone calls, letters, sharing meals, making visits, delivering a prayer shawl, and many more.

Over the last few years, our Stephen Ministers have expressed a desire to expand their roles and opportunities for caring. At the same time, there is a growing need for caring in our congregation across all ages, and there are more people who desire to share in this important work. Additionally, our new church vision invites us to grow as disciples, sharing our gifts in ministry and mission.

Building on our strong foundation and responding to Spirit’s call, a new model for caring ministries at AHCC, the Circle of Care, was affi rmed by the Board of Deacons at the June meeting. The Circle of Care will include a variety of ministry teams focusing on a particular area, such as visitation, Sunday prayer, creating and maintaining a caring library, or providing transportation to worship and other church events. Our priorities are to increase visiting to members and expanding our Sunday morning caring presence and praying with one another.

So things might look different in terms of our structure, but the core element of loving, com-passionate care modeled by Jesus is still the basis for guiding our caring ministries at AHCC. The goal of the Circle of Care is to embrace and ensure that every member of our church family receives care and that a growing number of people will be equipped to become care givers.

If you are interested in participating in the Circle of Care or you want to learn more about it, please contact Rev. Donna Manocchio at 860.216.9821 or Ann Lankford at 860-869-4862 or annursula@gmail.com.

“Friendly Flowers” Ministry Needs You!Can you make a small commitment with a very large impact? Volunteers are needed to pick up a lovely arrangement after the 9:30am service (in the summer), or after the 10:15am service (beginning in the fall) and deliver it to a designated person on your way home from church.

Our homebound members are so thrilled to receive the fl owers and you, in turn, will be de-lighted that you provided this happy moment for them. The sign-up for the next 6 months (August 1 – January 31) is now available. To participate, contact Joan Hopper at jhopper@ahcc.org or 860.216.9828. You may also put “friendly fl owers” in the “notes” next to your name in the attendance pad in the pew and we’ll call you!

Save the Dates for Men’s Fellowship (SALT) Events

7860.525.5696 • www.ahcc.org Asylum Hill Congregational Church - Open to and affi rming of all God’s people

Trip To The Rock Cats Game a “Roaring” Success! On June 1, 61 adults and children from AHCC traveled to New Britain to see the Rock Cats beat the Binghamton Mets. Special thanks to the Children & Family Ministries Committee, and committee chair David Lemkey, for making the arrangements to attend the game. The CFMC plans to bring more exciting family programs and events to AHCC families in 2014-2015.

cHildren & FamilY ministries

Important Upcoming Dates for Children & FamiliesThe Spirit Hill Summer Program starts at 9:30am each Sunday, as we continue our exploration of Words with Friends

July 20: JUSTICE

July 27: JESUS

August 3: BODY

August 10: SIN

August 17: GRACE

August 24: SALVATIONSpirit Hill & Childcare Registration Starts

August 31: CHRISTIAN

Still Needed: Spirit Hill Teachers and ShepherdsSpirit Hill is looking for youth and adults to work with our Spirit Hill children in grades K-6 in the upcoming school year. No teaching experience is required, just a joy of working with children and a love of sharing the Word of God. If you are interested in teaching or shepherding, please contact Kyle Cannon at kcannon@ahcc.org.

Spirit Hill & AHCC Sunday Childcare 2014-2015 Registration Starts August 24Registration for Spirit Hill and AHCC Sunday Childcare will start Sunday, August 24. All children Infant – Grade 6 are REQUIRED to have an updated registration form each year in order to provide the safest environment for all children. Please complete one registration form per child. Forms can be picked up at the Spirit Hill table in Drew Hall starting August 24 or you can open the form electronically from the CFM weekly email. Please return completed forms to Kyle Cannon by Sunday, September 21.

8 Sign up for all events at the Opportunity Table unless otherwise specified.