Beneficent
Congregational
Church
seeks
to be
a wellspring of
Christian faith
for a
diverse people
and
a
voice for justice,
in the heart
of the City
of Providence.
Downcity Providence
300 Weybosset
at the
intersection of
Empire, Broad
and Chestnut
Notes from the Minister of Music,
Susan K. Carroll
Music on Easter Sunday, April 4 will feature a wide diversity of selections, from a rousing spiritual to the powerful Hallelujah Chorus and a moving combined youth and adult choir selection. Please come and join your voice with our choirs.
On Sunday April 18, a special choir collaboration between Beneficent and the Community College of Rhode Island will sing selections from Paul Winter's "Earth Day Mass, Missa Gaia". This dynamic work weaves together the world rhythms of African percussion, the free improvisation of jazz saxophone with powerful singing accompanied by the voices of wolf, whale, eagle and harp seal. Join us as we celebrate nature and join together to find ways to protect and restore God's creation during our Earth Day Celebration.
On Saturday, April 24 at 7:00 pm the entire Missa Gaia will be performed by the combined choirs of Beneficent Church and the Community College of Rhode Island in Beneficent's historic Meeting House. This concert will also feature a wide diversity of choral and instrumental selections ranging from Baroque motets to gospel and jazz.
Voices in Praise Choir: Mark your calendars for the following Sundays when the all-ages youth choir will sing: 4/4 (Easter) and 4/25. Any youth ages 8 and up are always welcome to join the Voices in Praise Choir. We will sing every 2nd Sunday and rehearse on Fridays from 3:30-5pm on the following dates.
Meeting House Celebrates 200 Years on Weybosset Hill
The "Round Top" Meeting House, home of the Beneficent Church congregation, will mark its 200th anniversary with a series of special celebrations throughout the coming year.
The year began with an "official proclamation" made on Sunday, January 3rd by "Town Crier: Harl Ryder" with the historic theme carried by his son and daughter-in-law, John and Lynda.
On Sunday, January 17th, Mack Woodward, State Historian at the RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, made a presentation on Providence's architecture around the time of the construction of the Meeting House, which was complemented by a display of old hand-made tools by Rick Slaney. The Dr. Beth Nordbeck, Professor of Christian History at Andover Newton Theological School, preached a sermon about the history of Congregationalism the following Sunday, January 24th.
Coming up on February 21st, Providence's Olney Street Church Baptist Choir will perform as part of the Sunday service. Marilyn Washington and her family will host a spaghetti dinner after worship.
The congregation was gathered in 1743 and built their own meeting house three years later. But by 1809 it was evident that the old Meeting House was inadequate for the congregation’s growing needs, and ground was broken for the new Federal-style structure of brick and stone. On New Year’s Day, 1810, the Beneficent Congregational Society’s new Meeting House was dedicated “to the service of Almighty God” and for 200 years it has played an important role in the religious and civic life of Providence.
The Meeting House stands today as the oldest building in Downcity and the second oldest church in Providence. Known as the “Round Top” church, its design was inspired by the 1788 Custom House in Dublin, Ireland. The Beneficent Meeting House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
CHINESE NEW YEAR Everyone is invited to welcome in the Year of the Tiger with Irene & Walter Hope, Saturday February 13th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Please bring non-perishable goods and/or food for PICA, plus an appetizer or dessert or beverages to share. Contact the church office for more info about this "roaring good" party.
Notes from the Minister of Music,
Susan K. Carroll
This fall we began a tradition of exploring the diversity of music within our community once a month. On March 21 we will welcome WomanSpiritRising in our worship service. This is a local group who describe themselves as "a dynamic group of women who blend our voices in a cappella song - songs about justice, social consciousness, political oppression, freedom, love, friendship, acceptance, and truth."
On April 18, we will feature a special music piece called "Earth Day Mass, Missa Gaia" by Paul Winter with the Beneficent Choirs and instrumentalists and singers from the Community College of Rhode Island. This dynamic work weaves together the world rhythms of African percussion, the free improvisation of jazz saxophone with powerful singing accompanied by the voices of wolf, whale, eagle and harp seal. Join us as we celebrate nature and join together to find ways to protect and restore God's creation during our Earth Day Celebration.
Voices in Praise Choir: Mark your calendars for the following Sundays when the all-ages youth choir will sing: 3/28 4/4 (Easter) 4/25. Any youth ages 8 and up are always welcome to join the Voices in Praise Choir. We will sing every 2nd Sunday and rehearse on Fridays from 3:30-5pm on the following dates: 3/12, 3/25, 4/2.
All-Church Epiphany
Party to Benefit PICA
The Hirds will host an All Church Epiphany Part for the Providence Intown Church Association (PICA) on Saturday, January 9th at 6:00 p.m. Come and celebrate the season of Epiphany with food dishes for those attending and non-perishable food for PICA.
Contact the church office for more details on this special covered dish supper.
Health Fair Planned for October 24
The Health and Wellness Committee is hard at work planning this year's Health Fair, which has been a popular stop for visitors for the past several years and traditionally has drawn over 100 people to Beneficent for health information, testing, and flu shots.
The Health Fair takes place on Saturday, October 24 from 10 am to 1 pm in the Round Top Center and will provide seasonal flu shots, testings (eyes, skin, blood sugar and blood pressure), relaxation therapy (massage and reflexology) and well as general health information.
Note that the VNA of Care New England, who will dispense the flu shots, will accept the following insurances: Medicare Part B; RI Blue Cross/Blue Shield; RI Blue Chip; Blue Cross/Blue Shield Federal Employee; Government-wide Service Benefit Plan; RI United Health Care, and RI Medicaid. Without these insurances, shots are available for the nominal fee of $5.00.
Installation of Senior Co-Ministers planned for Sunday, October 18
Everyone is warmly invited to the installation of the Reverends Todd Grant Yonkman and Nicole Grant Yonkman on Sunday, October 18th at 3:00 p.m. in the Beneficent Church Meeting House. Reception to follow in the Round Top Center.
Pastors Todd and Nicole were called as Beneficent's sixteenth (and seventeenth) ministers on April 26th of this year (see related article).
Great Day of Service Returns to Beneficent on Columbus Day, Oct 12
Beneficent will once again be part of the fifth annual Great Day of Service on Columbus Day, Monday, October 13.
The Great Day of Service, sponsored by Beyond Our Walls, will provide an opportunity for people to come together to work side-by-side, assisting agencies and organizations in need of community service through a work project.
Last year over 700 volunteer participated at more than 40 different work sites throughout Rhode Island. Projects included:
- apartment renovations at Crossroads RI in North Kingstown
- park beautification in East Providence
- sandwich making for the homeless
- cleaning up trash at beaches and parks
- creating care packages for service men and women stationed overseas
- spending quality time with veterans in Bristol
- and MUCH MORE!
Beneficent will once again be a walk-up registration site on the 12th as well as provide "Soup's On" in the parking lot, where volunteers will be serving hot soup and bread.
To learn more go to www.greatdayofservice.com, which includes a listing of work sites.
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.
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.
Congregation welcomes Co-Pastors Nicole 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!
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 trio gong ensemble, will hold its next First Friday monthly gong meditation at Beneficent on Friday, May 7th from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Please join Joy Quinn Blum, Stephanie Marisca Straight and Deb Stevens and their numerous gongs, Tibetan bowls and other sound instruments for an amazing relaxing, refreshing, revitalizing evening! A suggested donation of $15-$20 is requested at each session. For more information, email Spirit.of.Joy@cox.net or call 401-258-3952.
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.