News

In this season of highlighting our gratitude, I’m thankful for the Rutland County Interfaith Council, of which I am privileged to be a regular participant.

We are a group of faith community servant-leaders who gather nearly every month for a couple of hours. Each of us is invited to bring our own lunch, and the hosting member provides beverage and something sweet or snacky to share. Around this table come together a local Rabbi, Imam, and Pastors from the Methodist, Roman Catholic, Episcopal, UCC, Baptist, Lutheran, Non-denominational, and Community churches. I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone, but really any clergy from any worshiping group is welcome.

The conversation is never boring. It’s a safe space for sharing our struggles, joys, and hopes as people who care deeply about our communities and who have different perspectives and experiences, speaking from various diverse vantage points along our sacred journeys. We support each other, learn about other faith traditions, and hatch plans together for making Rutland County a better place to live — for everyone.

You can imagine what happens when we share a table in this way. We discover things… such as how we are all beautifully unique, yet we have so much in common. We hear our shared concerns, fears, hopes, and dreams and we celebrate together some recognizable triumphs and insights from our personal spiritual lives and from our faith families. We and our distinct individual faith communities have so much to offer this world — and we are better together. Conversation and connection, friendship and mutual education toward full and happy lives, seem to be part of the pervading goodness of Divine design.

I’m so grateful that in our own United Church of Christ, we celebrate diversity of faith expression, which means that as a UCC minister, I get to be friends and colleagues with an interfaith crowd. My faith and experience as a Christian are certainly richly enhanced and deepened by my ongoing connections with people of other traditions and beliefs. I passionately believe that Rutland and the world are made better by these relationships of openness and understanding.

My Aunt Thelma told us years ago about the days of her childhood when the families on her street did not mix across sectarian lines; in other words the Methodists didn’t talk to the Baptists and the Episcopalians didn’t mingle much with the Congregationalists, even a few houses down the sidewalk. She was very pleased to see progress in her day toward tolerance and unity, and I think she would be very proud and admiring of our simple lunch and conversation with the Interfaith Council of Rutland County. Thanks be to God, who made us all!

By the way, you and your family are warmly invited to this year’s

Rutland County Interfaith
Thanksgiving Service

Tuesday, November 25 at 7:00 pm
at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church –
First Baptist Church
6 Church Hill Road, Rutland VT

Blessings — Terry

The members of Women’s Ministries (and friends) had worked tirelessly this week to sort all of the donations to the Fall Rummage Sale.  Our Fellowship Hall and Conference Room were packed full of household items, furniture, clothing, small appliances, linens, home decor and children’s toys and game, all ready to be sold.

The proceeds support non-profits like Rutland Dismas, NewStory Center, Open Door Mission, Rutland Free Clinic, Community Cupboard, Rutland Neighbors, Bridge 2 Rutland and HEAL.

Thank you to everyone that donated their time and items (including the kitchen sink!).  Also, a big thank you to all of our shoppers who make this worth it!  With your purchases, you are helping Rutland locals and beyond.

Grace Congregational UCC in Rutland, Vermont, is pleased to announce its fourth Composition Competition to recognize and support a new work for large concert choir and classical chamber orchestra to be performed by the Rutland Area Chorus and orchestra in December, 2026.

The contest is soliciting original unpublished compositions of settings of Advent or Christmas texts for SATB chorus, optional SATB soloists, and chamber orchestra. The pieces should be no longer than 8 minutes. The orchestra comprises three first and three second violins, two violas and two cellos, one double bass, two oboes, one bassoon, two trumpets, timpani, harpsichord and organ. The work must be scored for SATB chorus, but can use any combination of the available soloists and orchestra.

You must have proof of permission to use any text not in the public domain.

The winning work will be awarded $1,000.00 (USD) and two performances by the Rutland Area Chorus in December 2026, at Grace Congregational UCC. The winning composer is encouraged to attend the premiere of the composition. There is no stipend for travel but some housing arrangements may be available.

Past Winners:

• 2019: Michael Sitton
• 2022: Chris Artley
• 2024: Dale Sakamoto

Click here to learn more about the Competition Application Process

Care2Spare event was a grand success!  Community members from every walk of life joined at Rutland Bowlerama to raise funds for Rutland Neighbors (formerly known as Companions In Wholeness). The 128 bowlers raised nearly $25,000, as of Sept. 19.  What a fantastic job, everyone!

Link to September 20-21, 2025 – Times Argus & Rutland Herald Article

To our beloved Grace Family:

Hello and “Jambo” from Nyahururu, Kenya, East Africa!

We miss you more than pizza and we are thinking of you even more than we are thinking of clean clothes. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone for joining together to send us to Rapha Secondary School and Community Center, the incredible project of HEAL Kenya, founded by our own Jennifer Musick Wright.

We are working on construction and painting, exploring the compound and the nearby village, and spending time with these amazing kids! This morning, (Sunday morning, as we are ahead of you by seven hours), we all piled into a couple of multi-purpose classrooms for church. Lively worship, heartfelt prayers, and passionate preaching of the word delivered by Reverend Alberta Wallace, was very moving and bonding. The young people all sing with their whole bodies — loudly, joyfully, expressively. They line up to give testimony, with several kids sharing a scripture and its meaning in their lives.

God’s grace, provision, and beauty are very evident here, in Kenya and at Rapha. We told the gathered church that you all have been praying for them, and we asked the church here to pray for Grace Church. The students, faculty, and staff here are warm and welcoming, and they send you their blessing.

I can’t wait to tell you all about our trip, the amazing people we’re meeting, and all about our experience of God’s presence and love here. Grace and Peace to you; can’t wait to see you all again.

Home next week, hope to worship with you next Sunday [July 27] outdoors!

Love in Christ,

Terry

CLICK here to see Pastor Terry’s Video Clips from Kenya