Notes for the Week of June 16, 2025
We move to summer Office hours this week, which are Tuesday-Thursday from 9am-2pm. If you need immediate help outside of Office hours, reach out to Pastor Jen at 
jennifer@uccb.org or 203-775-1259 ext 308.
Monday, June 16 – Summer Office Hours begin – Office Closed
Women’s Study – 9:30-11:00am – Zoom*
Pastoral Search Committee – 6:45pm – Youth Room & Zoom
Nominating Committee – 7:00pm - Zoom
Tuesday, June 17
Morrison’s Gang (weekly fix-it group) – 8:00am-12noon – Fellowship Hall
Fellowship Committee – 7:00pm – Room 2 & Zoom
Wednesday, June 18
Thursday, June 19
Bible Study – 10:30am – Youth Room & Zoom* (as needed)
Friday, June 20 – Church Office Closed
Saturday, June 21
Men’s Fellowship – 8:00-9:00am – Fellowship Hall
Women’s Fellowship – 8:30-9:30am – Zoom*
Barn, SERRV & Thrift Shop Sale – 9:00am – 2:00pm – Barn & Parsonage
Sunday – June 22
8:30am – Outdoor Worship in the Outdoor Chapel with Church School & Nursery care
10:30am – Worship in the Meetinghouse with Church School & Nursery care
3:00pm – Ordination of David Stuart – Southport Congregational Church
* For more information or to get Zoom links, please be in touch with office@uccb.org.
Support Confirmation Projects Through June 15th
Collection for Because4Paws
Ariella DiLorenzo & Sam Wutzl are collecting needed supplies for Because4Paws animal shelter. Needed items (i.e. gift cards, dog & cat supplies, general supplies, clinical supplies, and cleaning & office supplies) should be left in the donation bin in Brooks Hall. Any donations that you are able to contribute are gratefully received and appreciated!
Collection for Traveler on a Mission
Jared DiLorenzo is collecting personal care/hygiene products for foster kids preparing to go off to college as his confirmation project. Items like disinfecting wipes, laundry detergent, lotion, toothbrushes & toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo & conditioner, soap/body wash, hand sanitizer, sanitary napkins and more can be left in the bin in Brooks Hall. Thank you for your help with this meaningful project and cause!
Summer Church School – June 15th through August 31st
Will you be around this summer? Are your kiddos wondering what will happen now that Church School is over? Not to worry…. Church School continues!! In fact, during the summer we offer a one-room schoolhouse Church School in conjunction with both our 8:30am Outdoor Worship and our 10:30am Worship, and we hope many of our young people will be able to join us.
This year, the Summer Church School theme is “God Is Everywhere We Look,” and will focus on visual reminders of God in nature as we spend time outside of homes and classrooms in God’s creation during the summer season. From the birds of the air to the wind to water and boulders, where can we search for and see God, following the stories and examples of those who have walked the journey of faith before us?
If you have any questions or want to know more, please feel free to reach out to our Church School Coordinator, Barbara Crandell at barbara@uccb.org.
Early Summer Barn, SERRV, and Thrift Shop Sale – June 21st
On Saturday, June 21st from 9am – 2pm, we will be hosting a Barn Sale. We have lots of treasures to sell, and our goal is to clear out the Barn for this year's Fair. SERVV is planning to have a "pop up" sale, and the Thrift Shop will also be open on that day!
We can use some helping hands to make Sale day a success. If you can help on the day of the Sale, please reach out to Jeanine (jhh322@aol.com) or 203-313-0843 to let her know. Hope to see you!
New Members Bio - George & Karen Gomba
After spending 34 years in the Hudson Valley, then Saratoga Springs, NY and most recently in Ridgefield, George and Karen moved to Brookfield in May 2024 after George completed a 2 ½ year assignment in Berlin, Germany. George is employed by the ASML corporation in Wilton, CT but will be retiring on July 5th. He has spent the last 42 years working in the semiconductor industry building faster and more powerful computer chips. Karen is now retired after having worked as an engineer at IBM, the Director of Operations at a former church, and as a real estate agent. Since moving, they have been busy renovating a home near Candlewood Lake and will move back in on July 1st!
Karen was raised near Binghamton, NY and majored in Chemical Engineering at the University of Rochester, where she and George met at a fraternity party. George grew up near Wilkes-Barre, PA and went to the University of Rochester for a Bachelor’s degree in Optics. They have 2 adult children – Ryan, who lives in San Francisco, and Claire, who is in western Colorado.
In their free time, Karen enjoys golfing, playing pickleball and practicing yoga. She is also an avid reader. Karen also hopes to find volunteer opportunities in adult literacy, youth mentoring, and alleviating food insecurity. George enjoys cooking, swimming, boating and golfing. The Gombas also love to travel, and Karen planned some awesome European adventures while based in Germany.
George was baptized in the Byzantine Catholic Church, and Karen has been part of Methodist, Federated, Presbyterian, Reformed and Congregational churches throughout her lifetime. When they moved to Brookfield, they were seeking a church where they could become part of a loving and spiritually grounded community. They joined us at CCB because they were familiar with Congregational services and have come to appreciate that the congregation is active, loves their church and has strong leadership. Believing that a church should reflect the voice of its people, guided by Scripture and the Holy Spirit, they have been inspired by the way this congregation lives this out and are also drawn to the welcoming, inclusive spirit at CCB.
Summer Lunch Drive
CIS will be collecting non-perishable lunch items from June 22nd through August 15th to support the Brookfield Social Services Food Pantry and their initiative to provide lunches for children in need over the summer break. We are looking for donations of bread, peanut butter, jelly, apples, small water bottles and more! Please see the full list of items needed posted on the Giving Tree in Brooks Hall and consider contributing some items or taking a bag to fill with donations and return. Thank you so much! ~ Your Friends on the CIS Committee
Strengthen the Church Offering
Strengthen The Church is a special offering of the wider church to support innovation in ministries of congregations in the Southern New England Conference (SNEUCC). Contributions to Strengthen the Church for 2025 will support Find Hope Now – an initiative of the SNEUCC designed to equip and support our local churches in being beacons of hope and centers of radical hospitality. It provides a platform for churches to share compelling hope-filled stories, especially with those who are longing for a faith community who welcomes them just as they are.
Strengthen the Church offerings will be collected throughout the month of June. There are special envelopes by the doors for cash or check donations. Checks can be made payable to CCB with “Strengthen the Church” in the memo. Donations can also be made through PushPay noting “Strengthen the Church.” 80% of donations will stay in the SNEUCC to be put toward Find Hope Now, and 20% will be shared with the National UCC to help support programs and ministries.
Yankee Fair 2025 – Your Feedback Requested
This year’s fair will be on Saturday, October 18th. This year’s theme is “Sharing the Love, Loving to Share”, which ties to this year’s CCB vision priority - Share. As always, your support, time and enthusiasm will be crucial to making the year’s fair great! I hope you will consider volunteering- as it’s always a special fellowship event for CCB which we share with our broader community.
We are also conducting a fair survey to get input on what you like or what you might recommend us changing and/or adding to the Yankee Fair experience. You will find copies of the survey by the Brooks Hall and main Meetinghouse doors. You can return them to the Church Office or Yankee Fair mailbox. Your thoughts are most welcome.
With joy and gratitude, Jack Brown, Yankee Fair Chair
Can & Bottle Redemption
Thank you for continuing to bring your redeemable cans & bottles to the outside shed under the Upstairs Kitchen stairs. Your donations have already raised more than $1,000. These funds help to support our “Sharing to Build, Building to Share” accessibility project.
Media Team Looking for Additional Members
Have you ever wondered how our services get live streamed and recorded – or what that little window is in the balcony? Do you like technology and learning new things? If so, our Media Team may be just the place to share your gifts, and training is available.
What does participating on the Media Team entail?
· Recording the 10:30am service from the upstairs balcony media booth & occasional other services (as available).
· Serving once a month (or less) starting at 10am until about 11:45am.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact office@uccb.org, and we will put you in touch with our Media Team leads for more information.
Where Is Pastor Bryn Going in Retirement?
Retirement for pastors can look different for different people, but one thing it means is that we observe appropriate ethical boundaries for clergy – which means a formal separation from both membership and participation in the local congregation that we have served in leadership. After I am released from my pastoral covenant with you, and John and I have our “Godspeed” today, we will begin looking for another local church where we can worship and serve and form new friendships in Christian community. This makes us both a bit sad, but it is for the best.
In order to make way for the next great thing that will happen here at CCB, we will respectfully keep our distance. That way, as your Search Committee and remaining pastor, Jennifer, make their way forward in deep discernment about the future of ministry here, our presence will not get in the way.
It may be challenging that we plan to continue (at least for now) to live just 1 mile from CCB. You will no doubt run into both of us around town – at Shop Rite or the library, at the Y or on a golf course – and know that while we will not run away, we will have to agree to offer smiles and salutations but not get into any in-depth conversations. Although we love you, and we deeply appreciate the bonds of friendship we have formed, we will need to respectfully decline any social invitations.
The best practices from our wider church state that a former pastor should fully remove him/herself from the life of the church for 1-3 years after leaving a ministry position. Then, it would be in conjunction with the new pastor what attendance at special events and services might look like. This means that I may have to send and pray my congratulations and condolences from afar for weddings, funerals or special occasions that I may hear about in the days and months to come. Know that a piece of my heart will remain at CCB, whether I am nearby or at a distance.
Thankfully, in retirement, I will be able to continue to use my gifts with Brookfield Cares, in the Fairfield East Association and the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. Like you, I get to enjoy the privilege of engaging with this world, as best as I can, as a faithful disciple of Jesus. Like you, John and I will both continue to do our ministry in a wide variety of settings – sometimes within a local church and other times in various types of community service.
Know that I have been vague about my future plans for a reason – I’m not sure what I’m going to do after today. But I am sure I will enjoy having more time to be with my family and friends, rest, regroup and pray for you – as you move forward into what I’m sure will be a transition time full of opportunity to learn, worship and serve God together.
Blessings, Bryn
