Dear Friends,

It is not only Lent in our church, but it is also the season this year when we try to raise the budget for 2006-2007. The Stewardship Committee has been doing a wonderful job with very little budgeted to do its work. In fact, the few people to whom it falls to raise the money for our budget as a congregation have accepted this difficult assignment gracefully. They have been on a faith journey themselves and realize that money is to be used for spiritual ends. Stewardship, in general , is much more than raising money we give to the church's ministry is one means by which the depth of faith is measured.

I sat in a stressful Board of Trustees budget meeting last week. The Church of the Pilgrimage has a remarkable ministry and no one wants to see cuts in the budget. Some areas of the budget are woefully underfunded now. I cite Christian Education as one of many examples. There is stress on the board this year because the costs related to our much needed, much appreciated renovated Church House. Utility prices have skyrocketed for the church as well as for the rest of us. Staff compensation packages are modest, to put it as positively as I can. The cost of "doing business," i.e. Postage, curriculum, copy machines, office supplies, etc. are more expensive all the time. It is not a fun job to present a budget to the church when the church doesn't do enough to fund all it expects or wants from the church!

I was having lunch with a minister friend some years ago and we were discussing budget matters. He said something to the effect that the church doesn't exactly ask its members to remortgage their house for the sake of the gospel. The stewardship biblical ideal is 10% and 5% of income would be terrific. I seem to recall that our church members pledge a little under 2.5% of family income to the work of the church. Clearly, we can do better in terms of our stewardship without remortgaging our houses!

I don't know of any organization, which makes its money go farther then our church does. We have a relatively small endowment but without it we wouldn't come close to funding even our modest budget. (I hope you remember to be generous to the church in you wills, by the way)!

There is a great deal to celebrate in our church. There is joy in our work, too. Giving to support the work and ministry of the church should be a part of our joyful faithful response to God's grace. It really should be! In a sea of secularity and waste The Church of the Pilgrimage stands squarely in the center of town as a spiritual beacon of hope and purpose, a beacon whose light reaches out to the whole needy world with a message of grace and love expressed in the Lenten Jesus who gave, and gives, far more love than we expected to give in pledges. Lent and stewardship are partners in the faith journey.

Deacon In Charge: Janice Lee

Flowers: The pulpit flowers are in memory of Gordon Armstrong, given by his family.
Appointments: Steve Triffletti, Moderator, has appointed Trace Sears to the Pastor Advocacy Committee and Gay Flood to the Stewardship Committee to fill unexpired terms.

Stewardship Moment: "Stewardship presumes blessing and abundance. It is not about overcoming scarcity, or guarding against it, or getting something we don't have-or being prudent. It is not about giving to people in need. It is about recognizing all that we already have, helping both ourselves and others know and enjoy the abundance in which all can share, right now."-N. Douglas Meeks in God the Economist: The Doctrine of God and Political Economy, p.9.

SAVE THE DATE The SECOND ANNUAL PAWSOX TRIP, Sunday, July 16th. Details forthcoming.

Gather 'round the table: Are you hungry for good food and delightful fellowship? Are you looking for a way to sustain your journey of faith this season of Lent? Then come to our Wednesday evening Soup Supper and Vespers series. The soup will be served at 6:00p.m. followed by worship at 6:45p.m. Childcare will be provided. This Wednesday, March 29th, the format for Vespers will be a healing service. This will be a wonderful opportunity to experience the gift of healing God offers all of us. Whether you are in need of physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual healing or you know of someone in need and wish to come on that person's behalf, you are warmly invited to attend. We hope to see you there!

From Rev. Marks: It was an honor for Rev. marks to have been invited to participate in the funeral service for George Carter at Christ Church Episcopal on March 16, 2006. It was a marvelous celebration of the life of a genuinely good man.

Palm Sunday Communion Breakfast Sign-Up: Therewill be a sign-up for the Palm Sunday Communion Breakfast during the Coffee Hour on Sunday, March 26th. Someone form the Advisory Board will be on the stage in Allerton Hall to receive your reservations. You may also make a reservation by calling the church office. Please reserve a place early for this popular event sponsored by the Advisory Board.

Come One-Come All to the Pilgrimage Women's Fellowship Meeting on Monday, April 3rd at 7pm in Allerton Hall. The will be "line dance" instruction by Louisa Shaw, assistant to Dorothy Dunham. Bring a friend, swing your hips, tap your toes to all of the old wonderful music.

Mark the date: Rev. Heather Moody's Service of Installation will be Sunday afternoon, May 21st, at 3:00p.m.at The Church of the Pilgrimage. Prior to the Installation Service, the Pilgrim Association of the Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ, will hold Ecclesiastical Council for Rev. Heather at 2:00p.m.

Lent: Lenten devotional booklets are available in the upper vestibule of the church building. A donation of $1.00 will help defray the cost of the booklets. Lenten daily readings from the Bible are also available for your Lenten preparation.

Stewardship Campaign: Please remember to give prayerful consideration to your pledge to The Church of the Pilgrimage for 2006-2007. The church needs your generous support. One of the predominant themes of our campaign this year is that stewardship is very much an expression of our faith. The Stewardship Committee has not only been hard at work, it has itself been on a spiritual journey and has shown a growing faith experience and confidence in the mission of The Church of the Pilgrimage and the wider church.

We thank Tom Mudgett for his Stewarship Witness on March 19th during the Sunday worship service.

Calling All Golfers! And anyone else who loves a good time! The Golf Tournament is up and running, but we need your help! Please contact Jon Porter, 746-4109, if you are interested in working on the Golf Tournament Committee. All ages are welcome!

Church Membership: If you are interested in church membership, please let Rev. Marks know. You may also phone the church office for information regarding membership.

From the Board of Trustees
*All committee and board chairs need to pass in their proposed budget to the Treasurer by next Tuesday.
*All chairs need to pass in their committee's narrative report to the secretary by April 25th.

MISSIONS AND OUTREACH NEWS-
From March 26-April 1st, The Church of the Pilgrimage will host the Overnights of Hospitality in Allerton Hall from 6:30pm-7:30a from.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth will be hosting the seventh annual Warm Hearts, Warm Homes Gala at 7pm on Saturday, March 25, 2006 at The Loring Center, 386 Court Street, Plymouth. Tickets are $60 per person and available at the door or online at http://hfhplymouth.org/GalaTickets.html.
The Food Warehouse: For our weekly collection of non-perishables, we need: canned ham, tuna or chicken, cereal, pasta, canned fruit, peanut butter, jelly, jam, mayonnaise and ketchup. THANK YOU!

Make Your Kids Happy-Leave Them For A Weekend! On a Marriage Encounter weekend husbands and wives can get away from jobs, kids, chores and phones for 44 hours-and focus only on each other. If you'd like greater depth, growth, and enrichment in your relationship, you'll like the difference a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend can make! The next UCC Marriage Encounter weekend is April 28-30, 2006 at Christian Conference Center in Alton Bay, NH. For more information or to register, contact Bruce & Lynne Hildreth, 15 Ironwood Street, Billerica, MA 01821-1303 or email at HILDRETH4@comcast.net. Endorsed by the Commission For Leadership Development of the Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ. Nurturing local church vitality and the covenant among our churches. This resource is made possible by your contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission and Fellowship Dues.

Memorial Lilies: The joyous Easter season is fast approaching. By your loving donation of Easter lilies, we can enhance the beauty of our church on Easter morning. Sign up in the lower vestibule following the service on the next three Sundays, or call the church office. There will be an insert listing the donors and those memorialized in the Herald. The suggested price for a multi-flowered, replantable lily is $15. The flowers may be donated to shut-ins or picked up after the 11 o'clock Easter Sunday service on Sunday, April 16. Volunteers will be welcomed to take flowers to shut-ins following the service.