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“Fear is the cheapest room in the house.

I would like to see you living in better conditions.”

Hafiz

“Fear not.” Is spoken 365 times in the Bible. (I didn’t count, I googled)

On the one hand, the response of the limbic brain; fight, flee or freeze; is essential. On the other hand, what is there, really, to fear? 

One of my colleagues left the ministry because he feared the criticism of the Deacons or the Trustees. He went into social work and found himself knocking on doors in the infamous housing development in Chicago, Cabrini-Green, where neglect had created a community of crime and hostile living conditions. He later joked to me, “Threats by Deacons and Trustees are child’s play. Try having a door opened by a guy pointing a gun at you.” There are reasons to fight, flee or freeze…but not many. Fear of relatively inconsequential circumstance is the cheapest room in the house: a dingy and cramped place to live. 

Change is one of the things we tend to fear, not knowing our way around when situations are different than they used to be. There is a part of me that dreads retirement. Things will be different. I wonder things like: How will I connect with people? What will occupy my brain now that I don’t preach every week? How will I express my creativity? As I look back at my life, I can see that life kept coming at me with each and every turn: new ideas to ponder; new people to dialogue with; new projects to shape creatively. Life won’t stop coming after I retire—I need to go with its flow into the airy rooms with good views and lots of elbow room. We call those rooms anticipation, curiosity, courage and joy.

Change has arrived at South Church, too. But life will keep coming: people, ideas, opportunities for creative ministry in Granby and beyond--whether or not there is one or two U.C.C. churches in Granby. Let us not live in the basement, but bravely step into those larger rooms of expectation, wondering what might be around the corner, trusting God’s leading, eagerly awaiting what people and ideas the spirit will bring our way, ready to touch our community with the same “Love Divine” that has touched us. 

Fear not!

In our youth programs so far this year, we have focused a lot on giving. Our Faith Journey class gave hundreds of pairs of socks to the homeless community in Hartford. Our Kaleidoscope corner kids gave flowers to members of the congregation on Easter. The High School Youth group created and gave care packages to our friends in college who are entering exam time. The spirit of giving, from energy, time, money, to material items, is a wonderful way to live. 

In that same spirit, I'd like to take a moment to thank all of the people who have shared their time, resources and energy with our children and youth programs. The list is long so I won't try to name all individuals, but my gratitude extends to those who have supported Kaleidoscope Corner. To the parents who have helped out, the volunteers who have filled in, to the older youth who have offered a hand in class. Thank you all! 

I'm grateful to those who have helped with our youth group events. Thank you to the adults who have shuttled kids back and forth, to those who have chaperoned, and to the ones who have helped with food and supplies.

A big thank you to those in both congregations who have given ideas, shared contacts, and help with projects like the Garden of Gratitude, the pageant, Faith Journey and more. 

I'm very grateful for all of the support and love that I've received from both congregations as well. It takes a lot of energy, time and faith to nurture and lead a Christian Education program. I'm so thankful that I've been supported by the ministers, parents, music directors, administrators, councils and wider congregation. 

I give you all thanks and love. From the bottom of my heart.

Sarah Pradhan

Silver Lake summer camps are held at SLCC in Sharon CT.  Check out the sessions online at www.Silverlakect.org.

Partial Scholarships are available. Contact Sarah Pradhan for more information.

Heads Up Hartford Summer Camp The 2022 session will be from June 22^nd- June 29^th. 

For more information:

 www.headsuphartford.org or contact Sarah Pradhan. Partial Scholarships are available.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Kaleidoscope Corner meets in person every Sunday during worship. All children and youth are welcome. If you can volunteer your time and energy in class please contact Sarah Pradhan or sign up via Sign Up Genius. [email protected]

Children's Bibles will be gifted in worship on Sunday May 15th. Current 2nd graders (and any other child who perhaps missed a year) registered with our church school program will receive a bible. 

Middle School and High School youth groups are invited to contribute to the Garden of Gratitude on Sunday May 15th from 4-5:30pm. The Garden of Gratitude is located behind South Church. We will garden, weed and plant. 

Faith Journey Class will meet on May 22nd to work on confirmation projects. We will meet at South Church in the Youth Building 11:30-12:30.

High School Youth Group will meet at First Church on Sunday May 29th for an Ice Cream Social. 6:30-8pm in Cook Hall.

On Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 3:30 pm, the Windy Hill Guitar Ensemble will present Limerick Lane, a concert of traditional folk music from Ireland and Scotland arranged for classical guitar, and interspersed with limericks and jigs composed by the students. 

Amelia Whitlow and Iris Paul, 3rd-graders at Wells Road School in Granby, have written their own limericks. Evelyn Danke, a junior at GMHS, and Stefan Kachala, a fifth-grader at The Master’s School, have written their own jigs, in addition to more limericks. Even the parents and grandparents of the students have joined in on the fun!

This free concert will be held in the sanctuary at South Church with donations going to South Church. 

Masking and social distancing will be required. For more information call Laura Mazza-Dixon, director of the Windy Hill Guitar Studio, at 860-653-6146

We are horrified with the brutal destruction and human suffering we witness in the daily news feeds coming out of Ukraine. Millions in the world are reaching out and giving generously to humanitarian relief agencies in order to provide basic support to those still living in Ukraine and to the refugees who have fled the violence. As children of God, it is our duty to do so. There is little doubt that many in our congregation and community have already stepped forward and supported efforts to aid those affected by this unjust war. And there is little doubt many will continue to give. Sadly, humanitarian aid will be needed for some time to come. The South Church Board of Christian Outreach is encouraging members and friends in our community to step up and make a monetary donation for humanitarian relief to Ukraine. Our Board is ready to match your donation dollar-for-dollar for the first $1,500. Funds collected will be sent and distributed by the United Church of Christ Conference. The UCC, through Global H.O.P.E. and Global Ministries, has been collaborating with ACT Alliance and the Reformed Church of Hungary (RCH) to bring aid to Ukraine. RCH is responding to the situation in the war-torn country through its agency, Hungarian Reformed Church Aid. That group has been offering humanitarian assistance since Russian troops first attacked Ukraine on February 24.

Over the next several weeks you will find pew envelopes labeled Ukraine Relief in church. They are also available at the South Church office. Please consider making an offering. Checks should be made payable to South Congregational Church with Ukraine written in the memo area.

You can also give on-line by going to:

https://southchurchgranby.breezechms.com/give/online

Choose Ukraine from the pull-down menu.

You can also text-to-give at 860-788-4416. Simply text the amount you wish to give and “Ukraine” For example, if you want to give $10, you would text “$10Ukraine”

If it is your first time giving via text, you will be sent a link and instructions to set up your payment method.

Thank you for your generosity and your prayers for peace!

South Church Board of Christian Outreach

Will Madsen, Doug Marshall, Kathy Morgan, Pam Pestretto,

John Stevenson, Erin Windham

The Windy Hill Guitar Ensemble will present a concert of Ukrainian music arranged for classical guitar on Sunday, June 12^th, at 4 pm, at South Church in the Sanctuary. Two of the students in the ensemble are of Ukrainian descent, and hope to be joined by other Ukrainian musicians. Two graduates of the Windy Hill Guitar Studio will also be participating.

We will have a list of suggested places for donations to organizations supporting the people of Ukraine in the program for the concert. 

Masks and social distancing will be required.

For more information contact Laura Mazza-Dixon at 860-653-6146.

Upcoming Worship Opportunities

This month we continue in the season known as Eastertide, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and draws out its implications. We are, mostly, following the appointed texts in the Gospel of John, as we are taken from resurrection appearances to major themes in John’s gospel, love and healing. We dip into the Creation story as we celebrate our Garden of Gratitude and look at some implications of freedom through the lens of Paul and Silas on Memorial Sunday. Join us!!

May 1^st 10:00 Union worship at First Church—Communion served—Band Playing- Text: John 21:1-19. Sermon: Seashore Fishfry Preacher: Rev. Moon. 

May 8^th  8:30 & 10:00 at South Church— (Last 8:30 service of the season, just the way it works out). Rogation Sunday—Blessing the Garden of Gratitude. Text: Genesis 1:27-31. Preacher: Rev. Dr. Sandra Fischer. New Members Received.

May 15^th  10:00 Union Service at First Church. Youth Bibles given out. Text: John 13:31-35. Sermon: Intention not Perfection; Preacher: Rev. Moon

May 22^nd 10:00 only at South Church. Annual Meeting following worship. Text: John 5:1-9. Sermon: Do You Want to Be Made Well? Preacher: Rev. Moon

May 29^th  10:00 Union worship at First Church. Text: Acts 16:16-34;

Sermon: Breaking Free; Preacher: Rev. Moon.

June 5^th 10:00 Union worship at South Church. Pentecost Sunday. Faith Journey Class, Children and Graduates honored. Text: Acts 2:1-21.

Sermon: What Does This Mean? Preacher: Rev. Moon.

June 12^th 10:00 at South Church. Rev. Moon’s Farewell Service. 

Text: 1 John 4:16b-21.

June 19^th 10:00 Union service at South Church. Rev. Dr. Sandra Fischer’s Farewell Service. 

Through Covenant to Care for Children (CCC), First Church has been matched to the Maternal Infant Outreach Program (MIOP) at the Burgdorf Medical Center in Hartford. We provide needed items for the children in a social worker’s caseload. Each May, we “Fill the Crib” with new baby clothes and other items necessary to welcome home a newborn baby, and collect financial donations to purchase gift cards. Throughout the year we also accept donations of gently used durable baby goods (strollers, high chairs, cribs, baby tubs, etc.), baby books and toys, and gently used clothing items (maternity clothes and children up to size 2T). The church has dedicated storage space to hold these donations in inventory. These items are available to anyone, including grandparents and our MIOP partners. 

A special request for gently used, or new, summer clothing for a woman who recently assumed custody of 4 nephews/nieces after the death of their mother, are needed in the following sizes: Boy: size 12-24 months, Girl: size 8-10, Boy: size 10-12, Boy: size 16-18

Financial donations can be sent to First Congregational Church, 219 North Granby Road, noting that the donation is for MIOP. New items to fill the crib may be dropped off in the Church’s foyer during normal church hours. If you have used clothing or durable goods to donate, contact Marilyn Tracy 860-305-9919 or Ann Wilhelm 860-989-1094 to make arrangements.

Thank you!

Articles for the June edition of the SouthWind are due in the church office by noon on Wednesday, May 18.  

Announcements for the Sunday bulletin are due by Tuesday of each week. 

Our Church Family and Friends

We extend our thoughts and prayers to the following individuals with recent health concerns or surgeries:

Shirley & Ronald Hahn, Carol Evonsion, Steve Miltimore, Lynn & Lee Cote, Lee French, Betty Anan (Linda Swedo’s sister) Brian Colton, and The family of Lorraine Dewey upon her passing.

May 17 is Bill Haslun’s Birthday

We like to celebrate milestones! Will you or a loved one be celebrating an 80-plus birthday or a 40-plus wedding anniversary? We like to acknowledge these special occasions in the SouthWind. To share your milestone, please contact Karen in the church office at 860 653-7289. 

As summer approaches, please remember to mail in your Pledge Payments.

Granby UCC is sponsoring a Red Cross Blood Drive at First Church on Wednesday, June 1 from 9am-2pm. We are looking for a few volunteers to help that day with registration and canteen. If you can help, please contact the Church office.

To donate: go to www.redcrossblood.org

There is a telephone Prayer Chain/circle at South Church. If you’d like to join or get more details, contact Betty Hart (860) 653-3636

Bible Study meets Mondays at 3:00 pm via Zoom. Watch for the Zoom link in the eblast or contact Denny.

If you would like to provide Altar Flowers for a Sunday in May,

contact Kay Imbt (860) 653-2631

Yoga classes on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 pm in the gathering room with certified Yoga instructor Valerie Raggio. RSVP [email protected] All are welcome.



If you want to get better at Storytelling, or want to share some of the experiences of your life, join us. The next Storytelling is on April 5 at 7:00 PM and will be on Zoom. Contact Denny for the link.

The Handbell Ringers practice on Wednesday nights at 6:00 pm. Please contact Maisie with any questions [email protected].

The UNITE Committee is planning on holding BYOC (Bring Your Own Craft) Nights on May 10 & 24 from 7:00-9:00 pm. Location TBA. Join in anytime during the 2 hours.

Email: [email protected] Telephone: (860) 653-7289