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Fond memories of the Inclusive Community - by Judy
Gartley |
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Hess |
Scaine |
Marge |
Quinn |LeBlanc |
Waldron |
Bailey |
Pavodano |
Wayne |
Gartley
| Ortelli
First, let
me express my fond good wishes and
heartfelt congratulations on the 20th
anniversary of the Inclusive Community. I
bring you greeting from Richard and myself
and praise all of you for continuing to
live the dream of Catholics and
Protestants worshipping together.
As I began to reflect and think about what
I would write, I remembered when Richard
and I first went to worship with the First
Congregational U.C.C. Church in July 1977.
The service was held outdoors in a
beautiful garden down the street from the
church building on High Street. The loving
congregation and the social action
ministry to the community of Passaic was
indeed the right place for Richard and I
along with our children Angela and
Christian to worship and serve our Lord
and Savior.
Over the years we have had many
extraordinary memories from First
Congregational U.C.C. and the Inclusive
Community. Both of our children were part
of one of the many Confirmation programs
held at the Church. Also our daughter
Angela was married by Rev. Anthony
Padovano and Rev. Rand Grandinette-Rader
in Oct. 1994.
Richard and I were always involved in the
youth Christian Education programs that
flourished during the beginning years of
the Inclusive Community and continued into
the second decade. The Vacation Bible
School program in the summer of 1985
helped bring many children to the church.
We were able to have a Sunday School once
again. Many other youth programs were
established including a youth choir, The
Sing Song Fun club and classes for First
Solemn Communion.
Our “Psalty” puppet productions and other
Christmas and Easter programs were very
memorable and enjoyed by all who took
part.
The children and young people were
spiritually taught in the Catholic and
Protestant traditions in their First
Solemn Communion Classes and year long
Confirmation classes.
Our Sunday School programs took on a new
format and we began to meet on Friday
evenings. We also took our kids “on the
road” and became doers of the word and not
just hearers. The children and youth
learned to reach out to others who were in
need of love, compassion and friendship.
Our trips to Broughton House in Newark on
Friday nights brought about a name change
and we became Helping Hand for Humanity,
(The 3 H’s).
All of our helping hands designed and make
six AIDS quilt panels. We also had the
wonderful opportunity to travel to
Washington, D.C to see the entire AIDS
Quilt at that time. It was a moving
experience for all the young people and
adults who marched in the candlelight
vigil that weekend.
Over the years we visited at Hoffman Homes
in PA twice, Stockton and Rutgers Colleges
to see the AIDS Quilt displays, Baltimore
Inner Harbor, the Statue of Liberty,
Sleepy Hollow in Tarrytown and many other
places too numerous to mention. All of
these trips were fun, but they helped to
teach our youth the importance of reaching
out in Christian love to those around us.
I am reminded of the scripture verse from
Proverbs 22:6 We are instructed to: “Train
up a child in the way he should go: and
when he is old, he will not depart from
it.”
The youth ministry over the past twenty
years speaks clearly to the vision of the
Inclusive Community. In Christian unity,
accepting God’s grace and being a blessing
to all who come, to the door of the
Inclusive Community, lies the hope and
strength for the future.
We wish you the light of God’s love, the
warmth of God’s presence and the comfort
of God’s strength. May God continue to
bless you all with special love and always
be in God’s care.
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The
Inclusive Community-UCC
