Mira Cabrera- Design and Publishing
May 2026
Rev. Elizabeth Gleich
Dear Church,
It has been almost a year since I returned from my 3.5-month sabbatical, and I thought it might be nice to give you an update on how I have been continuing to work on some of my goals!
As some of you may remember, last September I became an Oblate Candidate with St. Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota (https://sbm.osb.org/partnership/oblates/). Oblates are people who feel called to live out Benedictine values — such as humility, hospitality, prayer, and community — within their everyday lives while remaining formally connected to a specific monastic community. This path is especially meaningful to me because of my deep familial roots in Benedictine spirituality: my aunt and great-aunt were Sisters at St. Benedict's Monastery. On September 19, God willing, I will formally make my perpetual commitment to the Oblate way of life.
In the months leading up to this, I have been tending to my spirituality in a variety of ways. In January and February, I took an online class through the School of Theology at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, called “The Perpetual Wisdom of the Rule of St. Benedict.” Through this one-credit course, I had the chance to formally study the Rule and reflect on the ways its wisdom remains relevant to 21st-century life. It was a rich and rewarding exploration of a tradition I love deeply, and I'm pleased to share that I earned an A!
When I visited the monastery last September and prayed three times a day with the Sisters, I was reminded of how much I love and miss communal prayer with this community. Their prayers, known as the Liturgy of the Hours, consist of chants, psalms, and silence. The life of a Benedictine revolves around these prayers, also called “Opus Dei”, or the Work of God. The idea is that prayer is God’s work in us, and our work in God. As Sister Joan Chittister writes, “Our prayer, our very lives, are a work that God is doing in us… our very creation is God's work, crafted for the good of the world.”[1] Benedict teaches that frequently pausing to pray in community is central to Benedictine life, and that the work happening outside of formal prayer is also a form of prayer. Every part of communal life, for Benedict, is sanctifying. This is good news for those of us who cannot stop to pray multiple times each day!
Since returning from my sabbatical, I have been meeting regularly with my friend the Rev. Caryne Eskridge of Weybridge Congregational Church to pray the Liturgy of the Hours together. Caryne also has a deep affinity for the Benedictines and spends a week each year on retreat with the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pennsylvania. These gatherings have been a meaningful way to stay connected to my prayer life and to pray in community. I also meet online once a month with my cohort of oblate candidates to pray, discuss our shared reading, and explore how this tradition applies to our daily lives.
What does all of this mean for my work as your pastor? It means I am spending more time thinking and praying about what it means to live and work in community — about the humility required to grow and learn together, the importance of deep listening (to God and to one another) for our mutual flourishing, and how remaining rooted in one place (what Benedictines call stability) can lead to the transformation of both self and community.
This month, May 11–15, I will spend five days at St. Benedict's Monastery, which I am very much looking forward to. Thank you, again, for supporting my spiritual growth and education. I am a grateful pastor.
Elizabeth
[1] Joan Chittister, The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century (New York: Crossroad Publishing, 2010), 126–127.
A Joint Worship Service of the Addison Association, United Church of Christ
Sunday, May 31st at 10:00 AM at the Vergennes Congregational Church, 30 S. Water Street
On Sunday, May 31st, the congregations of the Addison Association of the United Church of Christ will gather together for a joint worship service at the Vergennes Congregational Church. This is believed to be the first time in recent memory, and possibly ever, that all Addison Association churches have worshipped together on a Sunday morning!
The pastors of each congregation will participate in leading worship. The choirs from each church will join together in song. Our Conference Minister, Rev. Lynn Bunjak, will preach. Childcare and Church School will be provided for all children. The church has a large parking lot with accessible parking available.
We encourage every member of every congregation in the association to join us in Vergennes that Sunday. Occasions like this one are rare, and there is something powerful about the churches of our association worshipping together as one body! For those unavailable to be there in person, you can join the livestream at www.facebook.com/vergennesucc.
Following worship, all are welcome to stay for lunch and the Addison Association Annual Meeting and program, which will begin at noon and conclude by 1:30. The program will consist of a "listening session" facilitated by our VT Conference Minister, Lynn Bunjak and Associate Conference Minister, Paul Sangree, which is an opportunity for members across the association to share their perspectives on the life and future of our churches in Addison County. We hope you will join us for some or all of the day!
Schedule:
10:00 AM – Joint Worship Service
11:00 AM – Lunch
12:00–12:30 PM – Addison Association Annual Meeting
12:30–1:30 PM – Listening Session facilitated by the Conference Ministers
All are welcome. We hope to see you there.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE april 2026
CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING
At its April 8 meeting, Church Council learned from Treasurer Cathy Chase that the church checking account compromised by thieves in February has been closed. Fraudulent checks continue to be presented to National Bank of Middlebury, but because the account is closed those checks are being denied. Before the account was shut down, thieves wrote 11 fraudulent checks totaling about $11,000. So far, the church has recovered about $4,200 related to four checks. Police are investigating the theft and the church hopes to recover all of the funds eventually. The thefts occurred after someone obtained unauthorized access to the financial records of a non-profit with which the church does business.
Pastor Elizabeth Gleich told the Council about 180 people from different faith traditions attended a potluck dinner and sing-in at the church in March. The event, sponsored by the Middlebury Area Clergy Association, allowed participants to share their concerns about recent federal immigration enforcement actions. She also told Council members that all eight United Church of Christ congregations in Addison County will gather for a common worship service on May 31 at the Vergennes Congregational Church. There will be no service at our church that Sunday. This may be the first time all Addison County UCC churches have worshipped beneath the same roof.
Pastor Andy Nagy-Benson said he plans to meet with Gus Jordan and Dottie Neuberger to discuss the future of the Friday Night Supper program. Dottie, who has run the program for many years, is stepping down in January.
Robert Foster, who chairs the Board of Trustees, said preparations for the roof replacement project are continuing to move forward. Under the contract trustees are reviewing, the project’s cost is capped at $555,000. Work is scheduled to start by July 1 and to be completed in about nine weeks, although it’s possible the contractor will be able to start sooner. Moderator Leanna Maglienti said that while the church will have to set aside 10 parking spaces for workers, all of the spots in the church parking lot on Seymour Street will remain available to members.
Council passed a motion appointing Ian Phair, Erika Garner, Michele Brown, and Sally Holland to leadership positions on the 2027 Budget and Stewardship Committee, which will conduct a drive to raise money for church operations next year.
Leanna shared with Council members two documents related to church safety. The first outlines steps churches can take if federal immigration agents seek to enter a building to make an arrest. It was prepared by the United Methodists of Susquehanna and Upper New York and shared with our church in February, 2025. The second is an 11-page document revised in March 2025 that outlines the church’s safety policies and procedures. Council agreed to ask the church’s two building managers to draw up emergency exit maps for any rooms that do not have them posted already.
Respectfully Submitted,
Matthew Cox, Church 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
Happy Eastertide!
We launched the Easter season with a beautiful service followed by an exciting Egg Hunt. Our high school “elves” did a wonderful job hiding over 550 stuffed candy eggs all over the town green for our young egg hunters, including 5 Golden Eggs. The rain did not deter us—by the time the hunt began, the precipitation had ended. Nothing like starting the season on a high note!
We also welcomed three new Confirmands the following Sunday, April 12.
Parent Playdate continues to meet monthly for parents of preschool children. Pastor Elizabeth plans the adult program while I supervise childcare, including music and teaching moments for the children. This ministry is made possible by the many volunteers and teens who help watch babies and children, prepare food, set up, and clean up. If you are interested in contributing food or being the host/hostess or help in any other way, click the links or contact Pastor Elizabeth or me. Many hands make this possible!
Church School is humming along, with only two more gatherings in May before we culminate with Children & Youth Sunday on June 14, 2026. You are in for a treat as the children and youth present the musical The Tale of Three Trees. Don’t miss it!
We are also gearing up for our second Nature Bible Camp, June 16–18, 2026, at Branbury State Park. Please share this opportunity widely with friends and neighbors—participants do not need to attend our church to join. This year’s theme is Children of Faith, highlighting children in the Bible and the important roles they played, and how their faith in God made a difference. We look forward to continuing this new tradition of beginning the summer with a joyful outdoor camp. This is a joint effort of the Congregational, St. Stephen’s, and St. Mary’s congregations.
Junior Youth Group (JYG) continues its journey through My Neighbor’s Faith. In April, we learned about our Jewish and Hindu neighbors through guest speakers and, when possible, visits to local places of worship. In May, we will explore Buddhism and Islam. We also remain active in our community by serving at the Friday Night Community Supper and participating in Green Up Day with our church.
The Nursery continues to be a joyful place filled with the sounds of play and music. Thank you to the teens and adult volunteers who faithfully staff the nursery year-round, as well as for special events (Annual Meeting, new member gatherings, Ash Wednesday, and more). If you love holding babies, we could use your help—signing up even once a quarter (four times a year) would make a big difference.
I am always grateful for everyone who shows up, feeds us, cleans up after us, cares for our children, teaches Church School, and contributes in countless ways to our Children & Youth Ministry. We truly could not do this without you. You have my sincere gratitude and appreciation.
Gratefully,
May
Director of Children & Youth
Gather & Share Theme for May
This May, we invite you to join our new HOPE Food Shelf theme: Meatless Mondays.
As we gather for worship each Sunday, we also have an opportunity to care for our neighbors in a very practical way. We encourage you to bring shelf-stable, meatless food items and place them on the altar before worship as a visible sign of our shared commitment to feeding our community.
Think protein-rich, nourishing items that can help make a simple meal: beans, lentils, rice, pasta, boxed mac and cheese, canned soups, peanut butter, shelf-stable milk, canned vegetables, tomato sauce, quinoa, oats, ramen, or other vegetarian pantry staples. Please bring shelf-stable items only.
Our gifts support HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects), which serves Addison County. HOPE’s mission is “to improve the lives of low income people in Addison County, Vermont, by working with individuals to identify and secure the resources needed to meet their own basic needs.” HOPE’s food shelf serves over 3,000 people each year, offering non-perishable foods as well as other essentials to local individuals and families.
Giving matters because hunger is rarely just about food. A few donated pantry items can help stretch a family’s budget, make room for other urgent needs, and remind our neighbors that they are not alone. When we bring what we can, we take part in a wider ministry of dignity, care, and community support.
To learn more about HOPE and its work in Addison County, please visit their website. Or, continue below to the "Gratitude Collection" to read a special note of thanks the office recently received from HOPE.
Music Ministry
Ronnie Romano
Dear church family,
As the rush of Holy Week and Easter gently subside, the choir has a moment to breathe and regather our strength as we prepare for the final several weeks of our church year. I can’t wait to begin dreaming up new possibilities for next year and beyond! I feel so deeply proud and content with all of the music-making that happened in church so far this year, and that is due in no small part to your willingness to say “yes” to everything I’ve thrown at you. So, thank you!
It’s never too early to start thinking about summer music. Do you have a musical offering you’d like to share with the congregation this summer? We need some musical volunteers! Please contact me directly or put folks in touch with me who might be interested by email - ronnie@midducc.org. I always enjoy seeing musical contributions arise right from within our congregation. There are so many wonderful skills to be shared and I hope you will consider serving your church in this way.
With winter ever so slowly turning to spring, so too are my thoughts turning to new ideas for future musical programming. Please don’t hesitate to speak with me if you have ideas for the music program going forward. Some of my most valuable and successful ideas have come from spontaneous conversations that I’ve had with members of this church, and I am always willing to consider new approaches. I’d love to get together with you to share a coffee or quick meal and chat about music!
As I draw my second year as music director to a close (has it really been 2 years already?!), I am awash with gratitude at everything you have given me at this church. I truly mean it when I say I feel honored to serve as your music director, and I so appreciate all of the love that you show me all the time. I can’t wait to see what we cook up next!
With joyful anticipation,
Ronnie
Director of Music
green team Article
TBD
The Gratitude CoLLECTION
Here in the office we have the pleasure of receiving notes of gratitude in the mail, over the phone, and in person. We thought it would be nice to have a place to collect these little gestures of gratitude and share them with our wider community...what better place than our monthly Church Matters publication?! Welcome to The Gratitude Collection!
This month: A note of gratitude from HOPE, on MiddUCC's efforts to collect food each month through the Gather & Share campaign.
Dear Members & Friends,
From all of us at HOPE, thank you for your multiple, generous contributions to our food shelf. Over the past 5 months, we've received 7,765 lbs of food! Your donations have been instrumental in helping us keep our shelves stocked with healthy food options and non-perishables for neighbors struggling to make ends meet.
We are deeply grateful for your commitment and compassion. It is because of donors like you that low-income people in our community have a place they can turn to in their time of need.
With your support, we can make a significant impact in the lives of the 1,000 people we serve each month.
With heartfelt gratitude and warmest regards,
Susan Perine, Ambassador of Gratitude for HOPE
We love collecting and amplifying the gratitude you feel for Church and beyond! Have some gratitude you'd like to pass on? email it to office@midducc.org and we'll add it to the gratitude collection for a future Church Matters!
Knitters
Member Profile
Have You Read ‘A Church Manual of the Congregational Church of Middlebury, Vermont?’
What is the purpose of these Manuals? The design of each Manual is, to promote in the members of this church, a better knowledge of themselves, and of the principles by which they profess, and of the principles by which they profess to be governed; to increase their personal piety, and give it a more practical direction; to facilitate their acquaintance with each other, and strengthen the bonds of their Christian Union, - that thus the church may be established in the birth in the faith of the gospel; be rooted and grounded in love; may let its light shine before men; and be wholly consecrated to the service of its Redeemer and Lord.
In the past records of our church, there are references to Church Manuals dated 1853, 1875, 1890, 1904, 1914, and 1925. In these manuals, there are membership rolls of the Church. The Middlebury Congregational Society records, for the time period 1805 to February 1852, were destroyed by a fire (no details available as to the location or severity of the fire). The Society met in March 1852 to renew the Articles of Association. It was presumed that this may be a reason for publishing a Church Manual in 1853 [un-dated pencil written notes – author unknown].
For the six manuals, each was type-set by a professional printing concern. The Manual pamphlet was no longer published after 1925. Instead, there was a typewritten (8 ½ x 11) version of the membership rolls prepared within the church each year (at least there were several found in the Church files. Seemingly, this was the version which transformed into today’s Directory. In today’s Directory, the names, addresses, and phone numbers were included but there was no information as to method of joining the church.
The narrative text is very similar in each Manual. The succession of pastors is given in each Manual. In the historical sketches portion of each manual, there is a summary of the substantive repairs / renovations given up to the date of the Manual. Also given in each Manual, there are at least two membership rolls. In the first two pamphlets (1853 and 1875), the membership rolls is chronological by the year in which the person joined the Church. In the third pamphlet (1890), there are two alphabetical listings: male and female. In each listing the year in which the person joined the Church is given. In the fourth pamphlet (1904), there are two alphabetical listings: resident members and non-resident members. In each listing, a letter ‘L’ is used if the person joined the Church by letter, others were received by profession of faith. There is a single list of members with the year in which they joined the Church and their residence given. It is only these two most recent Manuals (1914 and 1925) that the addresses of the members were given.
Manual for the Use of the Congregational Church of Middlebury, Vermont – 1853 [Middlebury: Justus Cobb, Printer, 1853] - This pamphlet provides several narrative presentations: Self-Examination; Confession of Faith and Covenant; Covenant Hymn; Standing Rules; Standing Appointments; Succession of Ministers; Deacons of the Church 1853; Committee of Discipline 1853. These are followed by a “Catalogue of Members.” Each member has a symbol representing their membership:
* deceased while member
d dismissed to other churches
e excluded
s separated under the 7th and 22nd rules
n r non-residen
c suffixed, denotes those who have become clergymen since their union with the church
Manual of the Congregational Church, Middlebury, Vermont – 1875 [Middlebury: Knapp & Bailey, Printers, 1876] -
This pamphlet provides several narrative presentations: Progress of the Church; Form of Admission to Church Membership; Rules of the Church; Recommendation; Appointments; Officers. These are followed by two lists: a Catalogue of Members according to the Year of Admission and Present Membership
(l ) signified received by letter; the others were received by profession of faith
(e ) excluded
(sus) suspended
(d ) dismissed
(s ) separated under 4th or 17th rule, or because individuals have united with other churches without letters from us
(*) deceased while members
(n r) non-resident
(c ) denoted those have become clergymen since uniting with the church
(w c) those who have become wives of clergymen since united with the church
(m) those who have become missionaries since united with the church
Middlebury Congregational Church –January, 1890 [Middlebury: The Register Company, Printer, 1890]: Roll of Members of the Middlebury Congregational Church –March, 1890 - This pamphlet provides a roll of the present membership of the Middlebury Congregational Church in two lists – one is a listing of the males and a second is the listing of the females. Each name has one or more of four explanations: (L) signifies received by Letter, all others were received by profession by Faith; (N R) non-resident; (C) clergyman; (M) missionary. There is no narrative text for this Manual.
A Manual of the Congregational Church of Middlebury, Vermont – 1904 [Middlebury, Vermont, no printer listed, 1904] - This pamphlet provides several narrative presentations: A Historical Sketch; Religious Services and Societies; Rules and Usages; Form of Admission to Membership. These were followed by two lists of members: Resident Members and Non-resident Members – listings give a total membership of 320. The date indicates the year of admission to membership; ‘L’ indicated admission by letter.
A Manual of the Congregational Church of Middlebury, Vermont – 1914 [Middlebury, Vermont, no printer listed, 1914] - This pamphlet provides several narrative presentations: A Historical Sketch; Religious Services and Societies; Rules and Usages; The Creed, Form of Admission to Membership. These were followed by an alphabetical list of members, including their address.
A Manual of the Congregational Church of Middlebury, Vermont – 1925 [Middlebury, Vermont, no printer listed, 1925] - This pamphlet provides several narrative presentations: A Historical Sketch; Religious Services and Societies; Rules and Usages; The Creed, Form of Admission to Membership. These were followed by two (alphabetical) lists, one containing resident members and one containing non-resident members, both lists with addresses.
Church Historian
Malcolm W, Chase
Save the Date!
All-Church Retreat
Friday evening, September 19 – Saturday afternoon, September 20, 2025
Join us at beautiful Silver Bay YMCA on the shores of Lake George, NY for a time to exhale, refresh, and reconnect with your church community.
More details and registration information will be shared soon.
Everyone is welcome!
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may Birthdays
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Paige Russell May 1
Alison Dickinson May 2
Alyssa Sinclair May 2
Lucas Nelson May 3
Felix Poduschnick May 4
John Harrell May 5
Nancy Jakiela May 6
Jim Foster May 7
Caleb Bilodeau May 8
Alex Marshall May 9
Nate Marshall May 9
Andy Nagy-Benson May 10
Bob Foster May 13
Lois Kaufmann May 13
Elliot Munn May 13
Bob Champlin May 14
David Preble May 14
Cathy Molloy May 16
Mary Williams May 16
Nancy Foster May 17
Stacia Greene May 17
Jackson Kubacki May 18
Tim Williams May 19
Holly Puterbaugh May 20
Galen Fastie May 21
Irene Barna May 22
Eliana Canas Parra May 22
Michael Durst May 23
Elizabeth Gleich May 24
Lucy Poduschnick May 24
Buz Brumbaugh May 25
Aiden Cole May 25
Ethan Roy May 25
Ron Rucker May 25
Sara Rose Ruffa May 26
Nancy Adams May 27
Barbara Kent May 29
Ginny Heidke May 31
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May Anniversaries
Mark & Shannon Gleason May 4
Donald & Leanna Maglienti May 8
Glenna Emilo May 15
Andy & Gwen Nagy-Benson May 17
Jim & Dorothy Douglas May 24
Diana Davidson May 25
Robert & Nancy Foster May 25
Peter & Margaret Carothers May 30
Hugh & Candy McLaughlin May 31
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