Pride Worship Service June 14

Beneficent will host the 2009 community-wide, multi-faith Pride Worship Service on Sunday, June 14 at 3 p.m.

This joyous religious celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered community will include a variety of musical offerings, festive decorations and participants from many religious communities.

All are welcome to this very special service, which will be immediately followed by a Sunday Social in Abbott Park. Light refreshments will be served.

 

 

God's Rainbow Promise & Pride Day '09

Beneficent will join a variety of local businesses, non-profits and organizations on Saturday, June 20 to celebrate the Rhode Island Pride Day, a celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered community

The event features live entertainment by local and national performers, arts and crafts, a variety of food vendors, and representatives from several area organizations and social service agencies, including Beneficent church. The festivities, food and fun will once again take plan in Burnside Park (just north of Kennedy Plaza).

Volunteers are needed to help staff an information booth at the Pride Festival from 12 to 4:30 and to help at the water stop for the evening's illuminated parade as marchers and floats pass by Beneficent on their way to the reviewing stand at PPAC. If you're interested in being part of this great opportunity to share the good news of Beneficent's extravagant welcome AND have a good time doing so, or you just want to learn more, please contact the church office.

 

 

 

Summer Pick Up Choir

Beginning June 21, the tradition of the summer pick-up choir continues. Everyone is invited to join Susan Carroll, Beneficent's Minister of Music, on Sunday mornings to learn and rehearse a short piece.

This is a great opportunity to sing in a smaller, more informal setting and enjoy learning a wider variety of hymns and responses. the pcik-up choir will gather in the choir room at 9:15 a.m. and rehearse for 30 minutes before the 10 a.m. service.

 

 

Congregation welcomes Co-Pastors Nichole Grant Yonkman and Todd Yonkman

On Sunday, April 26th, the members of Beneficent Congregational Church called Todd Yonkman and Nicole Grant Yonkman as their sixteenth (and seventeenth) minister(s). The husband and wife team of co-pastors will be the first of its kind in Beneficent's long history.

Capping almost two years of hard work by the Beneficent Congregational Church Search Committee, the church welcomed their new pastors and daughters at a reception after the service.

The Yonkmans are young, energetic, totally committed to ministry, and have extensive experience in church growth. Todd’s strengths include evangelism, pastoral care, stewardship and preaching. Nicole’s strengths lie in the area of finance, Christian Education, and administration.

As co-pastors, the Yonkmans will offer a model of pastoral leadership new for Beneficent, which has the ability to significantly expand the scope and mission of Beneficent Church, as well as reinforce the church's needs in the areas of administration and finance. This model would allows each co-pastor to be able to work out of his/her strengths, divide up tasks so they together could “cover more ground”, and use their time and skills strategically for the benefit of the church. Welcome Todd, Nicole, Fiona and Olivia!

 

 

Service of Ordination on May 3 for Betsy Aldrich Garland

The members of Beneficent Congregational Church invite you to come May 3rd to celebrate the ordination of Betsy Aldrich Garland, Beneficent's Minister of Administration and beloved member for the past 11 years.

As this is Betsy's last official day at Beneficent, a farewell collation will follow the ordination service, at which Betsy will be presented with a set of gifts from Beneficent in thanks for the incalculable service Betsy has given Beneficent and in celebration of her ordination.

Everyone is encouraged to bring finger food for the collation and cards, notes, remembrances and pictures of Betsy's time at Beneficent for Betsy.

 

 

But For The Grace... coming March 18

Actor Bob Jaffe is performing a benefit performance of But For The Grace... on Wednesday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m.here at Beneficent Church.

The one-man play is an award-winning drama based on interviews with clients, volunteers and staff at food pantries across Rhode Island. Some of these interviews took place in the state's more affluent communities where hunger can be as much of a problem as it is in the inner cities.

The performance will raise money for the Good Friday Walk, with a donation of $20 per ticket. Please contact the church office for information about procuring tickets.

 

 

Spring Fling Party to Benefit PICA

Jane and Roy Eastman invite everyone to their house for a Spring Fling Celebration and potluck supper at 6:00 p.m., Saturday, March 21. Please bring your favorite appetizer or dessert and toiletries for Providence Intown Churches Association (PICA).

The items wanted by PICA are: shampoo, soap, body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, shaving cream, toilet paper, paper towels and tissues.

RSVP via the office, at which time you can get driving instructions or make arrangements for a ride.

 

 

Beneficent hosts The Vagina Monologues

As part of the 2009 V-Day College Campaign, the students of Providence College will present a benefit production of The Vagina Monologues at Beneficent on February 18 and 20 to raise awareness and funds for local organizations working to end violence against women and girls.

V-Day is a global movement that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations, and Beneficent is proud to host this production for the fourth year in a row. The Vagina Monologues is a collection of monologues written by Eve Ensler, influenced by interviews with women and their experiences with sexual assault, love, loss, and womanhood. Contact the church office for more information.

 

 

Until the Violence Stops: Providence

Until the Violence Stops: Providence is a week long festival from February 20-March 1, raising awareness and funds to bring the issues of violence against women and girls center stage in Providence. Everyone is invited to come to one of the many fabulous events.

Beneficent will host one of the events at 7:00 p.m. on February 26: an evening of writings from women in prisons around the United States, addressing the issue of social justice behind bars, entitled “Anyone of Us.” Complete schedule of events and other information can be found at www.peaceprovidence.com.

 

Celebrate the Year of the Ox

Irene and Walter Hope invite everyone to come to their house for a celebration of the Chinese New Year at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, February. 7.

Please bring your favorite appetizer, beverage, or dessert and a canned or package food for the PICA food pantry.

Come and enjoy the evening and a chance to start another new year. Please contact the church office to coordinate a ride or for driving instructions.

Homeless Memorial Service and Luncheon on January 28

The Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless is coordinating the Homeless Memorial Service, to be held at Beneficent at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 28th.

The memorial will remember friends and family who passed away last year while without housing. Often times the lack of suitable housing, health care, and mental health services have a direct impact on those who have died while in shelters and on the streets. A luncheon will follow the service in the Round Top Center at 12 noon. Everyone is welcomed.

 

All-Church Epiphany Party January 10

The Hirds will host an All Church Epiphany Part for the Providence Intown Church Association (PICA) on Saturday, January 10th at 5:30 p.m. Come and celebrate the season of Epiphany with food dishes for those attending and non-perishable food for PICA.

To keep things organized, dishes are suggested (but not required) to be brought according to last name: A-F, appetizers; G-M, salad/side dish; N-S, main dish-casserole; and T-Z, dessert.

 

 

Inauguration Party

Come watch the inauguration of President Barack Obama with Beneficent friends on Tuesday, January 20 from 11:30 to 1:30. Bring your lunch; we'll provide the sparking cider.

 

Power to the Poets Workshop

Rhode Island Poet Laureate Lisa Starr and the Writer's Circle are offering a free poetry program and workshop at Beneficent on Saturday, January 24th at 2:00 p.m. as part of the Circle's Power to the Poets program.

“Now more than ever our hearts call out for poetry – for now, more than ever, the collective heart of the planet is hurting and weary,” said Starr, of New Shoreham, who also is the founder and director of the Block Island Poetry Project. “Poetry, the language of the heart, releases these caged and beautiful parts of ourselves, and in doing so, brings back to us our hidden stories.”  In the spirit of sharing the poetic heart, the audience will be engaged in listening, reading, and writing poetry.

The program promises to be a fantastic opportunity for members and friends of Beneficent, as well as the greater Providence community. All are invited to come and enjoy the program, whether interested in honing your own poetry or in experiencing other's explorations of word and voice.

Ms Starr is also the founder of the Block Island Poetry Project.  Her poetry books include Day of Dogs and Driftwood, This Place Here, and Mad With Yellow; her individual works appear in journals and publications around the country.  Currently, she is touring RI with Power to the Poets, a Writers’ Circle free outreach program.  An inn-keeper, mother, basketball coach and champion for fun, Starr divides her time between family and her passion for poetry.  As RI Poet Laureate, her five year plan includes a state-wide poetry pen pal system, enlisting student writers working with the elderly.  She uses poetry in positive, proactive ways to educate and free the writer to be authentic.  Recently, she was a featured reader at the Dodge Poetry Festival in New Jersey.  Her agenda is to pool collective resources to bring cultural programs to Rhode Island and nationally. 

Green Power Partnership

People's Power & Light is a local non-profit energy alliance offering renewable energy to Rhode Island homes and businesses through their New England Greenstart program.

If you would like to respond to climate change by using green power in your home, you are invited to sign up through their partnership program with Beneficent. Using the church partnership program is not only easy but provides the additional advantage of donations by New England Greenstart to our church on behalf of new members ($10 the first year for each new member, up to $30 per member over three years).

Because we care for our planet, the responsibility is urgent as the impact of climate change becomes more evident. Contact the church office for more information on how you can start using green power in your home."

 

 

Friday Gong Meditation Continues

The Resonant Voices of the Spheres, a four-person gong ensemble, will hold its next monthly gong meditation at Beneficent on Friday, June 5th from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Please join Joy Quinn Blum, Paul Bissonnette, Stephanie Marisca Straight and Deb Stevens and their ten gongs, Tibetan bowls and other sound instruments for an amazing relaxing, refreshing, revitalizing evening! For more information, email gongvoices@yahoo.com.

 

 

 

Bread & Blessings Ministry

Bread & Blessings has six teams of volunteers which prepare 300 sandwiches on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays to be distributed early the next morning with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

If you are interested in volunteering for a Bread & Blessings team, please contact the church office for more information.