Judy Albright and Mira Cabrera- Design and Publishing
June 2025
Rev. Elizabeth Gleich
Beloved church,
After 6 years of ministry here at The Congregational Church in Middlebury, I am looking forward to my first sabbatical! As many of you know, I will be away from July 1 through October 21-- stepping away from my regular pastoral duties and moving into a sacred season of rest, renewal, and reflection. I’m so grateful for this opportunity!
The purpose of a sabbatical is to step back from the rhythm of daily ministry in order to reconnect with God, loved ones, and hopefully re-engage passions and hobbies that nourish the soul. During these months, I’ll be spending a lot of unhurried time at home with my family and tending to our garden. I’ll also travel to Minnesota and Maine to visit extended family—precious time that’s often hard to come by during the busy church year.
Even as I step back from church responsibilities, I’m continuing to engage in meaningful spiritual and professional growth. I’ve already begun participating in Iron Sharpening Iron (https://isi.ptsem.edu/12-week-seminar/), a 12-week online leadership seminar through Princeton Theological Seminary. The program runs through August and meets twice a month, bringing together clergywomen from across the country to explore transformational leadership and resilience. The conversations and learning so far have been deeply enriching, and I look forward to bringing these insights back to our shared ministry.
This sabbatical is also a time of spiritual discernment. In September, I will become an Oblate Candidate with St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota (https://sbm.osb.org/partnership/oblates/). For those unfamiliar, 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 roots in Benedictine spirituality. I attended The College of St. Benedict for college and had a meaningful relationship with my great aunt, Sister Theresa Lodermeier (my Theresa’s namesake!), who was a nun at the monastery. This Benedictine community has long shaped my spiritual life; it’s part of my spiritual DNA. I’m excited to explore a more formal connection with this place and tradition and to discern how it might continue to shape my pastoral leadership here at the church.
Thank you to Eliana Canas Parra, our Pastoral Intern, and Rev. Dr. Steve Jewett, our Sabbatical Minister for Pastoral Care for holding down the fort during the time that my sabbatical and Pastor Andy’s sabbatical overlap (Andy returns August 12). Thanks as well to the wise and capable preachers occupying the pulpit over the summer, including Eli and Steve, as well as Rev. Dr. James Calvin Davis and Rev. Lindsay Franklin!
I will miss all of you!! But I trust this time will help me return with renewed clarity, energy, and joy for our life together. Thank you, again, for your support, your prayers, and for being the kind of church that values rest, growth, and spiritual depth.
With love and gratitude,
Pastor Elizabeth
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE may 2025
CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING
At its May 14 meeting, Church Council learned that donations to the Community Supper program are exceeding projections – $7,100 so far, with a goal of $10,000 for the year.
Judy Albright and Deb Farnham outlined a program they hope to launch called Art in Unity. Their written proposal said it’s designed to “enhance our spiritual life by creating and viewing art in many forms” – for example, through church-hosted art shows, performances and exhibits, or arts instruction. They are continuing to develop their ideas, and they asked the Council to fund the program with $6,000, which they said might be used to pay for microphones or lighting, for stipends for performers, for supplies and materials, and for catering during exhibits. Church Moderator Leanna Maglienti said Council members would consider the proposal.
Sally Holland said the church next month plans to send letters to members 55 years old and older asking that they consider including the church in their will and estate planning.
After a long discussion, Council members accepted the Investment Committee’s recommendation to change the formula the church uses to withdraw invested funds to support operating expenses. Starting in 2026, the church will withdraw 4.5 percent of its endowment every year, based on a three-year average of its value – an increase from the 4 percent it now withdraws, based on a five-year average. Members of the Investment Committee said a 4.5 percent withdrawal is conservative and consistent with what many institutions do.
Because we have more families with young children attending services than we used to, the church needs more volunteers to teach Sunday School and to help with other programs aimed at young people, Pastor Elizabeth told the Council. She and Pastor Andy have been talking with Director of Children and Youth Ministries May Poduschnick about ways to build the church’s base of volunteers.
Pastor Elizabeth said the church has chosen a new software program sold by Breeze Church Management to replace the two it had been using to provide access to the church directory and to allow members to make financial gifts electronically. Church members who’ve tested the new system said it’s easier to use, more efficient, and costs less than what the church has been using.
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
Are we really approaching the end of the school year already?
May has been a quieter month programmatically, with our usual offerings: Big Meeting, Church School, Nursery, and JYG. This brief lull gave us a chance to catch our breath and prepare for an exciting and full June! We’re looking forward to Pentecost Sunday, Children & Youth Sunday, High School Senior Recognition, Church School Teacher & Volunteer Appreciation, and, of course, our Nature Bible Camp.
Even as we move through these meaningful June events, we're already planning ahead for the next school year—thinking about programs, teachers, and volunteers. To keep our church a vibrant, welcoming place for families and children, we need many hands and hearts to step forward.
Here are a few of the ongoing ways you can help:
Nursery is staffed every Sunday with teens and two adult volunteers.
Church School needs classroom helpers, especially for our youngest learners.
Big Meeting and Summer Church require 1–2 adult leaders each week.
And our 3-day Nature Bible Camp can only happen with the support of a full volunteer team.
Volunteering with our children and youth can be for anyone with different levels of commitment. There are many different ways your time, skills, and presence can make a difference. My hope and prayer is that you’ll find the experience as enriching and life-giving as the children do. Your gifts matter, and they help shape a loving, supportive community for our young people.
When we say we welcome families and their children, we mean it—not just with our words, but with our actions. Let’s love, care for, and walk alongside these families in real and meaningful ways.
Please consider how you can be part of our church’s extravagant welcome.
Talk to or email May@midducc.org if you feel called to join this beautiful and vital ministry.
Thank you, Church, for opening your arms to our families. Now, let’s continue walking with them on their journey.
Gratefully,
May
New Member: Maya Slocum
Music Ministry
Ronnie Romano
This past month in the music program has been a moment to slow down in the wake of the Holy Week & Easter surge. As I and the choir have had more moments to breathe deeply, I have noticed a shift in our sound. The music feels even more grounded, meaningful, and profound—a reminder that each moment to gather in a spirit of song is a gift to appreciate. And, a reminder to seek moments of peace even in the busiest of times, to stay attuned to the present moment!
Please reach out to me in the coming weeks if you would like to share music at church over the summer. We have a number of Sunday slots available and would love to have a wide variety of music! Thank you in advance for considering.
Looking ahead to the fall, stay tuned for information about weekly Handbell Choir rehearsals, the usual Chancel Choir rehearsals, Taizé services, and the addition of a new ensemble focusing on a cappella vocal music. If any of this sounds interesting to you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly for more information. Or, if you have an idea for a music ministry that isn’t currently happening that you’d like to see, I would love to hear about it. You know where to find me!
I am enjoying my last few Sunday services now before departing for the summer in just a few more weeks. I have enjoyed getting to know this church over the past year and am grateful for all the love and support of me and the music program. More good things to come next fall. ‘Till then, Godspeed!
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
Helping Hands will be meeting a week later than usual. We will gather on Monday, June 9, from 10:15 to 12:30. Our tasks will be to weed the gardens and clean some rooms; in addition, Dorothy will bring a power washer for the porticoes. Bring your cleaning cloths, pails and gardening tools and let's see what we can get spruced up. Any questions? You can email Dorothy Douglas: jdmamidd@comcast.net or call her at 802-989-0405.
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
Fifield Shute 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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