Text Box: Union Congregational Church United Church of Christ The Rev. R. Bricker Gibson, Interim Minister Route 129 and Middle Road PO Box 59 South Bristol, Maine 04568 Phone 207.644.8242 email: ucsb@tidewater.net WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT... According to our by-laws…..."The avowed purpose of the Union Congregational Church shall be to worship God, to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, to celebrate the Sacraments, to realize Christian fellowship within this church and the Church Universal, to render loving service to humankind, and to strive for righteousness, justice, peace and truth.  Its understanding of Christian truth is that common to the churches affiliated with the United Church of Christ."  We are a small, dedicated and enthusiastic group trying to live out this mission in our daily lives as witnessing people demonstrating the Good News of God's love and a covenantal people joining together with God and each other to be an expression of the Body of Christ in today's world.  We are a friendly church and all are welcome. Church Office Hours Pastor Brick’s office hours will be announced each week in the bulletin. PPCM Lenten Series The PPCM is sponsoring a joint Lenten Series on Sunday afternoons during Lent. On March 7th, one of the two speakers will be Chris Plummer, son of our own Donna Plummer, and the subject will be the make up of the population on the Peninsula. It will take place in the Town Hall of Bristol, at 4:00 PM, and will be followed by a soup and sandwich supper. Thrift Shop Opens After being closed for the months of January and February, our Thrift Shop will be open on Friday and Saturday, March 5 and 6 from 9 AM to Noon. You can purchase a grocery bag of household items and clothing for just $2. If you have a particular need, please contact Betty House. Join us for Sunday School on Sunday mornings at 10 AM. After a brief time in church for children’s story and prayer time, children go to the Parish House for stories, music and fun. Haitian Earthquake Relief Fundraising efforts are underway to provide relief to Haitian earthquake victims through the United Church of Christ, Board of Wider Church Ministries. As plans are made, look for more details. Carolyn and Don Maunz return from their Medical Mission Trip to the Galapagos Islands. The Pastoral Search Committee is working diligently to find Union Congregational Church’s new pastor. The eight enthusiastic committee members are Jane Alley, Gordon Claar, Cotton Damon, Bill Glendinning, Jr, Betsy Graves, Donna Plummer, Sally Reilly and Lori Wright. A summary of the recent survey is in the Sept edition of The Fisherman’s Net. The Chicken Pot Pie Supper raised $1,530 in support of Don and Carolyn Maunz’ Medical Mission Trip to the Galapagos Islands. See September issue of The Fisherman’s Net. Thank you to all those who helped and/or supported the supper. Boards and Committees Our Location Calendar of Events Sunday Bulletin Usher Roster (UPDATED) The Fisherman’s Net Sept 2009 May 2009 The Rev. R. Bricker Gibson, Interim Minister The Rev. R. Bricker Gibson begins his interim ministry at Union Congregational Church on Sunday, Nov. 2nd. We welcome “Brick” and his wife, Carolyn to our community. A brief summary of his background follows: The Rev. R. Bricker “Brick” Gibson could have been born in Maine. His parents were ordained in Portage in 1935; the legendary Hilda Ives participating. He came along the following year in Billings, Montana. His childhood years were spent in Montana, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. College years were divided between Missouri and Oklahoma. He graduated from Hartford Theological Seminary and ahs served UCC churches in CT, NY and MA. Her served in a “partnership” Interim Ministry in South Freeport from 2004-2006. The Gibson’s spent vacation time in Owl’s Head and Bailey Island, beginning in the early eighties. They built their home in Cundy’s Harbor in 1996. As Stewardship Associate in Massachusetts, he has assisted many congregations in strengthening their annual giving, consulted with a number of churches undertaking capital campaigns, guided trustees in developing endowment and investments policies and planned giving programs, helped clergy and search committees develop compensation packages that are “tax wise”, and preached many a “stewardship sermon”. Those efforts have continued in his role with the Maine Conference of the UCC. He presently serves as Stewardship Consultant to the Maine Conference and it’s churches since becoming a year round resident of Maine in 2001. In 1989 he added the designation of Certified Financial Planner in order to inform his growing ministry in funding the ministry and mission of the Church. Brick is married to his wife of fifty-one years, Carolyn. They have two children: Deren, who lives with his wife, Orla and son, Conor in Hingham, MA, and Susan, who teaches French and German to English High School students in Epsom, England, where her husband, David runs his small business. They have a daughter, Carey and son, Christopher.