News from the Pews, September 3rd

CSCC UCC

5 days ago

5 min read

The Fall Banner is Here
Office Closed on September 7th
Head Start is Expanding at College Street on Sept. 8th
Parking Lot Dance Party Returns on September 12th
Burlington Pride Parade Is September 13th
Can You Help With the Service Auction?
Update from the Search Committee
Fill Our Food Pantry?

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The Fall Banner is Here

You should have received a digital copy of The Banner by email yesterday with lots of updates and information about the busy fall. If you would like a hard copy, please let the office know and we will mail it right out. Gstevenson@collegestreetchurch.org

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Office Closed on September 7th

The office will be closed on Monday, September 7th, in honor of Labor Day. We apologize for any inconvenience.

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Exciting News: Head Start is Expanding at College Street!

We have some wonderful updates to share about our community! The Champlain Valley Head Start Family Connections Program has been thriving at the College Street Congregational Church (CSCC) for the past three years. Head Start is excited to expand our presence there! Starting September 8, 2026, we will be opening a brand-new, licensed classroom in our rented space called College St. Early Learning Center.

This new addition will allow us to open our doors to six more families, serving little ones aged 12 months to 3 years. Two dedicated teachers will be there to guide, care for, and learn with the children year-round, Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. We are so grateful to the folks at CSCC for being such welcoming landlords, and we cannot wait to see this new classroom bloom right alongside our successful Family Connections Program!

We warmly invite the congregation to learn more about the impact of Head Start and CVOEO in our community. Please visit the Champlain Valley Head Start website to explore our programs and discover ways to connect!

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5th Annual Parking Lot Dance Party Returns September 12th

Next Friday our parking lot once again becomes the place to be as we will it with live good music, delicious food, dancing, and our special brand of College Street hospitality.

Next week you start to see posters popping up around town as we begin our publicity 'blitz' to build the excitement.

This week, we are starting our call for volunteers to help with setup, hosting/greeting, bringing deserts and items and putting up posters around town. Will you please help? Sign up here.

All donations this year will benefit Street Cats of Burlington, our Outreach partner who provides supplies and services to our unhoused neighbors and is a strong social justice advocate at city and state levels. For any questions, call Matt Van Wagner 603-557-7504 or email at matt.vanwagner@gmail.com

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Burlington Pride Parade, Sunday, September 13th

The Burlington Pride Parade is next Sunday. Get your walking shoes ready! Let’s march to demonstrate our love for a community that has not always felt welcome or safe. This year’s parade will take place on Sunday, September 13th, starting at noon. For those who want to walk with our CSCC group, we will meet in the vestibule after service that Sunday and walk down together to the starting place. Contact Scott Mackey if you have any questions. Looking forward to spending a wonderful afternoon with some wonderful people.

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Can You Help With The Service Auction on November 15th?

The Holiday Service Auction is a popular and fun event--and is budgeted to contribute $3,000 to the bottom line. It involves lunch in the Assembly Room followed by a good-hearted auctioning of donated services and goods. Examples from the past include favorite baked goods, doll clothing, tickets to concerts or shows, opportunities to attend dinner or lunch at someone’s home, invitations to go boating on Lake Champlain, and offers to clean yards or shovel driveways and walks. Of course, since the proceeds go to help the church, overbids are cheerfully accepted!

We need volunteers to help carry this off--runners, soup and bread cooks, people to set up and take down tables and chairs on the day, table decorations, etc. Look for sign-up sheets at the back of the church, forms on which to list your donated services or items and listen for announcements to see how you might be able to help.

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Update from the Search Committee

Our Local Church Profile was posted a few weeks ago. What does this mean? It means that candidates can now see that we are searching for a settled pastor, and they can read all about College Street Congregational Church in the profile. Interested pastoral candidates will send us their profiles through the Conference Office for the Search Committee to review. This is the beginning of the next exciting phase of our search process!

If you would like to read the CSCC Local Church Profile, please reach out to the church office at gstevenson@collegestreetchurch.org and a copy will be sent to you. Thank you for your continued prayers as we enter this new phase of the search.

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Fill Our Food Pantry

Several years ago the Youth Group built a Food Pantry and placed it on the corner of our church yard near S. Union St. It’s a great location and is often empty. This note is a rally call!

Let’s make sure there is food and/or other non-food items at least every Sunday. There is a link in the News from the Pews each week to sign up. When the link opens, scroll down for a shopping list of food and non-food items you can contribute. If can swing by and contribute during the week, that would be great too!

Thanks for your participation--Mary Alice Favro

Community Events

Hospitality for Burlington Baroque Festival Artists

Thursday, September 17, 2026, is the opening night of this year's Burlington Baroque Festival! As the festival's primary host, it would be especially meaningful for members of the College Street Church community to provide a meal for the artists and show our amazing hospitality.

If you are willing to bring a soup, some bread or dessert, or you’d be willing to help clean up after the meal, please sign up using this form: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044AABAD29A3FDC16-65483879-soup.

Drop off your meal item at church in the Assembly Room on Thursday, 9/17, between 4:00 and 5:00 PM; the meal will be served at 6:00. If you are interested in staying for the performance, let Laura Labrie know, and she will send you a ticket.

Thank you for supporting the festival and welcoming the artists!

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Support Steven Tendo While He Awaits His Work Permit

Help Steven stay housed, fed and cared-for while he is waiting for his work authorization to be renewed. During this time, he is continuing his education to become a RN.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-steven-while-he-awaits-his-work-permit

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Dancing with the Burlington Stars Fundraising Event, Sept. 12th

Dancing with the Burlington Stars is a community celebration of local talent, team spirit and generous people coming together for a worthy cause. Local celebrities + dance professionals + 17 weeks to create, practice, and compete for the title of, “Dancing with the Burlington Stars 2026” = an awesome show on the Flynn Stage! Enjoy guest performances and cameos from the Alumni Cast! All proceeds support the Vermont Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired to enable Vermonters who are blind or visually impaired, to be more independent, cultivate adaptive skills and improve their quality of life. Tickets at www.flynntix.org.