Mira Cabrera - Design and Publishing
December 2025
Prepare The Way
Rev. Dr. Andy Nagy-Benson
Dear Church,
I’ve been thinking about one of Advent’s refrains: Prepare the way of the Lord. Isaiah says it. John the Baptist says it. We’ll sing it in church: “Prepare the way of the Lord.”
Advent is a season of preparation. For four weeks of Sundays, we prepare for the birth of Jesus, who is called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” We prepare for “good news of great joy” in scripture, sermon, song, and prayer. In a Christmas Pageant, too!
“Prepare” at its root means “to make ready.” And in the candlelight of Advent, we are called to make ready our hearts for a child born in Bethlehem, the One in whose presence we gather and in whose name we pray. We make ready our hearts for the love of God in Jesus Christ.
There are probably as many ways to make ready a heart as there are hearts. I know some hearts who prepare for Christmas by making and baking and shopping and doing for the ones theyadore. And I have met more than a few people who make ready their hearts by being still in this season of much to do. Still enough to remember where this is all going: to Bethlehem, to the Child, to God with us.
I’m drawn to this window of time left intentionally open. Space to think. A moment to notice.Time to behold miracles, and to pray for others. To feel Christmas.
In our doing, and not doing, God bless our preparations. May this four-candled journey be a joy to share.
Peace,
Andy
CHURCH COUNCIL Meeting November 13, 2024
At its November 12 meeting, Church Council received a budget report from Michele Brown, who said that with a month and a half to go, the church has received about 80 percent of the money members pledged to give in 2025. That’s below the pace of collections in previous years, she said. In addition, the church has taken in about 74 percent of the $28,000 it projected receiving in plate offerings this year. Some budget committee members are concerned the church may not reach its income targets this year, she said. Pledge reminders will be sent in December.
Pastor Andy said Yale Divinity School has asked the church to be part of its advanced internship program for ministers in training. Under the summer-long program, a divinity student spends about 270 hours assisting a church’s ministers – delivering sermons, participating in staff meetings, and leading worship, for example. The school pays the student and the church provides housing. He said he would share more as discussions with Yale continue.
Moderator Leanna Maglienti said the church has received 164 pledges from members totaling $495,159, which is about $15,000 below the stewardship campaign’s goal for next year. Approximately seventy four percent of members have offered pledges so far, and Leanna said she’s “fairly confident” the church will reach its goal of 90 percent participation. She said she’s hopeful that 34 people who pledged last year, but haven’t yet offered a 2026 gift, will make a commitment in the coming weeks.
Council members approved a motion naming Joe Smith church Financial Secretary, replacing Irene Zaccor, who is moving to Rochester, New York.
The Council voted to establish a College Ministry Team consisting of Pastor Elizabeth and church members Kristie Skor and Maya Troy, and to set aside $1,000 from the New Initiatives Fund to fund its activities through the end of 2025. Pastor Elizabeth recently held a lunch meeting at Taste of India restaurant with seven Middlebury College students who have been attending service. The team hopes to strengthen ties between the church and the college, and it plans additional meetings with students on campus. Among the initiatives it is considering is providing students with “care packages” during finals week.
After lengthy discussion, Council members tabled a motion that proposed changes to the Personnel Policy, and agreed to continue discussions next month.
Executive Session. After meeting in executive session, Council members approved this motion:
“Having reviewed the annual performance assessments of all staff employees, Church Council applauds their dedication to the Church programs and missions. We are a thriving congregation thanks to their efforts in front of and behind the scenes. Church Council gratefully acknowledges the excellent contributions by all our staff in their respective roles. Thank you all!
We recommend that (Organist) Jeff Buettner, (Treasurer) Cathy Chase, (Director of Children and Youth Ministries) May Poduschnik, (Director of Music) Ronnie Romano, and (Building Managers) Mike Rowe and Wendy Warren be awarded a cost-of-living increase in compensation for the 2026 budget year.
We recommend that the Church Administrator position be transitioned from part-time hourly (30 hrs/week) to full-time hourly (32 hours/week). We request a revision to the position description for this role; we will revisit Mira Cabrera’s employment agreement in light of forthcoming revisions to the personnel policies.
Irene Zaccor is retiring from her role as Financial Secretary and we want to take this opportunity to express our admiration for her many talents and our gratitude that she shared them with our church community. Irene is leaving an impressive tradition of excellence and we will steward it well. We thank her for her dedicated service.
Having reviewed the self-assessment of our Associate Pastor, Church Council affirms that our Church community continues to benefit from Pastor Elizabeth Gleich’s leadership, inspiration, and dedication. We are grateful for the devotion and care she shows to both the Church and the greater community. We are blessed by her many talents. It was further moved, seconded, and so voted that Church Council recommends that Elizabeth Gleich be awarded a cost-of-living increase in compensation for the 2026 budget year.”
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.
FROM OUR director
of children and youth ministries
May Poduschnick
Every season is a time to give thanks but even more as we look forward to Advent and the season of Christmas. We had a wonderful and full November between Junior and Senior Youth group activities, a busy church school, active nursery and Parent Playdates!
What is new with Church School?
Christmas Pageant! Rehearsals will be starting soon as we prepare for this year’s pageant on Sunday, December 21. This year we will be sharing A Charlie Brown Christmas with a cast from Church School and support from our one and only choir!
We are also wrapping up our unit on the Hebrew scriptures and starting our second half of the year with New Testament stories of New Beginnings. Also beginning in January, we will divide our current Church School classes into a total of 4 classes, PreK/K, 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th, and 5th - 8th. We hope this will better serve the needs of our families and kids of our church.
This Advent season we will also be introducing the Reverse Advent Calendar to our churchschool families. Instead of opening a door for a treat each day, you add one item – like food, toiletries, or other essentials – into a box for people in need. By Christmas, you will have a box full of helpful items and reminders of how blessed we are. It is a wonderful way to practice kindness, gratitude, and generosity as a family. All boxes will be collected and donated to HOPE
Nursery
November's theme of Thanks will be followed by December’s theme of Joy. Plenty to be joyful for.
Junior Youth Group
Continues to meet every other week and build this new community. We are delving into our theme of My Neighbor’s Faith, first discussing who is my neighbor and learning about our immediate neighbors (St Mary’s and St. Stephen’s). This continues to be an energetic and curious group of middle schoolers and we have enjoyed the ecumenical fellowship between our three communities.
We are looking forward to a Joy-filled Advent season and many reasons to celebrate, especially with our church family and community. Thank you everyone for your support and love for this ministry of the church.
from our music director
Ronnie Romano
Dear church,
We begin the Advent Season in gathering darkness which will begin to turn to light just before the celebration of Christmas. The music you will hear sung over the next month will reflect these themes: darker overtones with light slowly emerging. Much of our music is from the “traditional choral canon” this Advent, featuring composers such as J. S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Paul Manz. We are also highlighting some more contemporary composers, including Elaine Hagenberg, Alfred Burt, and Mack Wilberg. On Christmas Eve, a string quartet will enliven worship alongside the choir and organ. Several folks will join the Chancel Choir for this month to supplement our sound, experiencing some of the most musically engaging material we sing all year.
Taizé continues in Advent on this coming Wednesday, December 3rd at 7pm in Unity Hall. Come by this contemplative space to release anything weighing heavily on your heart, to sing with other human beings, and to experience God through silence. Guest musician Karen Kevra will play the flute alongside me at the piano. All are welcome!
Then, on Saturday morning, December 6th, the Chancel Choir will lead caroling on the church steps at 10 a.m. as part of a Very Merry Middlebury. Stop by to join us in the festive singing and spreading of joy!
As we begin to move through Advent, I invite you to listen to threads of darkness and light in all of our music making. Pay attention to shifts in dynamics and tonal color that can alter the mood and temperature in the room. Hearken to the music to engage more deeply in your personal relationship with God. Embrace the dark, the not-knowing, the fallow field, the uncertainty. Sink into a moment of hibernation and let it be your teacher. Move from a place of love and trust, knowing from your faith that the light will come when the time is right.
Before long, you’ll be hearing about plans to offer the Faure Requiem as part of the Ash Wednesday service on February 18th. There will be an opportunity for singers from the community to join us for this special event. Please stay tuned for more information if you are interested in participating as a singer!
I am grateful to serve as your Director of Music and am enjoying getting to know all of you better as time passes by. Thank you for all the love and support!
Warmly,
Ronnie
Advent Taizé
Looking to get into the spirit of Advent? Join us for a special Advent Taizé service on Wednesday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m. in Unity Hall. As we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child, this quiet and contemplative service offers a gentle way to slow down, breathe deeply, and make space for hope. We’ll share in meditative Taizé singing, scripture, prayer, silence, and candlelight—a peaceful way to step into this season of waiting and expectation.
Singers welcome! Ronnie will lead a 5:30 p.m. rehearsal for anyone who wants to join the Taizé choir (RSVP to ronnie@midducc.org), or you can simply come for the 7:00 p.m. service. All are warmly invited.
Poetry & Music
December 4, 11, & 18
Looking for some quiet and calm during the busy holiday season? Come join us for a restful and inspiring time celebrating the Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Vermont poets read their poetry followed by unique piano interpretations provided by Ronnie Romano, Director of Music. Presented by Art in Unity.
Events are held in Unity Hall, noon - 12:45 p.m.
December 4 - Bianca Stone, Vermont Poet Laureate (2024-2028)
December 11 - Andrew Nagy-Benson, Senior Pastor, Congregational Church of Middlebury
December 18 - Jay Parini, Writer in Residence and Professor Emeritus, Middlebury College
All are welcome!
2025 Holiday Bazaar Update
A heartfelt thank you to all volunteers, donors, as well as the shoppers among you, who contributed "time and treasure" to this year's Holiday Bazaar.
We are very happy to report that the Bazaar raised well over $14,000! This financial success was the result of the work of almost 50 volunteers to plan, publicize, arrange rooms, decorate, accept donations, organize and price items, then finally complete the many, many sales and clean up (whew!) after. A breakdown of the sales totals will be shared with you when the counting is complete and will also appear in our church’s 2025 Annual Report.
Thank you, thank you. Well done, Church!
Constructing The Church's Budget
The Budget Team co-chairs Michele Brown and Erika Garner begin constructing the church’s annual budget in October of each year. This process involves many factors: informing the staff, Board chairs, and committee chairs of their spending to date, as well as asking them for their budget requests for the next year; examining the income and expenses to date for the current year; monitoring the number and amount of the pledge commitments for next year; and comparing this year’s actual income and expenses with the budgeted amounts.
When Michele and Erika have the information from the staff and the board and committee chairs, they insert these numbers into a budget worksheet. As pledge commitments are made, the amount pledged is inserted into the worksheet. Other income is estimated, such as plate offerings (loose cash placed in the offering plate), income from the bazaar, and unplanned gifts. These numbers are based on receipts from previous years.
Wage increases for the pastors and staff are estimated by considering the inflation rate and the Social Security cost of living adjustment.
The money which is available in the Special Funds is then examined to determine which funds can be used to supplement the projected income. These monies were contributed by multiple people for specific purposes. The monies are invested and are subject to market fluctuations, but have been earning interest in recent years. As the budget continues to grow, the church is relying more heavily on these funds to supplement the income.
Michele and Erika then meet with the entire Budget Team to review the budget plans. This meeting takes place in late November or early December. After the suggestions are incorporated, it is then a matter of waiting for the year-end income and expenses to be received and recorded. Based on the year-end numbers, adjustments are made to budgeted expenses for the following year. The Budget Team meets again in early January to finalize the budget. The budget is then presented to Council at its January meeting. At this meeting questions are asked and a final budget is agreed upon. The budget is then formatted for inclusion in the Annual Report and then voted on by members during the Annual Meeting in January.
Budget Team Co-chairs Michele Brown (michelelbrown59@gmail.com) and Erika Garner (garnersvt@gmail.com)
Joyful Wrap Recap
On the first Sunday of Advent, Art in Unity and the Green Team hosted Joyful Wrap—a creative, eco-minded gathering that turned holiday preparation into an act of care for the earth. As many of us learned, much of the festive wrapping paper sold today—especially anything with foil, glitter, or attached ribbons—cannot be recycled. And with nearly 25% more trash generated between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, those materials add up quickly.
Instead of contributing to the waste stream, our community spent the afternoon transforming recycled brown paper and old paper scraps into beautiful custom wrapping. Tables filled with vines, twigs, dehydrated orange slices, evergreen sprigs, spices, and holly became handmade tags and “bow replacements.” The room was full of creativity, laughter, and the kind of fellowship that feels especially welcome at the start of the holiday season.
The result? Festive gifts wrapped in materials that return to the earth—and memories made together rather than trash headed to the curb.
If you’re inspired, consider hosting a Joyful Wrap gathering of your own at home this season. Use what you already have, or take a walk and see what nature offers. A little imagination goes a long way toward creating something beautiful, meaningful, and respectful of the beautiful earth that God has blessed us with.
December Theme: Stocking Stuffers
This month, our Gather & Share theme is all about stocking stuffers—those small but meaningful ingredients that bring warmth and comfort to the season. We’re collecting cocoa powder, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, spices, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, sugar, oil, and other baking essentials to help our neighbors at HOPE create holiday meals and treats with dignity and joy.
You’re also invited to take part in our Reverse Advent Calendar, a daily practice of generosity that fills a box for HOPE as we count down the days to Christmas.
Together, our congregation has already raised nearly 9,000 pounds of food for HOPE this year—almost twice what we had collected by this time last year. Your faithfulness and commitment continue to make a profound difference.
Let’s finish strong and make this a year of giving for the record books.
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December Birthdays
- to view birthdays for any month of the year SIGN IN to our online directory.
- Click on Calendar in the upper left of the screen.
Eryn Diehl December 1
Stacie Baldwin December 2
Bob Granner December 2
Deb Evans December 5
Julia Morrissey December 5
Laine Baldwin December 6
Penny Stattel December 6
Ed Williams December 8
Chas Lyons December 9
Violette Edwards December 10
Phoenix Edwards December 10
Kendra Tatkon-Kent December 12
David Deering December 13
Eva Phair December 15
Oliver Poduschnick December 15
Doreen Whitney December 18
Carol Campbell December 21
Steve Hoffman December 24
Rebecca Orten December 26
Willow Tatkon-Kent Dora December 26
Pat Durfee December 27
Emma Morrissey December 27
Jim Donnelly December 28
Donna Carpenter December 30
Julie Tatkon December 30
- to view birthdays for any month of the year SIGN IN to our online directory.
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December Anniversaries
Allison Stanger & Michael Kraus December 9
Michael & Chris Giorgio December 12
Bill & Gail Miller December 12
Jeff Buettner & Jessica Allen December 15
Polly & Dale Birdsall December 20
John McLeod & Blair Kloman December 22
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