September 2025
In the Newsletter this Month
Autumn Ember Day Letter
A Message from the Moderator
Financial Update from the Council
About Crop Walk 2025
Backpacks for the Homeless Prevention Council Update
Please Help the Church Garden Survive and Thrive!
Don’t Forget
Monday Meditations
Place your t-shirt orders!
Pastor’s Musings
Between Two Worlds
AUTUMN EMBER DAY LETTER
In the June issue of the newsletter, I mentioned that members of the Pastor Staff Parish Relations (PSPR) committee asked me, as part of my annual review, to share some of the work I undertake as your pastor, outside of the pulpit or office. I’ve decided to provide these updates quarterly, as part of an old tradition of the church known as Ember Days (for more about Ember Days, take a look at my June article).
During the month of June, I offered a prayer of invocation at the dedication of the new informative signs installed at the town marina, and if you haven’t been down to check them out, I encourage you to do so. The sign providing information about the church tells some of our history, talks about our ships bells, and includes a scannable QR code that directs visitors to our church website. In a similar fashion, I participated in the Wellfleet Elementary School “Amazing Race”, giving students a tour of both the site of our first church and burying ground, as well as our current church, and discussing the role of the church in the founding of the town.
In the broader UCC world, I attended the virtual SNEUCC Annual Meeting, which brought together representatives from churches across MA, CT, and RI. In addition to a keynote speaker, we had the opportunity to hear our Conference minister, Rev. Darell Goodwin, give a “state of the conference” message, highlighting the successes and challenges of the churches that make up our conference. I also continued my work on the Barnstable Association Leadership Team, planning our slate of fall events and accepting the standing of 2 newly retired pastors who have moved to the Cape. I also: attended a Cape Cod Young Professionals Coffee/Networking event held at Prez Hall, was elected Vice-President of the Nauset Interfaith Alliance, and attended the Outer Cape Community Service conference.
July was similarly busy, beginning with once again hosting a refreshment table at town 4th of July parade (thanks to the Cook/Hill family for staffing the table on the other side of the street). Following the conclusion of the parade, Jen and I responded to a call to help remove a defunct refrigerator from the living room of a homebound resident, and moving in a new, functioning unit. I met with the director of the Chamber of Commerce, to ensure that our summer events were well advertised, and to explore possible partnerships between our church and the wider community. I met with the Outer Cape Pastors group to exchange resources and support, and I met with the newly elected President of Nauset Interfaith, to set an agenda for the year to come. Along with Jen and Brad, I helped to lead the annual Deacon’s retreat. Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to mention all the work that went into making our Scallop Dinner such a success.
Though August has not yet come to a close, some highlights so far: I attended the artist’s reception for the ArtPeacemakers artist’s reception for their “Creating Peace” art show. Members of APM have held non-violence trainings in our Fellowship Hall, and collaborated on our inaugural Juneteenth event earlier in the summer. Jen and I made a point of going out for the August “Wellfleet Firsts” to see if there are ways our church can participate in future sessions. I met with the director of the Wellfleet Cultural Council to develop ways to better utilize Fellowship Hall to generate rental income and community engagement. I also attended the first session of the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival to make attendees aware of the designated fund for the restoration and maintenance of our historic organ. In both July and August, I offered the devotion at the Wellfleet Habitat for Humanity building site on Old King’s Highway. I assisted the Auction team in planning, setting up, hosting, and breaking down our successful auction. Finally, I met with members of the Outer Cape Voices group, who will be holding their “No Place Like Home” event in our sanctuary at the end of the month. They are excited to be partnering with us, and hope to hold their “building community through story and song” events at our church quarterly.
All in all, it has been a busy summer, and I look forward to the cooler days -and new opportunities- that the Fall will bring. One summer event that is back by popular demand: as we did in both July and August, Jen and I will be hosting one final beach bonfire for the season; details below.
-Pastor Jon
FROM THE MODERATOR
When we talk about generosity in the church, it’s easy to focus on giving to the church—time, money, energy. But just as important is how the church gives outwardly with a generous spirit. And since the church isn’t a building or a budget, but a community of people, that means us.
Our church gives generously through meals prepared, events hosted, visits made, calls returned, supplies donated, and other work quietly done behind the scenes. These acts of giving aren’t always dramatic, but they are consistent—and they matter. Faith isn’t separate from our generosity; it’s what makes that generosity more than just a social activity or personal contribution. It’s what makes it the work of the church—among us and through us.
It’s easy, in busy lives, to slide into task mode. But the generosity that matters most doesn’t come from hustle—it comes from spiritual grounding. So when we give—however we give—we’re not just offering help. We’re living our Christian faith.
So if you’re wondering what generosity looks like at our church, look around. It’s in the small efforts we each make to keep the church open, active, and inviting. It’s in our support for one another, our service to real needs, and our practice of shared faith. It’s in the people who show up, follow through, and offer what they can, when they can.
That’s not flashy. But it’s real. And it’s church.
Respectfully,
Pete Cook
LETTER FROM THE COUNCIL — FINANCE UPDATE
Dear Members and Friends of First Congregational:
As we shared in June, we remain committed to keeping you informed about the church’s financial outlook as we enter the second half of the year.
At that time, we reported a projected gap of approximately $35,000, driven by rising costs—including electricity, building insurance, and upcoming repairs to our historic organ.
We’re encouraged to report that since then, the financial outlook has improved due to:
Increased pledges;
Gifts from non-members in the community, and offerings at services;
Some reductions in planned expenses (e.g., buying fewer office supplies) or deferred maintenance (a stop-gap measure, as repairs are inevitable).
Your response has been both generous and heartening—thank you!
Looking ahead, our calendar includes several fellowship-based fundraising efforts (Auction, Calendar Supper, Christmas Fair, Oysterfest parking). These will help build momentum toward closing the deficit. Equally important are the day-to-day decisions we continue to make in coordination with the Financial Management Committee:
Careful, line-by-line expense reviews
Exploring new revenue sources tied to our facilities and property
While these efforts strengthen our financial footing, long-term sustainability depends on a growing, engaged congregation. That means continued giving, active volunteering, and collaboration in the months ahead.
Thank you again for the thoughtful and generous response to our first update. We remain prayerful and optimistic that—together—we can sustain our mission as a vibrant, vital, and welcoming center of faith, service, and fellowship.
The Church Council will organize a congregational meeting in early September to share further updates and discuss options for long-term financial sustainability. Until then, please don’t hesitate to reach out with ideas, questions, or suggestions. Every voice and every action matters.
The Church Council
2025 CAPE COD CROP HUNGER WALK
October 12, 2025
Twenty-five percent of the money we raise stays here on the Cape. This year we are concentrating our support on the Wellfleet Food Pantry and other pantries on the Cape. Did you know that the Wellfleet Food Pantry is the busiest Food Pantry on the Lower Cape!
This year supporting the work of the Food Pantries is more important than ever. Because of anticipated cuts to food from the Department of Agriculture, local food pantries will have trouble meeting the needs of their clients. The Greater Boston Food Bank anticipates cuts to Massachusetts of many millions of dollars of food. On top of that, Congress is considering cuts in aid to people of low income. The demand for Food Pantries is likely to increase. The Greater Boston Food Bank anticipates a 70% increase in use of Food Pantries. More demand and lower supply spells trouble.
This year we are concentrating our local support to help out Food Pantries. Thank you for considering supporting our Cape Cod CROP Hunger Walk. And thank you to all of you who have donated to the walk so far!
This is another example of how your support for the CROP Hunger Walk is helping people around the world. This year more than ever we need your support. Severe cuts in Federal funding have impacted the ability of Church World Service to provide the help that so many need. You can make a donation in three ways:
Online: go to the website, crophungerwalk.org/capecod and scroll down to our church team
Check: you can donate by making a check out to CWS/Crop Walk and leave it in the morning offering or dropping it off at the church office. You can support us also starting in May at the Farmer’s Market. Thank you so much.
BACKPACKS FOR THE HOMELESS PREVENTION COUNCIL
Thank you to all who donated. 16 back packs were collected and 12 large paper bags of miscellaneous school supplies. Nancy Vitek and her grandchildren gathered the items and delivered them to the Homeless Prevention Council.
PLEASE HELP THE CHURCH GARDEN SURVIVE AND THRIVE!
The Garden Team needs your donations to purchase supplies for future garden preparations. In the years since we began the Church Garden renovation, we have often run low on money before we could complete our fall plans and still have “seed” money for springtime expenses. We are currently trying to improve the look of the garden by replacing plantings in the front that cannot survive such intense sun and wind exposure. We also want to add composted materials to amend the soil around all our plants. This application will make a big difference to the health of the garden, and we want to make that process part of our yearly autumn routine. The Garden Fund budget will be depleted soon. We want to raise at least $500 to purchase compost for this fall as well as fertilizer, etc., for early spring and summer. We are hoping to keep our allocation in the Church budget for the coming year, but times are tough and we’re making no assumptions. Your donations might be our only resource. Please help us now, and remember to note “for the Garden Fund” on your contributions. We will appreciate your generosity, and we are sure you will appreciate the results. Many thanks in advance, from the Garden Team.
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” -Audrey Hepburn
