Looking Back on the decade - 2002

Looking back on 2002

Nancy Allen became the new moderator this year and Debbie Muyres became the church clerk. It was a year of transition and change. Buffy McFalls became the treasurer and Mary Brockway took over as Sunday School Superintendent. Rosie Main was the Property Committee Chair and Amy Rezendes served as Flower Committee Chair.

Ray and June Deptulski donated a van to the church and we put it right to use by taking 28 kids on a ski trip to Ski Sundown. Then on July 20th we set off for Daytona Beach on a youth mission trip with 13 kids and four adults. We used our new van and a second one donated by Charles Toyota to make the journey. Along the way we stopped in Washington, D.C. to see the Viet Nam War Memorial and a few of the other monuments. We also went to Six Flags again and took 73 people with us. In 2002 Roland Widstrom earned his Eagle Scout Award and we were so proud of him. We also gave out our first college scholarship. The recipient was Adam Barber. He received $300. In December we had a youth retreat at Camp Wightman and Timothy Rezendes and Jonathan Vanase led the music and devotionals.

We installed new windows in the sanctuary and the parlor and raised money with a "Let the Light In" campaign. We made some real progress in making our church parlor a more inviting place by reupholstering the chairs and coaches and giving the room a fresh coat of paint. Money for the project came from the Paul and Esther Lorraine Memorial funds. Gwyn Green organized a group of people to cook up meals for folks coming out of the hospital and Jill Haelsen and Diane Nesslrode helped out with the youth groups. Karen Murray offered a coupon class and Debbie Muyres and Fran Rogers helped Gwyn Green put together some "College Care Packages" for our college kids.

We met for prayer and worship on Wednesday nights and this year Steve Contois accepted the call and began playing guitar for us. Before long we had the beginning of a "praise team." Cliff Vanase, Brian Goldin, Oliver Bray and Fred and Gwyn Green played guitar and sang vocals. We also had a Men's Group meeting once a month for breakfast and Bible Study.

Carol Calkins, Sharon Fishkin, Sandy Stone, Nick Muyres, Mark A. Kane, Ashley West, Randy Sargent, Michael Capps and Elizabeth Parker were baptized. Cheryl Dutrumble, Mark, Pam and Cassie Kane, Greg Maxim, Penny Sargent, and Fred Stone joined them by becoming church members. Amber Diehl, Mick Mehlinger, Adam Dutrumble, Nicole Maxim, Preston Lavalle, Madison Pestey and Lukas Poore were all dedicated at church. Regina Grillo and Robert Mynes were married and Harry and Dot Calkins renewed their wedding vows after 50 year of marriage and Randy and Penny Sargent did the sam after 25 years. It was a tough year in terms of losing members. Cliff Oat, Henry Pendleton, Louise Blair, Nancy Kimble and Elsie Hamblen passed away. We also lost friends of the church in James Whitely, Ruby Merriman and Jacob Shutski.

I was in community theater productions and groups from the church came out to both of them. In the Spring I played Linus in "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown." In the Fall Brian Goldin and Rachel Lord joined me on the stage in the play "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." We closed the year with our own production. The kids put on the annual pageant and we had about 170 people on hand. There were twenty angels in the show alone. It was great.

It was a very good year.

Cal