A Full Copy Of June 2nd Thursday Thoughts Can Be Found HERE

June 2, 2022

Dear Congregation:
Sunday morning worship is central to our life as a congregation as we come together to praise God, support one another, get strengthened for our life in the world. Yet, we know that our outreach is beyond those hours we share together.
As one looks around the sanctuary on a Sunday morning and sees who is sitting in the pews, one could make an assumption that we only have a few young people or young adults and that our church not reach persons of color.  Our youth and young adults attending worship are spread out throughout the pews on any given Sunday, many of them sitting in the balcony which does not appear on the cameras. We have youth that are engaged on Sunday nights and mission trips and other activities.  Our children and their families are also attending activities during the week.
When we built the Community Room, our hope was that it would become a space our community would embrace and use for meetings and celebrations.  That hope has become a reality as we provide an affordable and beautiful space for family celebrations.  If you have volunteered to provide hospitality for one of these events, you know that most of these celebrations are for families of color. Weddings, Quinceaneras, birthday parties, coming of age parties, sorority gatherings.  These families report being welcomed, and they are very appreciative of the churches willingness to learn about their traditions.
I invite you to consider volunteering at one of these events to experience just how far the outreach of our congregation goes.

The Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel

Senior Pastor
Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ
bkdaniel@erucc.org
15 W. Church Street, Frederick, MD 21702
301-662-2762

A Full Copy of May 19th’s Thursday Thoughts Can Be Found HERE

May 19, 2022

Dear Congregation:

             This Sunday, the youth of ERUCC will be leading us in worship.  You already know that they are a talented and interesting group of young people.  On Sunday, you will hear their thoughts about what is happening in their lives in these days.

Our young people are resilient.  They have experienced a lot, including a pandemic.  They have been challenged in school and they have been challenged by questions and concerns around how to define themselves, climate change, the threat to democracy, and economic uncertainty.

Family, friends, educators, coaches, and the church can help young people to develop resilience.  Marilyn Price-Mitchell, a developmental psychologist and author, writes. “Resilience is not a genetic trait. It is derived from the ways that children learn to think and act when faced with obstacles large and small.” When the adults in children’s lives—caregivers, teachers, coaches—help young people develop resilience, it helps them “emerge from challenging experiences with a positive sense of themselves and their futures,” says Price-Mitchell.

Our church encourages our young people to ask questions.  We do not shy away from difficult discussions.  We provide opportunities for travel and service that takes our young people out of their familiar surroundings to encounter new people and new experiences.  With the support of their families and others, our youth learn they can take risks to learn new things and meet new people and try on new ideas.  They learn that they cannot control everything that happens in life, but they can control how they react to it.  They can learn to grow through these new experiences and face adversity with strength and courage.

I saw this tree at Lake Tahoe and was fascinated by all the way in which the rings, signifying each year of life, twisted and turned.  Clearly that tree had survived many storms and droughts and yet survived.

I like to believe that ERUCC is providing the love, care, and support for our young people to grow strong, like that tree, giving them the tools to be resilient in the midst of all the twists and turns of life.

Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel, Senior Pastor

Evangelical Reformed Church, United Church of Christ

15 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701

301-662-2762

E-mail: bkdaniel@erucc.org

A Full Copy of May 8th Thursday Thoughts Can Be Found HERE

May 5, 2022

Dear Congregation:
In Sunday’s Gospel lesson from John 21, we read that Jesus’ disciples have gone back to fishing.  Jesus has died.  Jesus has risen.  He has appeared to them twice in the upper room after Easter.  Now what?  So, they go back to fishing, something they know, something they were doing when Jesus first called them to follow him.
That day they fished and fished and caught nothing until Jesus invited them to try something else.  Do something different.  “Put your nets on the other side,” he says. It is an invitation to look at what they already know, something they have been doing over and over again, in a new way.  As the story goes, when they took those nets and put them out on the other side of the boat, they caught an abundance of fish.
Not only did they receive a miraculous catch of fish, but they also saw Jesus in a new way.
In her book, The Soul of a Pilgrim, Christine Valters Paintner, suggests that a spiritual practice we can adopt is to take a contemplative walk on a route familiar to us.  She writes, “Beginning again is about letting ourselves be surprised by God and encountering the familiar with holy wonder.  Instead of feeling cynical or dulled because of our experience, pilgrimage invites us back to our lives, open to receiving the gifts that are present even in the mundane.  As you walk, stay open to receiving new gifts, to seeing things in a new way, to noticing something you have never noticed before.  What is waiting for you to discover it, and what might it say to you about where you are on the journey?”

Another Note:  I will be traveling May 11-21 with a wonderful group of 15 people as we explore Alpine Europe and the Passion Play.  During my travels, please contact Tyler York or Kim Sexton with any needs or concerns.
The Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel

Senior Pastor
Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ
bkdaniel@erucc.org
15 W. Church Street, Frederick, MD 21702
301-662-2762

A Full Copy Of April 28 Thursday Thoughts Can Be Found HERE

April 28, 2022

Dear Congregation:

In January a task force was formed to consider how to expand and enhance our online ministries. The group includes Barbara Kershner Daniel, Jeff Schaeberle, Peter Brehm, Jenna Duranko, Larry Martin, Jeff Baker, David Cooney, Judy Peterson, Susan Kulp, John Shillingburg, Jack Day, Vida Penn, Linda Coyle, Alan and Heather McCarty.
The congregation of ERUCC, already engaged in digital ministries such as live-streamed worship, on-line studies, and virtual meetings has expressed the desire to enhance and expand these digital ministries.  Practically, this is to enhance the on-line experience of those already benefitting from these ministries.  Strategically, it is recognized that more and more “church” is being done differently and on-line/digital/virtual ministries are a major part of this shift, and future relevance depends on offering these ministries and offering them well.
We have worked as two teams.  One team has focused on enhancing the on-line/digital/virtual ministries already being offered.  The second team is focusing on new ministries and enabling a virtual community that allows for connection and faith development to form.
Thanks to a generous grant of $10,000 for this work, we have purchased some equipment to enhance the live stream experience and a monitor for the North Conference Room to offer additional space for hybrid gatherings.
At our most recent meeting, we affirmed that online ministry and engagement needs to be seen as a priority.  If we are going to be relevant now and, in the future, and continue to build community, we need to expand our virtual presence and ministry.
For several months we have been working on how to enhance the live stream experience by adding easier access to the Sunday bulletin, including the scripture readings and the words to the hymns.  Most recently, we experimented with adding closed captioning and it was well received by those participating in worship online.  Adding closed captioning is a priority for reaching audiences who may be unable to fully participate in worship due to hearing challenges.   We are also adding a chat function with a member of the church welcoming online worshippers and answering any questions.
With these enhancements, the AV Team is in need of some additional members.  The team has been operating with three people each week – one to run audio for the livestream, one to run video for the livestream, and one to run audio for sanctuary sound.  By adding the lyrics to the hymns on the livestream, a fourth person is needed to move the words forward on the screen.   I understand from the team that it is not a difficult task to work with the hymn lyrics, but it is necessary to have that extra set of eyes, ears, and hands to enable it to work smoothly.
I invite you to prayerfully consider if you are hearing a call to be a part of this critical ministry for those who have found hope through ERUCC.  Please speak with me, Jeff Schaeberle, Jeff Baker, Jack Day, or Larry Martin if you are interested or want more information.

The Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel

Senior Pastor
Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ
bkdaniel@erucc.org
15 W. Church Street, Frederick, MD 21702
301-662-2762

A Full Copy of April 21st Thursday Thoughts Can Be Found HERE

April 21, 2022

Dear Congregation:
May 1^st we will be gathering for the spring meeting of the congregation.  This is the meeting when we review activities of the congregation’s life for the previous year, elect new elders, deacons, and committee chairs and provide updates on major projects in the life of the church.  I hope you will plan to be present for the meeting, celebrate the past year, and get excited about our future.
The annual meeting will be held immediately following worship in the Community Room with lunch being served.
Please follow this link to read the annual report: Annual Report HERE 
Hard copies will be available on Sunday.   Join me in thanking our staff and committee chairs for their reports and to Angela Brittain for producing a professional and engaging document and to Scott Harris for serving as editor.

The Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel

Senior Pastor
Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ
bkdaniel@erucc.org
15 W. Church Street, Frederick, MD 21702
301-662-2762