BTI and Windham Area Clergy Association launch yearlong “Spreading Abundant Hope” Program

By Elizabeth Richards

When dealing with substance use and addiction issues, hope is something that can be in short supply.  This year, the Be the Influence (BTI) Coalition, in conjunction with the Windham Area Clergy Association (WACA), is working to change that. 

The “Spreading Abundant Hope” program kicked off last Sunday, with area religious institutions including a few minutes of information on prevention and hope for recovery in their services. BTI has given participating churches 12 talking points to use to spread the BTI message once a month all year long.

Laura Morris, Project Director for the BTI coalition, said that along with the talking points, BTI offers a resource information center for each church, which includes a range of materials on prevention and recovery resources. 

The initiative began last year, as the BTI coalition worked to better involve the religious sector in spreading the message of hope and prevention, Morris said. 

Reverend Tim Higgins of St. Ann’s Episcopal church is on the board of BTI, and chairs WACA.  Higgins said he invited Morris to a WACA meeting last year so they could talk about what they could do, as local churches, to be involved with BTI and do something that might make a difference. That’s where the idea for the Day of Abundant Hope was formed. 

“Each church found a way to use the pulpit to talk about a variety of services that each church could provide for substance abuse and addiction in the community,” Higgins said.  At St. Ann’s, a member shared her personal story and then Higgins talked about services available in the community, he said. 

Morris attended that service and was available afterwards to have conversations with members of the community.  She said she had at least two people approach her to tell her how much they appreciated the information, because they didn’t know where to go for help and didn’t necessarily want to talk about it with others. “That one day went over well and this year we wanted to do it more significantly,” Morris said. 

Higgins said that when they talked about it this fall, they discussed whether it was the most effective way to promote BTI in the community.  They decided that instead of a one-time event, they would create the year-long program where the message would be consistently shared throughout the year. 

“In the religious community, we believe that our bodies are temples of the spirit, and self-care is a really important piece of that. With that being the case, we fully promote folks taking care of self in this capacity because it aligns itself also with what we hear in scripture,” Higgins said.

The talking points incorporated into services, along with the resources available on an ongoing basis, will give community members important information about where they can turn for help.  “It’s not only getting the information out there but it’s making sure that they know there are local resources that are available to them,” Morris said. “The presence is right there in their church so as they’re walking out, they can grab it, but they always know it’s there.”

Morris said that the hope is that the program will spread beyond the five or six churches who participated last year and become region wide.  While that isn’t the case yet, she said, “If they’re doing it monthly it really doesn’t matter when they come on, as long as it’s kind of an ongoing presence.”

“We’re hoping to build on this event,” Morris said.  Future ideas include a 5K Run for Recovery, with proceeds going to help someone who is in recovery, as well as a healthy vendor fair to spread the word about resources in the community.

Although the current commitment is for a year, “The idea is that it will continue to sustain itself, and become an ongoing event,” Morris said. “If there’s a little bit of presence every month, in as many churches as possible, growing and growing, we could really affect a lot of people,” she said.

Windham Area Clergy encourages everyone to help neighbors as part of July 4th festivities

Clergy serving churches in the Windham area were meeting for lunch at Rustler’s Steak House last Wednesday when they struck upon an idea: we do a whole lot for our neighbors known and nearby—Monday Meals, the Essentials Pantry, collecting backpacks and school supplies for RSU14 students, the new Fuller Center for Housing chapter renovating low-income housing in the Lakes Region, and so much more—let’s build on that spirit of generosity and provide an opportunity for our community to support our newest neighbors, the asylum seekers currently being housed at the Expo Center in Portland.

So, on July 7, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at three collection sites (Faith Lutheran Church, 988 Roosevelt Trail, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, 40 Windham Center Road, and Windham Hill United Church of Christ, 140 Windham Center Road) The Windham Area Clergy Association (WACA) will be accepting donations of toothpaste, toilet paper, bar soap and suitcases/duffel bags (new or gently used, in good working order). They will deliver everything that is donated to Gateway Community Services in Portland for distribution to the families seeking asylum.  (Please note—only those items listed: toothpaste, toilet paper, bar soap, and suitcases/duffel bags can be accepted on July 7.  Current needs and limited storage capacity dictate that only these specific items will be collected.)

“We believe that we are so blessed as American people that out of a response for our many blessings   “On the Fourth of July, we celebrate America’s freedom, the same freedom that drew our newest neighbors to seek asylum here.”
during Fourth of July week, this is one way that we can live the Gospel of Jesus, by responding to the new folks who have joined us in Portland,” said Rev. Tim Higgins, Rector of St. Ann’s Episcopal Church.

The Rev. Sally Colgrove, pastor of Windham Hill United Church of Christ, stated that her congregation’s Board of Deacons wholeheartedly approved of this mission project. “We’re taking part in the collection day on July 7^th as a way of giving thanks for our freedom and independence,” Colgrove explained.

At Faith Lutheran Church (FLC), they have decided to expand their collection to include both the items destined for Portland and items needed at the Essentials Pantry they help to operate with St. Ann’s Episcopal—a pantry that provides items our Windham neighbors who can’t use SNAP benefits (“food stamps”) to buy.  So FLC will also be collecting shaving cream, paper towels and dish soap.

“Jesus was pretty clear,” Faith Lutheran’s pastor, Rev. Jane Field, said, “We are to love our neighbors—no exceptions! And he taught that when we welcome a stranger, we welcome Him. So, we don’t believe expressions of generosity should be thought of as ‘either/or.’ They can be ‘both/and.’ That’s the thing about love—when it’s shared, it isn’t used up; it expands. We can love both our neighbors nearby and our new neighbors.”

Editor’s Note:

For Windham, Raymond and other Lake Region residents, in addition to the local services mentioned
above (St. Ann’s Essential Pantry, Free Monday Meals, etc.) area churches also offer other services for those in need. They are as follows:

*Free monthly meals at Raymond Village Community Church (FMI: call 207-655-7749)

*Thrift shop at North Windham Union Church (Wednesday and Thursday 10 to noon and fourth Saturday of each month, also 10 to noon.)

*Windham Assembly of God will be hosting at Back-To-School event on August 24^th from 11 a.m. to noon. The church will offer free clothing, books, haircuts, and health screenings to students to get them ready to go back to school. The entire event is free and will include food.

If there are other churches in the Windham and Raymond communities that offer free services, please contact the Editor at lorraine@thewindhameagle.com.

Windham community to experience the joy from Munjoy Hill: Celebrating Black History Month on February 10

The choir from Green Memorial AME Zion Church

By Lorraine Glowczak

They are at it again. The group of individuals whose mission is to bring the community together to enjoy and learn about other cultures and beliefs in a variety of exciting ways will provide a venue to explore other philosophies in February. Or, so states Father Tim Higgins of St. Ann’s Episcopal Church who is also a member of the Windham Area Clergy Association (WACA). “WACA is at it again.” Higgins began. “We will celebrate Black History Month on Sunday, February 10 at 4 p.m. at North Windham Union Church, 723 Roosevelt Trail. Pastor Ken Lewis and his gospel choir from Green Memorial AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Zion Church in Portland will join us and offer two musical selections from their choir. Dr. Rick Nickerson will direct the combined choirs to end the festivities,” stated Higgins in a recent email to The Windham Eagle.

WACA consists of the greater Windham area clergy that include the following churches besides St. Ann’s: Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS), Windham Hill United Church of Christ, North Windham Union Church and Faith Lutheran Church. The mission of this organization is to share concerns and joys, to support one another as well as to exchange outreach ideas within the greater Windham and Lakes Region communities. As an organization, the goal is to provide awareness of the communities’ needs as well as respond to any tragedies or difficulties the community may experience, all the while learning about others in the process in order to live together in harmony and respect. Any religious organization in the Lakes Region area is welcomed to join WACA.

For Black History Month, the purpose is to celebrate culture and how it contributes to personal and spiritual growth. “This gathering gives me hope and optimism,” began Glenn Davis, Bishop of LDS. “For me, the gatherings we have had thus far have helped me understand other cultures and people. It gives me a sense that things can change. It is a great opportunity to meet and serve with WACA who are willing to learn and share with one another. For this Black History event, it reminds me of the terrible injustices placed on others throughout our history and the ways those who faced such injustices have overcome great challenges despite the overwhelming odds.”  

Davis went on to explain the past events that WACA has provided for the community. “In the past year we have gathered together in many ways including an opportunity to learn about the Jewish tradition, the Seder. We [WACA] and other community members met last year during a Seder meal lead by a Rabbi from Portland and hosted by Faith Lutheran Church in Windham. It was an amazing gathering that provided a learning experience for me.” Davis hoped that others learned from the experiences the WACA events provided from the past year that included community Thanksgiving gatherings and a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.

Perhaps the most exciting part of this Black History Event is the inclusion of the Green Memorial AME Zion Church from Portland. The church’s choir will provide two of the musical selections and will be a part of the Windham area church choirs, led by the one and only famous musical conductor, Dr. Richard Nickerson of Windham.

Green Memorial Choir will sing with Windham Area Church choirs

Briefly, AME Zion Church is a historically African-American denomination based in the United States. It was officially formed in 1821 in New York City that made its way into Portland. Reverend Kenneth I. Lewis, Jr. of Green Memorial AME Zion in Portland, who provided the invocation at Governor Janet Mill’s convocation ceremony, will be participating in this event and will offer historical and musical presentations from the Green Memorial’s choir. Rev. Lewis is looking forward to joining in with area Windham churches to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s message. “I am a believer of Dr. King’s promotion of a beloved community irrespective of race, stated Rev. Lewis “We are all brothers and sisters, where people are known by the content of their character not the color of skin. I think opportunities [such as this event] is a great way to promote and demonstrate the very best of our Christian character through education in a shared space and we are looking forward to sharing this space with Windham”

Rev. Lewis also stated that Green Memorial, although historically an African-American church, is diverse in nature and has carried the mantel of Dr. King’s message. “We represent what heaven will look like. Our motto is ‘there is joy on Munjoy Hill’.”

The afternoon celebration event will include musical selections as well as readings, prayers, scriptures and pastoral commentary from all participating churches. The Green Memorial AME Zion choir will join in with the rest of the choirs and will be conducted by Dr. Richard Nickerson.

“This event is so very important to those of us who live in the Lakes Region area because we live in a homogenous community,” commented Rev. Higgins. “Most of us in this area are European-Americans and it will be beneficial on many levels to celebrate Black History Month by word and song with our African-American brothers and sisters.”

All are invited to experience the joy shared by our neighbors from Munjoy Hill.

If attendees wish, any financial donation will go toward the Green Memorial AME Zion ministries. All are welcome to attend for joy, celebration and refreshments after the event.