Judy Albright and Mira Cabrera- Design and Publishing
June 2026
Rev. Elizabeth Gleich
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE may 2026
CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING
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Matthew Cox, Clerk
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Between annual meetings, the Church Council meets once a month to fulfill its responsibility to coordinate the church's programs and business. Council has the powers generally ascribed to a corporation's board of directors.
The Church Council is composed of the following Church members: Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, Senior Pastor, Associate Pastor, and the chairpersons of the six church boards. Also, there are three at-large members. One is elected every year and serves a 3 year term.
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The basic life and work of the church is under the direction and supervision of church boards, which meet monthly at the All Boards Meeting and report to the Church Council. Members of these boards are elected from the membership of the church.
Children & Youth
May Poduschnick
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New Member: Maya Slocum
Music Ministry
Ronnie Romano
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Love,
Ronnie
Endowment - did you know?
The church’s financial funds consist of the Operating Budget, the Special Funds, and the Endowment. The Operating Budget contains our “regular” income streams (by “regular” we mean pledge income, income from the Sunday offering plates, monies transferred from the endowment, bazaar income, etc.) as well as our day-to-day expenses. Monies received are deposited into a checking account which is then used for paying the bills.
An endowment is a fund which has been established to provide long-term support to an organization. Many nonprofit organizations use endowments to help ensure the financial stability of an organization, by having funds available to draw on as needed. Our Church seeks to manage its endowment carefully and wisely, and to preserve its long-range buying power.
Our church uses its Endowment to support our church expenses each year in two ways: (1) by transferring money from the endowment into the Operating Budget as general income, and (2) by using funds for the maintenance of our church building.
Our church’s Endowment is comprised of three accounts: Fiscal, Church Building, and Restricted. Each account contains funds provided by a named donor or by a specific bequest. Some funds specify that only the income earned may be expended, and other funds permit the expenditures of both principal and/or income.
The Fiscal Account is our Unrestricted Endowment; funds withdrawn may be used for any purpose. This is the account from which we transfer funds each year to support our annual Operating Budget. The Trustees make this recommendation to the Budget Committee each year.
The Church Building Account provides funds for the “Care and Maintenance of the church building.” It has been used for painting the building, painting the steeple, and repairing the windows and the roof.
The Restricted Account contains funds having specific purposes designated by the donor, often through their bequests to the church. These funds are currently used for things such as: flowers for the sanctuary; purchase of books for the church library; support for the work of the Boards of Deacons and Pastoral Care; support for the organ.
The church welcomes and encourages donations to existing endowment funds for programs and facilities for which there is a current and continuing use. The church accepts donations to create new endowed funds if the new fund supports a program area or facility for which there is an anticipated use for the intended life of the fund. These donations can endow restricted funds, which have a specified purpose for using the money (such as flowers for the sanctuary), and unrestricted funds. When making a gift, a donor may specify whether income only can be expended or whether both income and principal may be used. Some of the endowment funds are invested in a One Day in July account and the remainder are invested in a Charles Schwab account. The Investment Committee, a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees, monitors the investments.
Budget Team Co-chairs Michele Brown (michelelbrown59@gmail.com) and Erika Garner (garnersvt@gmail.com) with language from a statement on our web site posted by The Planned Giving Committee.
Gather & Share: June's Theme
Gather & Share: Our church has set a goal of donating three tons of food to the HOPE food shelf this year. We have a new theme for June: Snack Time! Bring a healthy snack (granola bars, juice pouches, raisins, nuts, etc.) to Church and we will make sure they reach those in need!
A Message from the Green Team
The 2025 Annual UCC Earth Summit held in April featured keynote speaker Katharine Hayhoe, one of the world’s leading climate scientists and an evangelical Christian. Katharine spoke to members of our church in early 2020 during a New Light service at the invitation of the Green Team, and we continue to find hope and inspiration in her work. She is particularly well known for her ability to bridge divides on climate issues, often engaging with people who hold different political or religious beliefs. She emphasizes the importance of finding common ground and having productive conversations about climate change.
Of the greatest takeaways that our Team took away from her most recent keynote was that CONVERSATIONS about why climate change matters and what people can do about it is one of the most important contributions that we can make. She encouraged us to “make our actions contagious by talking about them.” The Green Team finds hope and inspiration from one another in our monthly meetings and we wanted to invite the entire congregation into a conversation over the next few weeks. We would love to collect answers from all of you to this question: What are you doing to care for God’s creation? You will find 3x5 index cards in the Sanctuary to share your thoughts or you can add your comments to this google form. Feel free to respond multiple times! We will share what we hear from all of you on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall and in future newsletters.
Katharine shared the words of Greta Thunberg in her presentation: “The one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere.” As faithful members of Midd UCC, we know that we can find hope in the actions of this beloved community. We look forward to this conversation with you!
The Green Team
Eliana Cañas Parra, Hal Colston, Diana Davidson, Judy Jessup, Leanna Maglienti (co-chair), Su Reid-St. John (co-chair), and Paige Russell
Green Team’s 5th Annual Seedling Giveaway was a big success!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Green Team’s 5th Annual Seedling Giveaway! We were able to provide 220 plants to CVOEO this year in addition to sending many home with our congregants. Our next Green Team meeting will be on Monday, June 16 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. We will not be meeting over the summer months, but plan to brainstorm activities for the fall at this next meeting. If you are interested in being a part of fulfilling our mission as a Creation Justice Church we would love to have you join us! Contact any of our members (Eliana Cañas Parra, Diana Davidson, Hal Colston, Judy Jessup, Leanna Maglienti, Su Reid-St. John, and Paige Russell) or office@midducc.org if you would like to be involved or learn more about our work.
Community Supper help needed
Ways to Get Involved with Community Supper
1) Volunteer as an individual Server
Whether you can help once or become a regular, your time makes a real difference. The commitment is about 2 hours on a Friday, and the tasks are simple but essential—setting tables, serving food, and tidying up afterward. No experience needed. Sign up today!
2) Volunteer or Sponsor a Meal as an Organization
Are you connected with an organization that would like to sponsor a meal or organize a group to volunteer together? Community supper is truly a community-wide effort, and your organization can make a huge impact while also strengthening your team and having fun. Fill out this form to connect!
3) Show up to a Friday night meal
Community Supper is not JUST about a free meal—it’s about sharing stories, building connections, and creating a space where neighbors become friends. Simply by showing up, you can contribute a great deal to making this a welcoming community for everyone at the table. Pull up a chair and join us, every Friday evening at 5 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.
Nursery Help Needed!
At the heart of our church’s care for young families is our Nursery Ministry, which serves children ages 6 weeks to 4 years old. The nursery is available year-round during Sunday worship and special events, offering a safe, loving environment where children can play and be cared for, allowing parents to fully engage in the service with peace of mind. This ministry is essential in helping families worship and grow in faith together, and we depend on volunteers to keep it running. Whether you enjoy rocking babies, playing with toddlers, or simply lending a hand, your time and care make a lasting impact.
"When the young parents come to pick up their kids at the end of the service, it’s so meaningful to me to see how happy they both are to be reunited, and how enthusiastic the kids are to share what they did with us in the nursery."
-Margaret Orten, teen nursery staff
Even if you’ve never considered yourself part of children or youth ministry, there is a place for you to offer your support! Here's what is needed:
Nursery needs:
- Must have at least 2 adults every week (1 in the room, 1 on standby) Email May (may@midducc.org) to get involved!
helping hands crew
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Jo and Dave Cole Award Honoring Derek Bartlett
Each year, our church’s youth group presents the Jo and Dave Cole Award to two faculty or staff members at MUHS who have made a meaningful impact on their lives. The award is named for Jo and Dave Cole, longtime church members who cared deeply about young people in our congregation.
This year, our youth chose to honor just one person: Mr. Derek Bartlett, their former math teacher and coach, who passed away last fall.
We’ll present the award and remember Mr. Bartlett during a ceremony on Sunday, June 1, here at the church at 4:00 p.m. This event is usually just for current youth and their families, but because of the significance of this year’s award, we’re inviting past youth group members who knew Mr. Bartlett to attend.
If you’re in touch with any alumni who might want to come—or if you are one—please help us share the news. We’d also welcome a few former students to speak briefly during the event.
To connect or learn more, please reach out to Pastor Elizabeth at elizabeth@midducc.org.
A Historical Sketch
[this information was extracted from three
Manuals of the Congregational Church of Middlebury, Vermont,
Nos. 1904, 1914, and 1925]
The Congregational Church of Middlebury is almost as old as the town itself. For a considerable time, indeed, its affairs were an integral part of the town economy, taxes being assessed for its maintenance and ministers being settled by vote in town meetings: not until 1807 did the legislature repeal existing laws for the financial support of the gospel, since which date such support has been entirely voluntary. The early history of the church is fully presented in Swift’s ‘History of Middlebury.’ [extract from the above mentioned three Manuals]
At the annual meeting in March, 1788, the first town meeting at which any business was transacted other than the appointing of a few officers, Mr. Daniel Foot’s house was chosen as a temporary place for public worship, and a committee was appointed “to stick a stake for the meeting house.” The records of the time show much vacillation in policy upon questions as to church location and methods of support. The church was formally organized September 5, 1790, the following persons constituting the original membership: Daniel Foot, Abigail Foot, Elijah Buttolph, Deborah Buttolph, Moses Hale, Berthuel Goodrich, Silence Goodrich, Abraham Kirby, Ebenezer Sumner, Simon Farr, Sarah Farr, and Prudence Preston. This number grew to 781, in 1836, the largest membership in the history of the church.
The Rev. John Barnett was ordained as pastor November 11, 1790, it having been voted by the town in the previous June that he be given “fifty pounds L. money per year as a salary to commence at his settlement.“ Mr. Barnett served the church until March 31, 1795. During thirteen years that intervened between his retirement and the induction of Rev. Thomas A. Merrill in 1895, the pulpit was occupied by temporary supplies. This irregular decade, however, was followed by a pastorate of thirty seven years, the longest that the church has had.
The following are the ministers who have been regularly settled over the church, together with the years of their service:
Rev. John Barnett 1790-1795
Rev. Thomas A. Merrill, D.D. 1805-1842
Rev. Samuel G. Coe 1844-1850
Rev. R. S. Kendall 1853-1856
Rev. James T. Hyde 1857-1867
Rev. Edward P. Hooker 1870-1881
Rev. S. Lewis B. Speare 1881-1887
Rev. Adelbert F. Keith 1888-1890
Rev. George N. Webber, D.D. 1891-1892
Rev. Albert W. Dickens 1892-1900
Rev. Thomas Simms 1901-1906
Rev. Charles H. Dickinson 1907-1911
Rev. Archibald A, Lancaster 1911-
Many vicissitudes attended the apparently simple process of ‘sticking the meeting house stake.’ The proposed location of the church was several times changed but the present site having been at length decided on, but the process site had been at length decided on, the building was begun in the spring of 1806. Three years were taken to complete it, and on May 31, 1809, the dedication sermon was preached by the Rev. Heman Ball, of Rutland.
For eleven years previous to this date, the court house had been used as a place of worship. In 1854, extensive alterations of the building were made. The old pews, which were circular, with the pulpit for a center, were removed; the floor of the audience room were raised two feet; the entire church was reseated, with four aisles on the main floor, instead of three as before; and a lecture room was fitted up in the basement. These changes were effected at a cost of over $7,000, a sum about equal to the original expenditure. The house was dedicated anew February 5, 1855, with sermons by the pastor Rev. R. S. Kendall), President Labatree, and Professor Boardman.
The centennial of the church (actually the Congregational Religious Society) was appropriately observed in 1890: Doctor George N. Webber preaching the anniversary sermon.
The centennial of the dedication of the church building was observed in May, 1909. Five papers then presented on difference phases of the work of the church, together with a paper written later on the former customs of the church, form a comprehensive history, which was published 1915 under the title ‘The History of the Congregational Church of Middlebury of Middlebury, Vt.’
In 1924 under the direction of competent architects, the building was renovated, a steam-heating plant installed, the rooms in the basement rearranged, and the interior of the auditorium redecorated and restored. So extensive were these repairs and renovations that no services were held in the building from January to September, the congregation enjoying the generous hospitality of Memorial Baptist Church during the interim.
Malcolm W. Chase
Church Historian
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June Birthdays
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Mary A. Williams June 01
Janet Franklin June 01
Ellyn Curtin June 01
Alice Livesay June 01
Nellie Walcoff June 02
Dana Severson June 02
Adelynn Leonard June 03
Angelika Brumbaugh June 04
Heather Viens June 04
Sara Marshall June 05
Ellen R Whelan-Wuest June 05
Maureen Williams June 06
Richard Westfall June 06
John Klinck June 06
Christopher Wright June 06
Katy Smith Abbott June 09
Stella Andrews June 09
Matthew Cox June 10
Judy Jessup June 11
Katie Wallace June 11
Diana Landwehr June 12
Peter Vant June 13
Nancy Ward June 15
Mal Chase June 17
Sarah Tully June 17
Uwe Luksch June 17
Walter Stugis June 18
Jeff Munroe June 18
Patrick Deering June 18
Peter Nelson June 20
Jim Douglas June 21
Rik Poduschnick June 21
Cathy Fowler June 22
Annie Livesay June 23
Candy McLaughlin June 25
Patrick Greene June 27
Cindy Marshall June 28
Erik Bleich June 28
Hadley Evans Nash June 28
Tim Hollander June 30
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June Anniversaries
Stephen Abbott & Katy June 03
Jim & Margaret Eagan June 03
Marshall, Sara & Rick June 04
Peter & Cathy Munteanu June 09
Cindy & Larry Jones June 11
John & Sherry Klinck June 11
Jill & Peter Ruffa June 12
Steve & Kathy Jewett June 13
Mary A. & Thomas Williams June 13
Stephen & Aimee Diehl June 14
Kristie & Don Skor June 17
James & Elizabeth Davis June 20
Tanya Lehman & Stephen Morse June 22
Mark & Jenny Orten June 23
Amy & John Emerson June 29
Jim & Joyce Foster June 29
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