Narrative Budget Booklet 2016

A Church with a
Purpose 2017
Immanuel Congregational Church > Narrative Budget

One Sunday of
worship
$9,961
I experience God every time there is a baptism. I love to watch
the parents watching over their child with such joy and love.
I imagine that is how our God is watching over us as our parent.

In your own words...
Beauty and Awe: Two words that describe my thoughts
and reactions when I listen to the anthem, to the organ
improvisations and every single sermon!
What a gift Immanuel is!
The presence of our people in church: pastor, choir,
members; every Sunday - spirituality enriching one another.
I experience God through the beautiful flowers displayed
every week.
All week, I have been in agony asking where is God, but in
this Sanctuary I learned where God is and where
God can lead us.
Our two hours at Faith Church were a gift to me from God.
There was such joy in that place of worship. I carried it
with me for the entire week. Thanks for the opportunity to
experience God in many ways.
The joy of singing; the power of music;
the blessing of holy texts entering the soul through song.
After a week of national sorrow and outrage, John Scully
bringing the light into the Sanctuary was a sign of
optimism and hope.

One Week of
Children &
Youth Ministry $4,760
Our littlest ones singing with full hearts of love
during the Christmas pageant.

In your own words...
I see God in the children. They share a smile
with strangers and share stories with anyone
willing to take the time to listen. Children
bring life and freedom to be ourselves
without judgment.
Having a little adventure with the children
during outdoor Sunday School was a joy.
Teens singing and dancing while assembling
100 bagged lunches late at night on the
Boston Mission Trip.
Our young ones holding hands with our senior
members while walking next door to learn
about our rain garden.
The joy of seeing two confirmand boys playing with a baby at the Marshall House.
Thank you, confirmand Owen C. Roberts, for your essay. Hearing deep, honest,
thoughtful reflecting from a young person fills me with hope and counteracts the
cynicism about “today’s youth.”
I see God when my daughter asks if we can say our evening prayers twice.
Love my teens coming home from youth kickoff excited about the next
Boston mission trip.

Social Action
And Mission
$14,354
In your own words...
As an individual who needs to give for the greater good and
many times doesn’t know how, I appreciate our church,
which gives me the vehicles to do good works and to
mourn when needed.
I attended Immanuel’s monthly birthday party celebration
at Salvation Army shelter on Marshall Street in December. I
witnessed the joy on children’s faces as they got to visit with
Santa and receive a small gift.
Meet Me Where I Am: Play that Immanuel supported, which
brought to life the challenges of our neighbors on South
Marshall Street. Many Immanuel folks attended.
Welcoming a refugee family of a different culture and
religion, and getting to work helping them adjust to their
new life is one step our congregation is taking to bring God’s
kingdom to Earth. Immanuel volunteers collected furniture,
household items, and everything this beautiful family needs
for their new life in Connecticut.

I see God at work through the efforts of the Pettengill
Committee to lobby the U. S. government to rescue Syrians
stranded at the Jordanian border.
“Can I take these home?” “Can I keep them?” “You mean I
can have more than one?” My reply – “You can take as many
books as you want. Here’s a bag to carry them.” The biggest
smile – her eyes lit up – on South Marshall Street Block Party
where Immanuel gives children books to read and to keep.
Immanuel was one of two churches with a table at yesterday’s
Pridefest. I felt proud to be present to witness the diversity of
God’s kingdom and to serve notice of our church’s welcome
of all people.
Members of Immanuel attended the Latino/Latina Pride Vigil
and Speak Out on Thursday, to stand together against hate.
Immanuel hosts the Junior Peacebuilders program –
An important service and witness to justice.
I discovered that I have implicit bias. I am glad that I am
aware of this about myself. I am determined to address
this with my friends and family. I am thankful that God has
revealed this to me. With God’s help – I will become a better
instrument of peace.

Pastoral Care
$30,072
As a Called to Care caregiver, I am blessed with the opportunity to help
others with friendship and a willing ear. This program gives more to me
than to those I visit. Thanks!

In your own words...
For Dorothy Buckley’s friendship and care to Violet Schell in her last
days, giving her the gift of human touch.
The compassion and prayers extended when my sister’s daughter was
born and died prematurely.
I have a sister who is ill with cancer; she is not likely to survive.
Beloved friends at ICC who ask about her and pray for her are a
constant source of support and comfort. I feel blessed to be in this
community.
Two members of Immanuel continue to work very hard to keep a
woman with mental illness from becoming homeless. They make
sure she has food and that her rent is paid. This past week she faced
eviction, but these wonderful Immanuel members made sure she was
able to stay in her home.
When I visited Bernie Harrower at Mount Sinai Rehab, he was so
grateful for all the cards and visits from Immanuel people. He feels
support and love in his very difficult time of recovery from a stroke.
I sat beside Joan Clare at Manchester Manor saying aloud,
“I wish I could help.” In walked Diane. She put a sweater onto her
mother, she adjusted her body in the chair, moved her legs and I
held the handles to move the chair. Diane knew her mother would
walk again and she made me believe I would have a small part in
this. I left them with a feeling of hope and love.
God was present the morning a Deacon welcomed a desperately
closeted gay man who seemed extremely despondent. He was a
stranger. He was looking for somewhere he could utter “I am gay”
for the first time. The Deacon sat with him during the service and
connected him with a gay man after the service. They sat in the
Memorial Garden for two hours talking. He has since met someone,
five years later, and they have been in a relationship for two years.
I know the concern, sensitivity and compassion shown by the
Deacon changed this man’s life…and possibility saved his life.

$3,225
Community
In celebration of all the compassion and love of
people in this church, which counters the evil acts
and hate of a few in the world.

In your own words...
I am so grateful for the kind welcome I’ve received at this
wonderful church. Thank you!
The reason why I come to Immanuel: love is in this
church and I love the people. Sometimes I just can’t
come to church because of pain in my knee, but when I
can, I thank God I come. Thanks God!
Friendship – For Joan and Don Gillette, and Barbara
and Greg Gordon. For welcoming a gay couple to a new
church which is now our church home.
Joe and Sue worked together to help me get settled
and started out when I first moved to Hartford, and
ensured I had food and rides to any places that Anna
and I might need. Sally Taylor and Carolyn Lester
continue to take care of us and provide compassion
and make us really feel like family.
One measure of vitality in church: A recognition that prayer takes
many forms, e.g., the encounter with the Holy in the art in the
Fellowship Hall.
The warm welcome I received at Immanuel after an absence of
more than 10 years.
It’s been such a sad week, for many reasons and on many levels.
At the same time, there have been moments of comfort from love
and joy and concern shared with family and old and new friends.
Thanks be to God!
A Pot Luck Dinner in Fellowship Hall, hosted by
Ellie Eisenburg, our teacher of the Torah study group, and her
partner, Marilyn Holt, was delicious and fun! Friendship and love of
learning reaches across different faiths with respect and love.
I see God working in the church through the partnership of Faith
Congregational Church and Immanuel. I feel a breaking down of
barriers and open, genuine welcoming. What a gift.

$717,000
A Church With a
Purpose
I’m amazed that as I come closer to the piece of God
within me, I become more and more close to the pieces
of God within others and in the universe. Hallelujah!

In your own words...
Love is power. What joy to be here!
My life has been blessed because I do have a purpose in life.
Share my smile, love and my talent of giving and helping others.
I see God through others. God of love and compassion.
The outpouring of love and support for the LGBTQ community
after the Orlando massacre. It wasn’t that long ago that this would
not have happened in such a clear and explicit way, particularly in
faith communities.
ICC is a community willing to challenge and “rock the boat” –
prophetic preaching, several advocacy efforts for social justice, etc.
God was present once again when we added transgender people to
our open and affirming policy. The support of those speaking in favor
of the addition was overwhelming. The positive vote was greeted with
loud and sincere cheers! Vitality went through the sanctuary and the
community like a wave of excitement and new life.
I see God at work in the concern increasingly expressed over the
hatred in the larger world. May the goodness and oneness of the world
rise to restore God’s hopes for us all.
That God has endowed us with hope, despite the turmoil and sadness
in the world. Hope: we need to call upon no matter the circumstances.
Immanuel has been home to me for over 16 years.
To watch how this congregation pushes itself to be ever more
welcoming, ever more inclusive, ever more following Jesus’ teachings
inspires awe and is beautiful.

Ministry
Team
$202,460
In your own words...
Thanksgiving for the vitality and spirit-filled being of
our pastor, Kari.
I see God’s love alive when I see Joe and Ty holding up traffic
on Woodland Street so our elderly members and friends can
safely be in worship. Their kindness and concern for those
walking over is evident. And how wonderful that those who are
vulnerable because of age can feel safe coming here to be
part of the community.
When I’m at ICC during the week, I feel all the wonderful
feelings when I see the way the staff and congregation
interacts during the week!
I am joyful whenever Stephen plays the piano.
Mark Singleton shares the awe and wonder of beautiful
music here and across the street at Immanuel House.
Justice:
lifting up the fair
and just way Immanuel’s paid
staff is cared for, respected and loved.
Sundays at ICC are wonderful, but weekdays here are equally
uplifting. The caring, warmth and energy of the staff and
congregants and community. It’s truly home!
Thanks for Sue who goes above and beyond the job description
with love and compassion.
Bobby Hafner so clearly cares deeply about this church, its
members and acting in faith. I lift him up as a special person!
Joe and Ty care so deeply about the safety of everyone here at
church. This is tremendously comforting and appreciated.
Tracy’s kick-off youth group meeting with its fabulous attendance
and multi-cultural participants is a testament to her hard work
and the church’s hard work to be extravagantly welcoming.

More than once, as I read the words on your vitality cards, tears filled
my eyes. Each one of these quotes represents a person, a life, a child
of God who has been blessed by Immanuel. And in witnessing these
blessings, I have been deeply blessed.
I have seen you care for one another, witnessed the depth of
your love, your generosity, your compassion. I have seen you
stand up for justice, witnessed your passion, your commitment,
your courage. I have seen you engage with your faith, witnessed
your doubts, your questions, your convictions. I have seen you
filled with joy, witnessed your laughter, your gratitude, your
infectious hope.
And you have fed me. You have blessed me. You have filled
me with hope, with joy, with gratitude. You have inspired me
to greater levels of commitment and compassion. You have
deepened my faith and challenged my convictions. And for that,
I am deeply grateful.
Truly, Immanuel is a church with a purpose. We are living out
God’s love in this congregation and in our world. And so, as I ask
you to give generously to the church during this Stewardship
season, I commit that I will also do the same. Because this church
is a deep blessing to me, and I will offer my gifts, my money,
my time, with great joy.
No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, I hope
you will join with me in supporting Immanuel – a church with a
purpose. Because we will transform the world with God’s love.
That is our purpose. And what a blessing it is that we get to live
out that purpose together!
From the depths of my heart, thank you for a beautiful year, and
for supporting the work of this church. I can’t wait to see what
God has in store for us in the upcoming year, as we all continue to
support Immanuel – in joy, love, and gratitude.
God bless,
Rev. Kari Nicewander

10 Woodland St, Hartford, CT 06105 | 860.527.8121 | www.iccucc.org