Village Congregational Church
News and Calendar
Village Church Music Events Calendar
All events at the church unless otherwise noted
Each Month, September—June
2nd & 4th Friday Nite Cafés, 7PM
3rd Friday Jam Sessions, 7PM
1st & 3rd Sunday Service Music and Singing, 10AM
Annual Events
February: The Valentine’s Dance
July-August: Services with the Greenwood Music Camp
Click Greenwood for more information and photos
October: Fuller’s Follies Benefit for the Food Pantry
TBA
December:
Blue Christmas Service
(date and location TBA)
Offered jointly by the ministries of the Cummington, Plainfield, and Windsor churches, this service focuses on healing,
nature, and finding a break from the holiday whirl
Christmas Caroling
(leaving from the church —date TBA)
Advent Service—date TBA
10 AM,
Advent is about waiting and patience, and practicing advent rituals can be important. This service includes an open communion.
Christmas Eve Service—
Finishing in candlelight with bells ringing, this relatively brief
but beautiful service is good for all ages.
Messiah Sing
53rd Messiah Sing will be Sunday, December 31, at 4PM
Fuller's Follies
The Follies brought music and delight to the crowd at the Village Church on October 14, 2016. Over $1000 was raised for the Food Pantry which helps our neighbors in need.
Hattie Fuller cuts the cake thanking her for her years of service putting on the follies.
Greenwood Summer 2016
The Greenwood Music Camp came back for its five-week session for the older campers. The Village church is blessed to be graced by These talented teens on Sunday morning when they give us a string quartet prelude and sing an anthem for us. Welcome back, Greenwood!
On the right, campers perform a string quartet to open the service. On the left, camper Mary joins Rev. Jon Rehmus in the morning's reading.
A 50-year anniversary celebration of Simon and Garfunkel. Musical guests included John Bye and Peg Cowen, Josh and Kim Wachtel, Rachel Laitman, Sean Kimball and Heather Cupo, James Kitchen and Mike Metger, Daniel Plane and Tatiana Berendi, Jonathan Rehmus and Michael Jennings.
The Friday Night Café will go on hiatus for the summer, giving John Bye and Peg Cowen, our hard-working organizers, and their volunteers who make sure this happens every Friday, a much needed rest. Never fear, we will return in September. Go to the Friday Night Café page to see photos of recent performances.
Our Easter Service on March 27, 2016 was attended by about twenty people.
Phoebe it the candles while Caz carried the chalice, followed by Vera and Rev. Jon.
We have a new organist, Morgan Markel. Welcome Morgan!
Baptism: On February 21st, Brooklyn Olivia Renderer was christened
at the Village Church. This was a homecoming of sorts for mother Angie Harrison who grew up here and attended the church in her youth. It was a pleasure to see her again, and to meet her husband Levi and of course, little Brooklyn. A sizable contingent of the Harrison clan came to view the christening and attend the party for Brooklyn’s first birthday.
Monday January 18, 2016: The Village Church was the culmination point of a three-day march protesting the proposed pipeline across Massachusetts. The"Martin Luther King Walk to Stop the Kinder Morgan NED Pipeline" started in Northfield MA and went through seven townes which would be affected by the pipeline. Some people did the whole walk and some joined the march for part of the walk. About sixty people finally arrived at the Village Church shortly after four on Monday. There was a lot of food, prepared by supporters in Conway, Ashfield, Plainfield and Cummington. The Village Church was happy to provide support for this effort.
The marchers formed a circle while blessings were said before the meal.
We had a full house in the vestry—lots of hungry marchers. So much food!
January 2016: The year got off to a big start with a benefit concert at Village Church to support nofrackedgasinmass.org. Sarah Stockwell-Arthen organized this as her Friday Night Café gig. Josh and Kim Wachtel, Heather Cupo, Sean Kimball and James Kitchen were on stage with Sarah, and 95–100 people turned out to raise over $1800 dollars for the group. A great night of fantastic music. More photos and music links on the Friday Night Café page.
In December: We had a busy December with the hob-nob gift exchange, the concert of the Hilltown Choral Society, the Blue Christmas service at the Plainfield Church, caroling, the Christmas Eve Service, and finally our Messiah Sing.
The 51st Messiah Sing was a big success. Over 200 people attended, including 160 or so who sang and twenty orchestra members. At Village Church we throw in a couple extras, including "the trumpet shall sound" and "Worthy is the lamb" from part 3, and finish with "Thou shalt break them" (giving the tenor another chance to shine) and of course the "Hallelujah Chorus" from part 2. See photos and links to music on the Music Page.
Christmas Eve at Village Church. This is perhaps the loveliest service of the year. There are readings and carols, and a circle of light in the church as everyone holds candles in the dark as we sing "Silent Night." The organist plays the carol on the chimes as people file out.
Over 50 people comae out to sing on Christmas Eve. We had a lovely rendition of "O Holy Night" sung by Kim Wachtel and Heather Williams, accompanied by Rev. Jon on guitar.
And Heather played the chimes as people filed out.
On December 20, 2015, We went caroling with some friends. This is a real feel-good activity.
On December 13, 2015, one of our members, Susan Riley, organized a "silent solidarity march" to support our neighbors in Plainfield who are resisting the gas pipeline which is proposed to run thru their community. The march left the Village Church and went the 5+ miles to the site of a proposed construction area which would be on protected farmland. Susan said, "There has been so much emphasis on the political and financial ramifications
of the proposed Kinder-Morgan pipeline, we wanted to focus on the spiritual
aspect." About 25 people started out and were joined by others along the way. Buddhist monks from the Peace Pagoda in Leverett joined us.
People returned to the Village Church to
eat lunches they had brought and enjoy desserts and beverages provided by
the church. They watched the award-winning documentary, Groundswell Rising—
a film about fracking and pipe lines, followed by a Q & A time.
On December 6th, the church held a "Communion breakfast service" to start off Advent. There was potluck and singing of hymns and community.
Once again Fuller's Follies brought music and delight to the crowd at the Village Church on Saturday October 10. Hattie Fuller presided at the thirteenth annual Follies. This will be her last year presiding. The follies will continue though! This program raises money for the Hilltown Food Pantry in Goshen, MA.
(more photos on the music page)
Hattie Fuller; Hattie cutting the cake presented in her honor
On October 4, 2015, the Village Church hosted a Soup for Syria Cookbook Sale, Potluck, and Discussion.
It was an evening for enjoying soup (provided with beverages; bring a side dish, bread, or dessert) discussing the migration/refugee crisis, and supporting the relief work. Co-sponsored by the Creamery and the West Cummington and Plainfield Congregational churches. Sara Weinberger, Deborah Shriver and Michael Kane from the Syrian Relief Committee came to talk about the relief needs and efforts.
Sara Weinberger addresses the group.
On August 16, the West Cummington Congregational Church and the Village Church had their annual joint service “on the hill” at the Potash Road site of the first meeting house in Cummington. This gathering is looked forward to as a chance to celebrate the two churches’ common roots and to share worship. Both Rev. Jon Rehmus and Rev. Steve Philbrick took turns with a message to the joint congregation. Music direction was provided by the indomitable Penny Schultz, who has the talent to get anyone and everyone singing at any time. Jack Swindlehurst played and sang and Hillary Lake did an interpretive dance with singing accompaniment by Diana York.
Top: Penny Schultz leads the congregation in song. Bottom left: Diana York, Hillary Lake and Penny Schultz open the service. Center: Jack Swindlehurst sings during the offertory. Right: Hillary Lake dances while Diana York provides vocal accompaniment.
Another lovely Greenwood Camp session has ended. It is always a blessing to have them in our Sunday service in the summer. Photos on the Greenwood page.
On April 19, the Village Church dedicated beautiful, new wall hangings for the front wall behind the altar. The church decided on this step as a way to welcome people of diverse faiths and beliefs. Two hangings were dedicated: an Indian silk sari which Kathryn and Benjamin Addleson had given us as a hanging for their wedding ceremony; and a quilt design chosen after much survey of opinion and discussion involving the church community, Greenwood campers, and guests. The quilt was created by Elizabeth Sylvan, and her fabric artistry is impressive. Come see this work! We offer thanks to her as well as to Bill and Jane Adams for their generous donation of the artist's commission in memory of Eloise and Howard Wells, Jane's parents.
Cummington Historian William Streeter also spoke about the church's history during the ceremony.
Here are some photos of our dedication ceremony:
Left: Elizabeth Sylvan, quilter Right: Bill and Jane Adams
Left: Ben and Kathryn Addleson Middle: Conrad Liebenow hanging the quilt Right: William Streeter
Our new beautiful wall hanging