Round Hill Community Church

The News Letter October 2015

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SERVICE FOR THE REV. DAN HAUGHPASTOR’S MESSAGE

Round Hill Community Church @395roundhill

This autumn our sermon series for Sunday morning worship is based on stories from the Book of Genesis. Contained within this book are some of the most familiar stories from the entire Bible. Even those of us who are not familiar

with the core traditions of Judaism and Christianity are likely to have heard about the struggles of Adam and Eve following the dawn of creation, the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain, the development of Babel as the world’s first city, and the rescue mission of Noah and his family to save an ark full of creatures after a destructive flood. Many of these stories have become well known because they have been featured in popular culture through music, novels, and films. There is one episode in Genesis that may be less well known but is nevertheless indispensable to the flow of the story. This involves the encounter be-tween God and two individuals, Abraham and Sarah. Although this couple and their family were settled in their home, and well into their elder years, God called them to uproot their family and travel to a land that would be revealed to them. Without hesitation, Abraham and Sarah packed up relatives, servants, and belongings, and began a journey that would test their emotions, endurance, and faith. Yet they were faithful to the future that God promised them: they seem to have believed that despite their various limi-tations, they were “blessed to be a blessing.” I think this story has many layers of meaning for us. We may also be “settled in,” and at a point in our lives where we feel unlikely to make huge changes to our routines and habits. Yet in Genesis and through-out the Bible, the change agents of God are precisely those people who were not looking for new and de-manding leadership positions. Again and again God touched the lives of unsuspecting people and said, I

Please join us for the Installation Service of

The Rev. Daniel HaughAssociate Pastor of Round Hill Community Church

Sunday, October 4, at 3:00 p.m. Sanctuary

The Rev. Dr. Scott Herr, Guest PreacherSenior Pastor, The American Church in Paris

Special Music

A reception will follow in the Community House

Harvest Supper Wednesday, October 21

6:30 to 8:30 pm Round Hill Community House

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PASTOR’S MESSAGE

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AnnouncementsTo share a pastoral concern or celebration with the congregation, contact Ed Horstmann at egh@roundhillcommunitychurch or 203-869-1091. The information can be shared as an an-nouncement on Sunday morning, in the Sunday Order of Service, and/or in The News Letter, ac-cording to your preference.

need your help. I need you to lead the next genera-tion to faith, hope, and love. Can we see ourselves the way God sees us? Can we recognize that God trusts us, and wants to work with us so that we can reach out to the world around us with tenderness and welcome and generosity? In a novel that he wrote about the apartheid era in his country, the South African author, Andre Brink gives this line to one of the characters in the book: “There are two kinds of madness that must be avoided: one is the belief that we have to do everything, and the other is the belief that we can do nothing.” Abraham and Sarah did what they were asked to do: they began an epic journey in faith just when they thought their journeying days were behind them. And when they left home, and all the familiar sights and sounds disappeared behind them, their only mission statement was this single phrase from God: “You are blessed to be a blessing.” Those words are alive and well and relevant to every person of any age who seeks to be an experience of good news to others. May we discover in that ancient mission state-ment the inspiration to offer our own blessing to a world that is in profound need of compassion, care, and encouragement.

Yours in Christ,Ed

FAITH DEVELOPMENT

CPR Certification ClassSunday, October 18, 11:30 a.m.

Greenwich Emergency Medical Service (GEMS) will be offering a certification class in CPR at the Church. The curriculum is from the American Heart Asso-ciation and covers the initial assessment of someone who has become unconscious, the performance of CPR for both adults and children, and the usage of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). This program typically runs for approximately two hours and does involve a measure of physical activity. Faculty members will be paramedics and EMTs from GEMS, and we will use defibrillator training machines that mimic the units that RHCC already has deployed. If you have any questions please contact GEMS directly by writing to Art Romano, Deputy Director, at ARomano@greenwichems.org.

Recorded Worship ServicesIf you can’t make it to a service, you can listen to it at roundhillcommunitychurch.org/sermons. We also have CDs of the service. Simply call the Office at 203-869-1091 and we can put one in the mail for you.

Board of Trustees Meetings

Anyone is welcome to attend Board of Trustees meetings. Here is the agenda for October.

Monday, October 5, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. Meeting Room

Welcome

Motion to accept the Strategic Plan for Growth

Message from the Chair

Approval of Minutes from September meeting

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ASSOCIATE PASTOR’S MESSAGE

One of the interesting aspects of living in France for four years was learning about their distinct holidays, most of which were religious in origin. Every October, schools in France close for two weeks for the Toussaint holi-day break, and many French families travel across the country to visit relatives and loved ones. “Toussaint” is the French word for “All Saints” and is celebrated as All Saints’ Day. It is a deeply historic religious festival celebrated on the first of November each year in France. In other traditions and customs it is also known as All Hallows’ Day, with the preceding evening called All Hallows’ Eve (a.k.a Halloween by us Americans). The current date of November 1 is traced to the foundation of Pope Gregory III and is the day when all the Saints recognized by the Roman Catholic church are honored. Today, La Toussaint is marked by the lighting of numerous candles in cemeteries and the decorating of graves with chrysanthemums, the flowers associ-ated with death. Stone lanterns of the dead, which are lit during the festival, can also be found in many cem-eteries, especially in the Massif Central region in cen-tral France and in Brittany. Family reunions are held to honor the dead, church bells are rung, and churches are decorated with chrysanthemums, candles, and banners. On the eve of La Toussaint churches are draped in black, funeral songs are sung, and prayers for the dead are recited. People visit cemeteries to pray at their family graves, and then there are festivi-ties involving singing and telling stories about their deceased relatives. This day becomes a day of honoring and remem-bering loved ones and Christians who have gone be-fore us. This “great cloud of witnesses,” as the author of Hebrews states, can and should exemplify inspi-ration and perseverance. It can serve us well to ac-knowledge these men and women of God and pay tribute to their lives and legacies. Many Americans, like me, still visit the graves of loved ones on special occasions (birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries). So this October, as Autumn descends upon us, the leaves turn to vibrant hues, and pumpkins are on great display on front porches throughout our community, may we remember the origins of the old “Halloween”

tradition. In keeping with the true spirit and history of this day, let us pay tribute to those “saints” who let their light shine in the darkness long before us. Old Testament heroes, the Apostles from the New Testa-ment, the early church fathers and mothers, “saints” from the early-century churches, Protestant Reformers, and personal examples, like grandparents and other relatives and friends, are all part of our legacy of faith. These people are, and should be, included in the “cloud of witnesses” who serve as an example to believers now. Here is a wonderful quote about the inspiration and example of “saints” and how I personally came to appreciate the blessing in setting aside time to honor them.

“ . . . In addition to the sun, which is the image of Christ, there is the moon, which has no light of its own but shines with a brightness that comes from the sun. This is a sign to us that we men are in con-stant need of a ‘little’ light, whose hidden light helps us to know and love the light of the Creator, God one and triune. . . . One might say that the saints are, so to speak, new Christian constellations, in which the richness of God’s goodness is reflected. Their light, coming from God, enables us to know better the in-terior richness of God’s great light, which we cannot comprehend in the refulgence of its glory.”

– Pope Benedict XVI, as quoted in “Benedictus”

. . . to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 1:7

In Christ,Dan Haugh

Round Hill Community Church celebrates All Saints’ Day every year on November 1, with a short service held in the Round Hill Cemetery on the corner of John Street and Round Hill Road. This year, the service will be at 12:30 p.m.

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CHURCH SCHOOL AND YOUTH “A child is not a vessel to be filled but a lamp to be lit.”

October is one of my favorite months. In New England October is extraordinary for the change in seasons made special by crisp air, fresh apples, pumpkin pies, and, of course, through the vibrant colors

of the trees surrounding us everywhere.

Seasons are a result of the way the Earth is tilted. Each season has its own light and weather pattern. In the summer we experience more daylight than in the winter, and this affects plants and other forms of life. As we experience the variations from season to sea-son we are reminded just how connected our lives are to the Earth and how much we depend on her gifts.

This month in Church School we will look closely at the creation of the Earth as told in the Book of Genesis. Since the fall season also marks a beginning in terms of the school year it is a perfect time to talk about how the Bible begins. We will talk about all the gifts that God has given us through the natural world and think of ways to show our gratitude for all these precious gifts. There are many wonderful parts to this story that we want our children to understand and remember. A fun way of engaging children in the story is to have them come up with a snack that helps to tell the story. For example, on the second day of the creation story God created the sky. In class we will make a simple snack using blue Jello and whipped cream. We will put them into parfait cups and talk about all the important gifts we get from the sky, including the clouds! Send us your family snack ideas and we will try to incorporate them into our Sunday morning activities.

– Connie Blunden, Church School Director

Round Hill Community Churchand Neighbor to Neighbor

Please help our neighbors in Greenwich with a food donation. The most needed food item this month is canned fruit. Donations

left in the bin in the entry hall will be delivered to Neighbor to Neighbor at the

end of the month. Thank you.

October Food of the Month

Canned Fruit

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MUSIC AT ROUND HILL

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OUTREACH: FAITH IN ACTION

Impact Grants Awarded to 11 AgenciesFocus: Improving the Lives of Underserved Youth and Families

In September the Outreach Committee completed an important part of its year-long mission on behalf of our faith community, selecting 11 organizations to receive impact grants for a total of $40,000. We received 27 fully documented requests for funding proposals. The selection process was careful and deliberate. Each request was reviewed by the full committee. Guided by the ratings, shared personal knowledge of some of the applicant activities, and a number of discussions, we made our selections. Applications were received from Greenwich, Fair-field County, other parts of Connecticut, neighboring Westchester, and several international organizations. Each of the 27 proposals had compelling merit and offered RHCC different paths, sometimes comple-mentary, to help make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Ultimately, each recipient agency, except one, received a grant amount below their request. Most had been supported by us in the past at one time; some were new. Most of the recipient agencies also have some RHCC members who volunteer their time and services; Inspirica is currently most actively connected with RHCC’s “faith in action.” All have volunteer opportunities. These grants follow our funding the second year of a $35,000 per year three-year Leadership Grant of $105,000 to Inspirica in Stamford, which is seed funding for a new Early Childhood and Parenting Program for homeless families. Our second largest recipient of funds was $10,000 to support five adult and youth scholarships for par-ticipants in this summer’s Simply Smiles trip to South Dakota to improve the lives of children living on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Both the Inspirica program and Simply Smiles trip have been featured in News Letters and presentations to the congregation. The emerging unifying theme of our total 2015 grants was youth and families: overcoming home-lessness (including the Inspirica grant) with a special focus on families; underserved children and youth and fostering parent and student education opportu-nities; food support for children and families; chil-dren and adult mental health services; and domestic

abuse within families. We also focused on the special needs of Greenwich’s growing aging population. Our international outreach, with total available funds more limited than prior years, was scaled back but we did support Sister Rosemary (Sewing for Hope for Africa) and her visit with us, and Nepal emergency aid for a total of approximately $7,500 (including $2,250 of congregation direct contributions for added Nepal aid). We hope that the focus on global needs will re-main an important continuing part of Outreach. The eleven grant recipients are:

1. Neighbor to Neighbor: $5,000 (Greenwich) to sup-port the inclusion of healthy fresh produce in the food pantry. RHCC also supports the agency through our Church School monthly collection of food items recommended by Neighbor to Neighbor.

2. Laurel House: $5,000 (Stamford) to support the upgrade and maintenance of Laurel House’s unique gateway website for Connecticut families searching for emergency and sustainable mental health services; the website was launched with seed support from RHCC Outreach in 2013.

3. Greenwich YWCA: $5,000 to support a 24-hour hotline and emergency shelter for domestic violence victims and their families. After larceny calls, domestic calls are second largest in volume to Greenwich police.

4. Meals on Wheels: $4,000 (Greenwich) to support delivery of low-cost healthy meals to and personal contact with our homebound, primarily elderly, neighbors.

5. Portchester Carver Center: $3,000 (Port Chester, NY) to support teen center college readiness pro-gramming for a primarily Latino immigrant popu-lation; the program focuses both on teens and their families to enhance possible paths to college.

6. Child Guidance Center: $3,000 (Stamford/South-western CT) to support affordable or free child and family services to reduce emotional suffering and dysfunctional behavior, helping each child to achieve his or her potential primarily through outpatient mental health services.

7. CT Foodbank: $3,000 (Southwestern CT) to sup-port the lead agency in our state fighting hunger and

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OUTREACH: FAITH IN ACTION

the largest provider of donated food; our grant spe-cifically supports the “backpack” program and will fund 2,000 healthy food weekend needs for Norwalk school children who rely on school breakfasts and lunch during the week.

8. DOMUS Kids: $3,000 (Stamford) to support the Lions Den providing out-of-school academic, social, and recreational activities to middle school students at Domus’s Trailblazer Academy, a charter school for children who have not found academic or social success and have significant traumatic individual histories.

9. Greenwich Adult Day Care (River House): $3,000 to support a new twice-monthly “music therapy” program at River House, whose mission is to enrich the quality of life for seniors living with age-related needs and impairments.

10. Shelter for the Homeless – Stamford (Pacific House): $3,000 to support a center for homeless men serving Greenwich, Darien, Stamford, and New Canaan; our grant will support a strategy for affordable housing options and client capacity development for clients with an identified potential to end homelessness.

11. Family Centers – RITE program: $3,000 (Green-wich) to support low-income Greenwich families by providing self-sufficiency and vocation case manage-ment and employment readiness skills focusing on the whole client family unit; RITE serves economi-cally disadvantaged adults and teens to develop mas-tery of basic skills needed to obtain employment, working closely with the Greenwich Dept. of Social Services and the Greenwich Housing Authority. Outreach also supports and funds throughout the year one-on-one direct service activities by RHCC volunteers: including the Tuesday after-school pro-gram at the Youth Center at Inspirica, once-a-month meals for homeless residents at Inspirica and Pacific House (Stamford Shelter for the Homeless), Beach Day for visitors from Little Sisters of the Assump-tion in Harlem, and Thanksgiving meals for identi-fied needy families in Norwalk and crisis emergency needs for individuals from time to time. Key to our mission is impacting and helping people one person at a time.

– Steve Fuzesi, Chairman

Stories from South Dakota Sunday, October 4, at 11:30 a.m.

Please join us immediately following our worship service on October 4 for a special presentation from the 2015 Simply Smiles team.

Members from Greenwich High School and our own congregation will share stories, pictures, and reflections from their summer excursion to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in La Plant, South Dakota. Registrations are now open for the next trip scheduled for July 30 to August 8, 2016. For more information about Simply Smiles please visit www.simplysmiles.org. To register for the 2016 trip please contact the Rev. Dan Haugh at dan@roundhillcommunitychurch.org.

Volunteers are always welcome at the Youth Center, a space dedicated to helping children achieve academi-cally, emotionally, and socially. The Center operates every day during the academic year; Tuesdays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. are designated for RHCC. This is a wonderful and rewarding opportunity to work with children. We welcome adults and mature youth volunteers. If you would like to join us, please contact us.

– Caroline Lazzara, ccclazzara@gmail.com Jenny Rye, jennyrye@me.com

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NEW MEMBERS

The Membership Committee is delighted to welcome and introduce the following new members into our church family: The Reverend Dan Haugh, Lauretta Haugh, Jill Cassill, Ann Flinn, Carolyn Gilbert, and Corinta Kotula. They were received on September 13, 2015, during our worship service. Short bios of some of them follow. For information about joining the Church, please contact the Church Office at 203-869-1091, or church@roundhillcommunitychurch.org, or Mem-bership Chair Grada Fischer-Herrick at 203-531-7824.

Dan HaughHaving been raised in a Christian home in Massachu-setts, I knew the value and importance of my family’s faithful tradition. As a typical teenager, I thought re-ligion was boring and irrelevant to my life, yet deep within, I knew there was a void longing for meaning and purpose. By the grace of God, I had an epiphany while in high school and the reality of God’s good-ness and love became known to me. I attended a lib-eral arts college where I majored in Biblical Studies and Youth Ministry (and attempted to minor in baseball and dating!). Receiving my first pastoral call to serve as a

Youth Pastor in Bedford, NY, I made my move past the dividing line into New York Yankee territory, but proudly have remained a loyal Red Sox fan. During my ten years in Westchester County, I met my wife Lauretta and together we made a life-altering decision to move to Paris, France, where I served for four years as an Associate Pastor at The American Church in Paris. That congregation was independent and interdenominational, much like Round Hill Community Church, and my experience there broadened my perspective on the universal Church, deepened my appreciation of other tradi-tions and cultures, and opened my mind and heart in expansive ways. For much of my faith journey, I thought that be-ing a Christian would limit my world view, but I have learned the beautiful and bold truth that following Christ is actually a journey of inclusivity, openness, and an embrace of all people. This has set me free to love others lavishly and let grace guide all. I am truly honored to serve at Round Hill Community Church, a welcoming community of faith with a storied his-tory and exciting future ahead, as together we seek to flourish in our faith and live as a blessing to others.

Corinta Kotula, Lauretta and Dan Haugh, Ann Flinn, Carolyn Gilbert, Jill Cassill

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Lauretta HaughA few weeks ago I was privileged to stand beside my husband and several other congregants as we became new members of Round Hill Community Church. Having been raised in a Christian home, being ac-tive and part of a church community is something that has always been important to me. I believe that one’s faith and relationship with God is a journey and something that can look different for each individual. I look forward to personally growing in my faith at RHCC, as well as working together with others to make this world a better place by showing the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jill Cassill I grew up in Greenwich. After graduating from Greenwich High School, I attended Bard College for a short time before moving to Cambridge, Massa-chusetts, to join my husband while he finished his schooling at Harvard. In 1969, we moved to California, where we lived in Big Sur, Carmel, Marin County, and Comptche. Our son Cory was born in 1971. Some years later, my husband and I split up and my son and I moved to Santa Barbara. I spent the next 40 years there and worked as a private duty Licensed Practical Nurse. Cory now lives on the big island of Hawaii. Throughout my life, dance and spiritual healing have been my passions and they still are. Through a series of major life events, in April of 2013 I found myself back in Greenwich living in the very house that my father built, where I grew up. I’ve come full circle! After searching for a church for a couple years, a friend brought me to RHCC. I felt at home the mo-ment I walked through the doors of our wonderful church. I am touched by the loving kindness of its members, the inspirational music, and the simplicity and beauty of the service. Reverend Horstmann is a shining light! It is with much gratitude that I can say I’ve found my true family at RHCC.

NEW MEMBERS

Carolyn Gilbert As I drove away from Tod’s Point a few weeks ago, af-ter volunteering at Round Hill Community Church’s annual beach outing with families from Spanish Har-lem, I thought, “I can’t wait to volunteer again next year!” That sentiment is echoed every Sunday as I can’t wait to return to the Church for inspiration, joyful worship, intellectual stimulation, and Chris-tian fellowship. I’m so happy to have finally found a church community that echoes my childhood church, a small but powerful Congregational church located on the eastern plains of Colorado in the very small town of Flagler, where my parents published the weekly newspaper for 45 years. After attending Smith College on a scholarship, I came to Greenwich to teach at Parkway School. There I first met Louisa Stone, Libby Cryer, and Helen Itin O’Malley, all of whom recently helped me find a home at RHCC. Now retired after 35 years of teaching, I am active in our local Smith College Club, the Greenwich Arts Council, and the Garden Educa-tion Center; I also serve on the Breast Cancer Alli-ance benefit committee. I like the sign-up sheets at RHCC that make it so easy to become involved in the wide variety of volunteer opportunities: I love to bake cookies, and the flower committee ladies have taken me under their wing! I appreciate and applaud the effective commu-nication provided by the church’s very helpful and impressive website and Facebook postings. I’m also grateful for the Women’s Gathering group, which is outstanding. My husband and I live in Glenville; for-merly enjoying golf and travel, now Bob’s health issues keep us close to home, and we stay busy with cross-word puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, reading, cheering for Bama and for the Denver Broncos. Heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for the warm welcome to RHCC!

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FAITH DEVELOPMENT

Round Table PulpitWednesday, Oct. 7 and Nov. 4, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.Sunday, November 8, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

For churches like Round Hill Community Church, which have evolved from the great river of religious tradition that we describe as Protestantism, the act of preaching is a core feature of our common worship. Preachers who enjoy the freedom of the pulpit find that the sermon is the place where faith and culture intersect. We hope that the conversation between sa-cred stories and the stories of our lives and world will create insights and perspective about how to live as an ambassador of God’s peace and love. While the process of preparing for sermons can be rewarding at many levels, it is mostly a solitary process, though this does not always need to be the case (and probably should not be). As we become a community that is increasingly invited into oppor-tunities for reflection and education about our faith, I would like to invite you to a gathering that may not only deepen our spiritual life but bring a wider span of ideas to the sermons that will be preached at Round Hill Community Church. On Wednesday, Oct. 7 and Nov. 4, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. and Sunday, November 8, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. I will host a Round Table Pulpit in the Parlor. I encour-age you to join me as I strive to make my sermon prep-aration process a more social activity. We will explore texts and stories from which I will preach on a Sunday following the Round Table Pulpit. The texts will be ad-vertised well in advance of our meeting and I encour-age all participants to read and study them ahead of time. Our time together will be structured to allow for creative engagement with those texts. Your in-sights, questions, and curiosity about those stories will be invaluable to me as I plan future services of worship at Round Hill. Our texts for discussion on October 4 will in-clude Genesis 32:22-32 (please read Genesis 32 in its entirety and I will offer additional background to this text when we meet).

People of the BookSunday, October 11Meeting Room, 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

On October 11, I invite you to join me follow-ing worship for the in-augural session of a Bible study entitled People of the Book. In this series we will explore the lives of diverse characters in the Bible to gain a sense of how their struggles, accomplishments, and

transformations may help us strengthen our own faith, increase our love for one another, and help us to be a force for good. Please register for People of the Book by calling or emailing the Church Office or adding your name to the sign-up sheet in the Parlor. Materials needed for the study will be sent out prior to the first class. Fol-lowing the introductory session in October, all subse-quent classes will take place following worship on the third Sunday of each month through May 2016.

Blessed Beginnings: Stories from the Book of GenesisFrom September 13 through November 15, we will make use of our autumn sermon series to explore stories from the Book of Genesis. This first book of the Bible contains texts about a diverse array of epic events and remarkable characters that have become well known across the centuries to people across many cultures and faith traditions. My hope is that we will search these stories with excitement, looking for clues about how God is alive and at large in the world, and about how we can be collaborators with God in the ongoing renewing of creation. On November 1, I invite you to join me for a ser-mon talkback session following worship to hear your reflections on our encounter with this extraordinary collection of sacred stories.

– Ed Horstmann, Senior Pastor

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LES BEAUX ARTS GALLERY

Cuba: Through My LensPhotographs by Barbara O’SheaOctober 18 through November 24

This past July 23, the United States and Cuba ex-changed embassies after many decades of cold war. The island of Cuba became communist after the second World War and has been under economic sanctions that froze the island in a moment of time. Since the announcement by President Obama in December of 2014 to lift some sanctions and nor-malize diplomatic relations, traveling to Cuba has become possible for Americans. In light of this historical event, Les Beaux Arts Gallery will exhibit a collection of photographs featuring views and street scenes from Cuba by Barbara O’Shea, a well-known artist-photographer from Greenwich. The show opens on Sunday, October 18, and runs through November 24. About her visit to Cuba, O’Shea said: “Its color, rich history, dazzle, and decay all spoke at once. The American cars in varying degrees of shine, the classic architecture decked with everyday laundry, the mon-uments, reverently preserved, all called for attention. The people in the city, while polite and helpful, pos-

sessed a sense of purpose and intensity. I kept think-ing, ‘caught between.’ Their world seemed caught be-tween then and now, the faded glamour, the promise and the reality. I don’t pretend to understand Cuba after a week’s visit but I was intrigued by the depth of its culture and the strength and resilience of its peo-ple. In this work I hoped to find the honesty in the moments that I witnessed.” O’Shea’s love of photography started at an early age. She was most influenced by Dorothea Lange and Diane Arbus, the storytelling photographers par ex-cellence, and just like them, she searches for the story behind the photograph. Her work has appeared in Greenwich Magazine and several other publications. She graduated in Fine Arts from Marywood University and then studied with Arthur Leipzig at the ICP (International Center of Photography). She also took master classes at the Maine Photographic Workshops with Costa Manos and Eli Reed of Magnum. She has exhibited widely and won numerous awards. O’Shea’s passion is exploring and capturing the world and people around her.

– Mirella Hajjar, Gallery Curator

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CHURCH ACTIVITIES

Harvest SupperWednesday, October 21, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Community House

The Harvest Supper has been a long-standing activity in the back country that brings friends and families together for a hearty meal and warm fellowship for the whole community. Everyone is invited. In that spirit, we would like to form small task groups of two or three to help prepare some of our traditional dishes of mashed potatoes, sweet pota-toes, stuffing, and salad. There is a sign-up sheet in the Parlor for apple, pecan, or pumpkin pies. We will need five of each. To round out our menu, turkey, gravy, and cran-berry sauce will be provided. As always, help is needed to set up (3:00 to 5:00 p.m.) and break down after the dinner, and it is much appreciated. All are welcome. Bring your friends! And vol-unteering is fun and a great way to get to know other people. The dinner will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. Reservations may be made online at roundhillcommunitychurch.org. For information, please contact Suzy Simpson, suzsimp@verizon.net or 203-622-6611.

Christmas on Round HillPreview Party, Friday, December 11 Christmas on Round Hill, Saturday, December 12 Invitations will soon be in the mail for the Preview Party. This is another long-standing back country tradition, where friends from Church and commu-nity come together to make for a very jolly Christmas party. The Fair continues, free and for the whole com-munity, on Saturday. All proceeds go to the charities the Church sup-ports. There are plenty of opportunities to join the

teams of elves creating, decorating, baking, and selling. To help, contact Suzy Simpson at 203-622-6611 or suzsimp@verizon.net or the Church Office at church@roundhillcommunitychurch.org.

Christmas Puddings

The Christmas Pudding team will be stirring and steaming puddings again in October and November for sale at Christmas on Round Hill. If you had a pudding last year and would like to recycle the

bowl, please drop it off at the Church Office. Many thanks.

– Rhona Johnson

Book GroupTuesday, October 27, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

The Road to Character by David BrooksLooking to some of the world’s greatest thinkers and inspiring leaders, Brooks explores how, through inter-nal struggle and a sense of their own limitations, they have built a strong inner character.

Blending psychology, politics, spirituality, and confessional, The Road to Character provides an oppor-tunity for us to rethink our priorities and strive to build rich inner lives marked by humility and moral depth. With the debates in progress for the 2016 elec-tion, there will be many opportunities to observe the character of possible candidates. Our discussion will incorporate the perspective of David Brooks as he defines what to look for in the character of those who want to lead the country forward. Come join us. Open to all. Location to be an-nounced. For more information contact Suzy Simpson, suzsimp@verizon.net or 203-622-6611.

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CHURCH ACTIVITIES

Let’s Take a Hike!Saturday, October 17, 10:00 a.m.Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Pound Ridge, NY

On a perfectly glorious Saturday morning in Septem-ber, seventeen happy hikers followed Claire McKean’s lead at the Rockefeller State Park Preserve in Pleas-antville, NY. The walk was about five miles on beauti-fully groomed trails and ended for most at Blue Hill at Stone Barns Café for a lovely lunch outdoors.

Participants remarked on how it was such a nice way to get to know people from the Church while getting exercise in a beautiful surrounding. And most wanted to know when the next hike would be. Claire will once again lead a group on October 17, this time at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. The trails here are more rugged so if you have hiking shoes, it would be a good idea to wear them. The 4,315-acre park makes Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Westchester County’s largest park. With its varied terrain and landscapes and miles of wood-ed trails, the park provides a variety of activities in all seasons. There are areas for picnicking, lean-to camp-ing, fishing and cross-country skiing.

Originally part of Cortlandt Manor, the reserva-tion was settled by farmers from Connecticut. The name Pound Ridge is credited to the Indians who originally lived in the area. They had a local pound in which they kept game on the hoof until they needed it for food. The Indians built an enclosure of saplings driven into the ground and drove their game into the pound. The name was spelled “Poundridge” un-til 1938, when the county bought the property and added the “Ward” to honor William Lukens Ward, Westchester’s Republican county leader from 1896 to 1933. The park is about a half hour’s drive from the Church, where the group will meet at 10:00 a.m. and carpool. Please contact the Church Office to reserve a place. Maximum 12 people.

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CHURCH ACTIVITIES

Round Hill Craft StudioWednesdays, 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.Community House

There is a gem of a studio here on our campus. Molly Cook and her able assistant Alice O’Gorman are experts at faux finish-es and would enjoy passing the tricks of the trade on to some new aspiring artisans.

There are many supplies on hand: paints, stains, items to finish, artificial floral accoutrement, and more. The library has an assortment of reference books to stimulate the creative mind. There are large worktables, good lighting, and air conditioning for the hot days. Please stop by to see our artisans in action. For information, please contact Nancy Lane at 203-869-7972 or nanbop2@aol.com.

Meditation/Stress ReductionThursday, October 8 and October 226:30 to 7:30 p.m., Meeting Room

The Meditation Group meets every other Thursday eve-ning from 6:30 to 7:30. The group seeks to draw men and women closer to God through spiritual studies and the practice of “mindfulness,” as we study works by authors on meditation, philosophy, poetry, and the world’s great religions in the context of Christianity. We take turns reading, sharing, and discussing meaningful passages. During our hour together we spend some time in silent meditation and discuss the physical and mental health benefits of this practice as a way of life. As we move for-ward, our plan is to invite various guest leaders to share their insights with us. All are welcome.

– Grada Herrick

Alice O’Gorman and Molly Cook

Calling All Artists Fridays, October 9 and 2310:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

We had a very successful and fun day of painting for our first En Plein Air day. The weather was beautiful and four of us were spread out to take in the trees, greenery, and rock walls. We have decided to continue to paint together on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. You are welcome to come for the whole day or just a few hours, whatever your schedule permits. All mediums encouraged. For oil and acrylic, please bring your own easel. Hope to see you and your friends, brush in hand.

– Suzy Simpson, suzsimp@verizon.net

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CHURCH ACTIVITIES

Single Women’s GroupSaturday, October 10, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.Church ParlorAt our next regular Single Women’s meeting our topic will be “At Home Alone – Now What?” Plan to bring your own lunch. All single women of the Round Hill Community Church and their single friends are invited. Please contact the Church Office at 203-869-1091 or church@roundhillcommunitychurch.org if you plan to attend.

– Anita E. KeireFall Women’s Gathering Friday, October 30 6 :00 p.m., Fellowship 6:30 p.m., Supper7:15 p.m., Guest Speaker Janeen Bjork

We kick off our 2015-2016 season with a Trick or Treat Celebration: “The History of American News-papers: All the News That’s Fit but Where Did Amer-ican Women Fit In?” Join us on October 30 for dinner and a light look at women in the news, in the newsroom, and in news-paper ads by our guest speaker, Janeen Bjork. She will deliver her program in her Halloween costume, as a newspaper fairy godmother.

Janeen has taken the skills she developed in a 30-year career in television research and combined them with her family history re-search, and she has given popular and unique programs and classes on newspapers and genealogy in New York and Connecticut. She

promises that the only family history she will include will be the most newsworthy women in her family. Costumes are optional. We encourage you to consider at least a mask or wig in celebration of the Halloween season. We have appetizers, dinner, and dessert covered. A $10 fee for expenses will be collected at the door. Guests are most welcome. We need to know how many will attend, please. To reserve, contact the Church Office at 203-869-1091 or church@roundhillcommunitychurch.org by Monday, October 26.

– Libby Cryer and Jane Adams

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS

Sunday, October 20 was a day that went to the dogs . . . and cats, guinea pigs, and horses at Round Hill Community Church during the annual Blessing of the Animals service. Pets brought their people to the Community House and met other friends of all shapes, sizes, and colors. They joined in the songs and prayers with barks, mews, and neighs at all the right places. Pastors Ed Horstmann and Dan Haugh blessed each and every one and reminded the crowd of the significance of St. Francis of Assisi and the impor-tance of animals in our lives. The morning was truly a blessing for all, two-legged and four.

1

8 pm Choir Rehearsal

2

5:30 pmCE Meeting

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4World Communion 10 am Worship/Church SchoolE. Horstmann preaching11:15 am, Simply Smiles memories3 pm, Dan Haugh Installation Service

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7:30 pm Trustee Mtg.

6

12 pm Staff Mtg.

7 pm Bach lecture

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9:30 a.m. Round Table Pulpit

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10 am Communi-cations Mtg.

6:30 pm Meditation/Stress Reduction

8 pm Choir Rehearsal

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10 am En Plein Air Painting Work-shop

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12 pm Single Women’s Group

1110 am Worship/Church SchoolE. Horstmann preaching11:30 am Bible Study Series4 pm Chamber Players

12Columbus Day

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12 pm Staff Mtg.

4-6 pm RHCC at Inspirica

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8 pm Choir Rehearsal

16 17

1810 am Worship/Church SchoolD. Haughpreaching11:30 CPR Class

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3:00-6:00 pm, Cooking and Serving at Inspirica

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12 pm Staff Mtg.

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6:30 pm Harvest Supper

216:30 pm Meditation/Stress Reduction8 pm RTM Mtg

8 pm Choir Rehearsal

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10 am En Plein Air Painting Workshop

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2510 am Worship/Church SchoolE. Horstmann preaching

11:30 am New Member Brunch

26 2712 pm Staff Mtg.

28 29

8 pm Choir Rehearsal

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6 pm Fall Women’s Gathering

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Visit our website, roundhillcommunitychurch.org, to listen to sermons and keep up with what’s happening at RHCC.

The News LetterRound Hill Community Church395 Round Hill RoadGreenwich, CT 06831203-869-1091

OCTOBER 2015 AT ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH

4-6 pm RHCC at Inspirica

4-6 pm RHCC at Inspirica

4-6 pm RHCC at Inspirica

In Les Beaux Arts GalleryThrough Oct. 15 – Fereshteh Priou “Keeping in Line”

October 18 – Barbara O’Shea, “Cuba: Through My Lens”

10 am RHCC Hike at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

1:30 pm Alliance Francaise Mtg.

1 pm Book Group

1 pm RH Craft Studio

1 pm RH Craft Studio

1 pm RH Craft Studio

1 pm RH Craft Studio