October 4, 2026 Worship Service Information Thank you to Rev. Dr. Eileen Sypher who will be leading us in the worship service this Sunday and to Rev. Toni Smith who will be leading us in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. This Sunday we welcome visitors from Lady Doak College, Dr. Beulah Jeyashree who is the Principal of Lady Doak College and Dr. Mercy Peckiam who is the Head and Associate Professor of the Post Graduate and Research Department of History. And lastly, our new Music Director Corbin Beisner will be here to lead us in music and song! Link to…
Author Archives: Sally
The Villager Voice This weekend is the UCC’s Southern New England Conference Annual Meeting in Worcester, MA; United Church delegate Torrey O’Connor will attend virtually and I will be there in person most of today (Friday) and tomorrow. Among the agenda items is the legal finalization of the merger of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island Conferences which created the SNEUCC seven years ago. One of the important pieces of this vote is the disposition of the Missionary Society of Connecticut, which oversees the Silver Lake Conference Center. I’ve had discussions with many of you about the issues surrounding this,…
Simon’s Says I thought this poem by A.E. Houseman appropriate for this final weekend of summer; the formal title is XXXIX (from Last Poems), though it is best known by the first line, “When Summer’s End is Nighing.” Enjoy! When summer’s end is nighing And skies at evening cloud, I muse on change and fortune And all the feats I vowed When I was young and proud. The weathercock at sunset Would lose the slanted ray, And I would climb the beacon That looked to Wales away And saw the last of day. From hill and cloud and heaven The…
The Villager Voice Today is a day of solemn remembrance, not just for Americans, but for the world – it is the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks against our nation. As we pause to grieve, we also pause to reflect. 2,977 lives were lost in the attacks, plus the 19 hijackers: 2,606 at New York’s World Trade Center (including first responders), 184 at the Pentagon and 40 in Shanksville, PA. And while the United States, indeed, much of the world, came together in solidarity in the days and weeks to follow, we also allowed our differences to fragment us. …
Simon’s Says Dear Church, we have wonderful news: our Music Director Search Committee has called Corbin Beisner to the position, and he has accepted. He will begin his ministry with us on October 1. Both candidates brought a good degree of musicality and expertise to the table, and God graced us with a difficult choice. While a variety of factors led to the choice of Corbin, the congregation’s input after hearing both was an important factor in the decision, and we are grateful to you. We look forward to welcoming him in worship Sunday October 4. Our United Church owes…
Simon’s Says The second of our two candidates for the position of Music Director in our church will join us this Sunday August 30. Corbin Beisner will be on the bench (both piano and organ) providing service music for us, leading our hymns and accompanying a small sample of our church choir. A brief biography for Corbin can be found in this week’s bulletin. As with last week, we ask you arrive early to enjoy the entire prelude, and remain for the postlude. The Search Committee has put forward two fine musicians for our consideration, and we invite your feedback…
The Villager Voice This Sunday we will welcome the first of two candidates for the position of Music Director at The United Church of Chester. You may read a brief biographical sketch of Chase Olson in the bulletin that accompanies this email. Chase has selected some wonderful music for both the prelude and postlude, we invite you to be at church in a timely manner this Sunday, and stay for the entire musical experience. He will also accompany a handful of choir members for the Anthem and Offertory. Following worship you’ll have an opportunity to welcome and greet Chase during…
Simon’s Says Simon’s Says Great news! The Music Director Search Committee has been working since Spring to find suitable candidates to oversee our congregation’s music ministry. The Committee, comprised of Jennifer Gill, Pat Holloway, Hilarie Clark Moore and Eileen Sypher, has selected two candidates for the position, and they will both be with us to lead worship the last two weeks of August. On Sunday August 23, and again August 30, one candidate will provide worship music for our service: prelude, hymns, anthem, offertory and postlude. Because we are asking for the full suite of music, we are also asking…
Postcard from the Edge I wrote last week about the community and civil engagement of the United Church of Christ. Just a few days ago, we saw the results of our denomination’s determination to advocate for the marginalized and voiceless: in the face of pressure brought by the UCC and other organizations, Citizen’s Bank withdrew financial support from two corporations, CoreCivic and the GEO Group, which build and operate detention centers for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Led by the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) and leadership at Boston’s Old South Church, principally Senior Minister The Rev. John Edgerton,…
Simon’s Says I read the results of a survey the other day – and I confess, since I read it on vacation, I can’t recall the source of the survey – that found the most politically engaged group among the nation’s major Christian denominations is the Episcopal Church, followed closely by our United Church of Christ. And yes, I am quite familiar with the canard that the church should stay out of politics, but even a passing familiarity with the Bible reveals the hollowness of the claim. Old Testament prophets like Isaiah and Amos called out the kings and rulers…