Church Guidelines for Reopening

For we are God's creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.

-Ephesians 2:10

It's that time of year again: Guilt Season.

The build up to Guilt Season begins in the last weeks of December, as the push to buy more, do more, and make this Christmas the biggest one ever leaves us feeling like all our efforts are not enough. But where Guilt Season really hits its stride is the New Year. 

The process starts with resolutions; those commitments we make to be a better version of ourselves in the year to come. We are going to eat better, lose weight, stop smoking and drinking, get a better job, get organized, get smart with money, floss, and learn another language.

There's nothing wrong with resolutions. Setting intentions for self care and self improvement is a positive thing, and sometimes our efforts bear fruit. The problem comes when we place negative moral value on the attempts which come up short, and the guilt which accompanies our perceived failures.

A sizable majority of the ads we see in the month of January will be specifically designed to provoke and capitalize on feelings of guilt. Take, for instance, the weight loss industry. Some variation of "New Year, New You" will be plastered across every weight loss or exercise commercial, with terms that take your guilt as a foregone conclusion. "Get a free trial month when you join our Gym. You can cancel any time during the trial." "Buy this treadmill for no money down, free returns for 45 days." "Lose ten pounds free with the purchase of an annual membership." 

It's a carefully calculated strategy, and that calculation hinges on a specific assumption: You will not cancel/return during the trial period, because to do so would be to admit you weren't going to follow through on your resolution, and that would make you feel guilty.

Now, perhaps you've read this far and thought "none of this applies to me" or "I don't even do resolutions!" If so, I hope you have a happy New Year, and maybe next month's article will be a little more useful.

But if you've fallen into the cycle of resolution, guilt, and feelings of failure, let me just offer this: Attempts at self-improvement may not always be successful, but they can never truly be called failures. You made an effort. Maybe it didn't get the results you wanted. Maybe you didn't follow through with the level of commitment and discipline you'd intended. But you gave it a try, and that should be a cause for celebration, not guilt. 

So go for it. Make resolutions. Make them big and bold and borderline impossible if that's what motivates you. If you accomplish your goal, celebrate the achievement. If you come up short, celebrate the experience. If you decide it's not for you,  give it up and celebrate the self-discovery. Don't let the season of guilt get in the way of your own journey of self care and personal growth.

Blessings,

Pastor Shea

MISSION GIVING

**A total of $1422.00 was given for the Mission Gifts listed as follows:

2–School Supplies

3–Families of Chickens

5–Feed a Family of 4 for a month

5–Rehab a malnourished child

1–Feed a family for a year

12–Sets of Farming Tools

1–Soccer Ball

1–Ten Jerry Cans for carrying water

2–Honey Bees

3–Share of a goat

1–Share of an Alpaca

5–Food Baskets

2–Seeds and Tools

In addition, over twenty gifts were donated from our church family for Food Pantry children. Many thanks for those who gave the gifts, helped wrap them and then assisted in assembling the family gift bags. Also, and this is a big also, with some new donations, along with previous designated gifts, we are able to provide TWO new Shallow Wells with Marion Medical Mission

As I write this, it brings tears to my eyes realizing the generosity we have seen from our church.

Thanks is not enough to express what we can do together .But I do thank you, as will all those whom you have helped make Christmas happier and lives all over the world, better because of your kindness. Joan Hadlock

Mitten Tree–The Mitten Tree will be set up and ready to receive gifts of hats, mittens and gloves, scarves and slippers. These need to be in by Dec. 12th for shipment to the St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, SD.

Since before Christmas break, my son has been begging me to have an afternoon for just movies and popcorn. I’ve been promising him when Papa (my husband) comes back from work, we will have a family day and relax for an afternoon and have popcorn and watch whatever movies he picks. I’m looking forward to that day where the holiday hustle and bustle has quieted down and I can just put my feet up and relax. I think back to how busy things were in 2021 and being able to take a day here and there to just turn off the crazy is something that I want to work on this year. Even if it’s just one day a month, I want to be able to just turn off the crazy going on in my life, pop some popcorn and watch a movie. I’ve been struggling with putting my needs before everyone else, and I think this might be the first little step in the right direction. And I think this year, that a good New Year’s resolution for me, is to be taking these little steps in the right direction and when the year is over, I’m hoping to be able to look back and think, that was just what I needed.

As the New Year begins, I know there’s a lot of New Year’s resolutions out there that people make, that when they start them, they might be too overwhelmed with the amount of steps that it takes to get to their goal. They want immediate results instead of something that they have to work all year towards. And when success doesn’t happen immediately, there’s always that feeling of failure, but is failure really what’s happening. I don’t think God has set us out in the world so we can just fail. Everything that we do, whether we are first starting or have been doing the same thing over and over for years, He is proud of us. He puts us on this adventurous path and watches (while probably eating popcorn) what decisions we believe in our hearts are the right steps to take. Whether little or big steps, He watches. When we fail, He sees the road ahead of us and knows, everything will be okay in the end. Our lives are His favorite movies.

Christmas Memorial and Honorary Gifts

In Memory of Hugh and Denise Pitcher from the Pitcher family

In Mermory of Malcolm and Roberts McGregor from Jennifer McGregor

In Honor of the Zellweger Family, Liz Scarlett, Evie Saphier, Connie Wortman and Revs. David and Jo Serchak from Doug and Joan Delosh

In Memory of Rev. Cathy Stevenson, Jim Decker, Jr, Mr. And Mrs. Donald Delosh and 

Linda and Barbara and Phil Decker from Doug and Joan Delosh

In Memory of Denise Pitcher from Tim Pitcher

In Honor of Donna Chase and in Memory of Allen Chase from Nancy Chase

In Memory of Wayne Weber and deceased family members from Dot Weber

In Honor of Joan Hadlock from Andrea Chenier

In Memory of Milo and Eleanor Hollister, Lewis and Grace Paddock and Orphia Hollister

From Wayne and Lana Storie

In Memory of Edwin “Grandpa” Hadlock and Linda “Goob” Gardner from the Gardner Kids

In Memory of Robert and Alice Bickelhaupt, Robert and Dorothy Hunter, Maurice Maloy and

Paul Young from Gary and Marilyn Hunter

In Memory of Ed Hadlock and other deceased family members from Joan Hadlock

  In commemoration of the church’s 200thAnniversary, a memorial monument is planned to recognize the seventeen original founding members of the Presbyterian Church of Rossie, now known as Hammond Presbyterian Church. The founders started the church in April, 1821.

The monument will be located in front of the church where anyone passing by will be able to read the founders’ names.

This monument project will be fully funded by donations. All gifts are greatly appreciated!

Checks may be made out and sent to “Hammond Presbyterian Church” with Monument Fund noted in the memo. PO Box 193, Hammond, NY 13646.

The picture included here is a rough draft idea of what the monument will be.  

Food Pantry for this month is Thursday, Jan.. 20 from 9:30 to 11: at the Hammond Fire Hall.

Guests will be asked to stay in their cars and line up behind the Fire Hall. As the line moves up, please come to the back door to be signed in. The food will then be brought out to your car. 

The Food Sense program is the same day as Food Pantry, and is open to anyone, regardless of income. Food Stamps may be used for Food Sense orders. Each month there is a Food Sense menu with a unit of food for $20.50 and specials at various prices. Foods include meat and fish, fresh produce, some canned goods and family meals. Food must be ordered and paid for ahead of time. This is a great way to stretch your food dollars. For further information, contact Joan Hadlock at 315/324-5517.

The Youth Group is most appreciative of the donations of cans and bottles!  We are looking forward to being able to use our funds for some mission projects and some fun events for our group.  We would like to remind everyone to please check your returns to be sure NY is included in the 5 cent return.  We are not able to return any bottles from wine or hard cider.  Thanks!

 Annual Meeting Reports are DUE to Tara on January 24th. Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for February 6th after service. Any questions, please contact Tara in the office at (315)324-5665.