Saturday, October 25, 2008

Church marks 100 years

By MANON L. MIRABELLI

SPRINGFIELD - What began 100 years ago as an unused stable in Forest Park has become a historic house of worship that now bustles with activity and is poised to celebrate its centennial anniversary.

The congregation of St. Barnabas and All Saints' Episcopal Church on Oakland Street is preparing to celebrate a century of faith with a special service on Nov. 2 which will feature a visit by the Right Rev. Gordon Scruton, bishop of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. Worship is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and a reception will immediately follow the service.

The Rev. Charles R. Summers, the parish's priest-in-charge, said the quaint church building nestled in the city's most historic district is a spin-off from the days before Springfield founder William Pynchon left England in 1630. "Originally, it was a mission church school of St. Peter's Church in Springfield," he said. "It opened on the first Sunday after Easter in 1906."

The Rev. Charles Hill, the first priest-in-charge, Summers explained, renamed the mission "All Saints," with the idea of building a replica of the church with the same name in Springfield, as the one in Essex, England, where Pynchon had served as a warden. It now calls itself "the small-town church in the big city."

"The cornerstone was laid in 1908," Summers said, "appropriately on All Saints Day."

In 1924, All Saints founded a Sunday school named St. Barnabas Mission on nearby Sumner Avenue, and in 1970, the parishes merged.

Throughout the years, the parish has expanded its outreach initiatives, welcoming diverse segments of the public and serving as a meeting location for recovery and community groups.

In addition, the church has been the home of the Drama Studio for Performing Arts since 1988, and the parish recently spearheaded new Sunday School curriculum.

The success of the church, Summers said, is a result of faithful parishioners and a growing congregation of residents, all of whom are encouraged to participate in the upcoming celebration.

"We would like to take the occasion of the centennial to extend an invitation to area families who might like to visit the small, beautiful parish," Summers said. "Throughout its long history, St. Barnabas and All Saints' Episcopal Church has touched the lives of many people in the Springfield area, and all are welcome to join us in the celebration."

Trinity Methodist to hold 5th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival

Historic Trinity United Methodist Church, 361 Sumner Avenue, Springfield, will hold their 5th Fall Arts & Crafts Festival from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2008.  They will offer the work of over 30 community vendors including Kitchen Cupboard featuring delectable homemade goodies, Chat & Sew featuring handmade articles, a Kids Corner for face painting and craft making, Caricatures, and much more.  Come join the fun.  Admission is FREE.  Back by popular demand, coffee, homemade soups, sandwiches and desserts will be available as well.  This event is handicap accessible.

All proceeds to benefit Trinity United Methodist Church.

September 15, 2008

 SPRINGFIELD

 Greater Springfield CROP Hunger Walk Set for October 19

The 31st Annual Greater Springfield CROP Hunger Walk will take place on October 19, beginning and ending at Trinity United Methodist Church, 361 Sumner Avenue. Registration will start at 1 p.m. and the walk will begin at 2 p.m.

The Greater Springfield CROP Hunger Walk is one of 2,000 CROP Hunger walks that take place nationwide each year. CROP Walks, the community hunger appeal of Church World Service, raise money for disaster response, anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs in 80 countries around the world, including the United States.

Funds raised through CROP Walks enable Church World Service to respond quickly when disasters strike in the U.S. or in other locations around the globe, and also to provide long-term support for recovery and rebuilding. CROP Walk dollars are funding emergency supplies for victims of Hurricane Ike in Louisiana and Texas, as well as continuing to help move hundreds of Gulf Coast families displaced by Hurricane Katrina out of FEMA trailers and into new or repaired homes.

Locally, 25 percent of the funds raised from the Greater Springfield walk will be donated to Open Pantry Community Services, Inc., Western Massachusetts Food Bank, and the Council of Churches’ Emergency Fuel Fund. Last year participants in the Greater Springfield walk raised more than $20,000.

For more information, or to obtain sponsorship packets, call (413) 583-8355. Additional information about CROP Hunger Walks can be found at www.cropwalk.org.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Rally and supper set for hunger walkers

SPRINGFIELD - A recruiters' rally and soup supper for participants in the Greater Springfield CROP hunger walk is scheduled Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church on Sumner Avenue.

Potential walkers and recruiters will learn about the global food crisis, receive educational materials, and pick up recruiters' packets for the 31st annual walk on Oct. 19.

A soup supper prepared by the Branford Hall Career Institute culinary department will be served.

The city event is one of 2,000 CROP hunger walks staged in the country each year. The walks, the oldest continuing walkathons in the country, raise money for disaster response and anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs.

Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from this year's city walk will be donated to local service programs. Funds raised from past walks have supported Open Pantry Community Services Inc., the Western Massachusetts Food Bank, and the Council of Churches' Emergency Fuel Fund.

For information, people may call (413) 583-8355. Additional information about CROP hunger walks may be found online at www.cropwalk.org

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Christ Lutheran Church collects more than 1,000 Big Y coins, donates them to Springfield Rescue Mission

SPRINGFIELD - The coins aren't real, but they feel like a treasure to the Springfield Rescue Mission and to the hundreds of the area's needy who received them at the Target Hunger event in Battery Park on June 20.

With the economy on rocky ground, demand for the services that the Rescue Mission provides has greatly increased, but thanks to the congregation of the Christ Lutheran Church in Southwick, more than 1,000 Big Y coins in silver, red, blue and gold, helped meet that need.

The coins were collected by parishioners in an effort to help the Rescue Mission meet the physical and spiritual needs of the hungry, homeless, addicted and poor.

The coins supplemented the contents of hundreds of purple "Hope" tote bags, filled with toiletries for the region's needy, that were distributed at the Battery Park event and are given out at events throughout the year, primarily at Easter.

The toiletries are helpful to both individuals and families in need who may be sacrificing these types of purchases to pay for rent or utilities. By including the coins, recipients of the totes can "use the coins to customize the contents with additional personal care items specifically for women, men, children and the aging population," said Ronald Willoughby, executive director and chief executive officer of the Springfield Rescue Mission.

For the second straight year, the church collected the coins for the Rescue Mission, setting a goal of 1,000 coins for this year and exceeding it by 100 coins.

"We got involved in this project because we thought it was a great way to be of service to people going through a difficult time or who are in transition," said Jeff King, senior pastor, who called the project "a very visible way to keep reminding the congregation of the need and providing an easy way to help out."

The church's participation in helping meet the Rescue Mission's growing demand by collecting coins is only one piece of the parishioners' community involvement.

"We also are very involved in Habitat for Humanity," King said, "and built a home in Springfield last year and one in Pittsfield this year, along with other area churches and volunteer groups."

Submitted by Christ Lutheran Church