Newsletter

The East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church ministers within the rural community of Craftsbury, Vermont, and around the world through our denominational and ecumenical mission programs.

Our congregation's roots go back to 1815, when we were organized under the New York Presbytery of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. In 1906, the congregation joined the United Presbyterian Church, Presbytery of Vermont, and our building was dedicated in January, 1910.

Today we belong to a group of 11,573 churches known as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a denomination of two and a half million members. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is divided into 16 geographical areas called synods. Our church is in the Synod of the Northeast. Each synod is divided into smaller areas called "presbyteries". The East Craftsbury Church is in the Presbytery of Northern New England where we work in partnership with Presbyterian churches in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and the northeast corner of Massachusetts.

We are a people of God, called together by our faith in Jesus Christ, and as part of the whole body of Christ we worship, study, and serve in His name.  We are a congregation of people who seek to learn more about Jesus so that His life may guide ours.  We cherish our Presbyterian tradition but do not worship it.  We identify with a wide spectrum of social and theological perspectives, including the provenance and interpretation of the Bible.  Our forms of worship vary to reflect this spectrum.  But we are a family of God united in feelings of support for each other and our community.  Christ is our foundation, and our support for one another transcends our theological differences.  

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Our manse is a beautiful, well-maintained home located next to the church in the village setting of East Craftsbury. It has a large lawn and plenty of room for a vegetable garden.

Our church community is made up of residents of several small village communities in the neighboring towns. A few members regularly drive up to 35 miles to be a part of our church family.

We are blessed with a volunteer fire department, whose members are all EMT trained. In addition, the EMT ambulance service from Hardwick, 10 miles distant, serves our community. Hardwick offers medical and dental offices and hospitals surround us in Morrisville, Berlin, and St. Johnsbury. Medical specialists practice in Burlington, Montpelier, Hanover NH and Boston's famous hospitals.

Craftsbury boasts of several libraries within the 10 square miles of the town. A private library is in East Craftsbury. The community's 3,100 sq. ft. Public Library is on the Common. Sterling College has a library on campus that also features work of Vermont artists.  Craftsbury Academy (grades 6 - 12) and Craftsbury Elementary (grades 1-5) both have libraries.

You need a car in our part of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.  Convenience stores are in the Village. Willey's Store, Vermont's Country Store of Year 2000, is seven miles away--"If Willey's doesn't have it, you don't need it". Small super markets are in Barton and Hardwick. Large super markets operate in Morrisville, St. Johnsbury, and Barre/Montpelier. Big Box stores and department stores are found in or near Burlington and Barre.

Each of the towns served by our church has its own elementary school. Public middle schools and high schools are located in Craftsbury and Hardwick. Sterling College, located on Craftsbury Common, is a small four-year college with majors in outdoor education and leadership, the environment, sustainable agriculture, circumpolar studies,  and wildlands ecology & management. 

Outdoor recreation is a part of the local culture. The Craftsbury Outdoor Center features world-class sculling instruction, running camp and mountain biking in the summer--cross-country skiing, dog sled racing and snowshoeing in the winter. The cross-country ski trails groomed by Highland Lodge meet the Craftsbury trails to form a ski marathon course. The 300 mile Catamount Ski Trail passes through our town. Snowmobiling is very popular with miles of groomed and well-marked trails. Hunting and fishing opportunities abound. Caspian Lake in Greensboro is home to many accomplished writers, professors and prominent citizens--either year-round or summer.

The Craftsbury Chamber Players offer professional concerts of exceptional quality for six weeks each summer in Hardwick and Burlington.  Free children's concerts precede each week's performance. Summer Music from Greensboro has nationally recognized artists weekly in the summer. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra performs all around the state. The Northeast Kingdom Chorus has concerts in both spring and winter. Art shows, craft and antique shops abound.

Everyone gathers annually for the Town Meeting to take care of the important business of governing ourselves. Our school is the central gathering place for sports and plays. The Common -- largest and certainly most beautiful common land in Vermont -- hosts special events throughout the summer, including a farmer's market every Saturday morning.

Our Sunday service of worship is at 11 A.M., with the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion) celebrated on the first Sunday of each month and on several "festival" occasions during the liturgical year. Ordinarily our liturgy (order of service) and sermons follow the scriptures suggested by the Revised Common Lectionary. We welcome all children in our services. Nursery care is provided upon request.

Choir rehearsals are Thursdays at 7:00 P.M., with the Men's Choir meeting the third Thursday of each month.

Christian nurture is available for all ages. Age appropriate classes and activities are offered to children from pre-school age to high school at 10 A.M. Sundays. An adult class meets at the same time, usually in a Bible study which relates the ancient scriptures to contemporary life.

The church also offers a variety of informal short-term classes through the year, including Bible study and inspiring literature by contemporary writers.  Bible study is held weekly at the Craftsbury Community Care Center, where residents of this assisted living facility and church members join together for study and conversation. The church newsletter provides information on other nurture opportunities.

Our Christian Education Committee also sponsors a youth group with various activities for 7th-12th graders, as well as special summer programs for fellowship and learning.  

Our congregation serves the community by helping our members and friends to know and care for one another. We gather often for fellowship dinners, and special breakfasts. We reach out through visitation, and, along with our Presbyterian Women's group, participate in local and international projects which serve persons in need.

On the third Sunday of each month we receive offerings of food for our region's Hardwick Area Ecumenical Food Pantry. We also support ministries such as Heifer Project International, Christian Education in Pakistan, and Salvation Farms--a  project that gleans food from local farms for distribution to others. We are the home of the East Hill Pre-School, providing an early childhood education experience for up to fourteen children. We actively support the Presbytery's Mission Ubunye Partner, the Amatola Presbytery of the Uniting Church of Southern Africa.

With other Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations, we help support more than 600 mission co-workers in more than 80 countries around the world. We take very seriously our commitment to financially support the mission of our church on every level, including special offerings for persons touched by natural disaster or emergency situations. We annually pledge 1% of our operating budget to support the 10 Presbyterian Seminaries in the United States. Each Christmas we offer an Alternative Christmas Gift Program with opportunities for gifts to Heifer Project, Christian Education in Pakistan, East Hill Pre-School, Hardwick Area Food Pantry and the Ubunye Partnership in South Africa.

Our church is governed by elders who are elected by the congregation at the church's annual meeting in January. The elders serve three-year terms and are eligible for re-election to a second term. The pastor serves as the moderator of the Session.  The session regularly meets at the manse  on the second Monday of the month.

Class of 2011: Eunice Kinsey, Victoria Von Hessert, Morris Rowell

Class of 2012: Valerie Morrison, Fred Kinsey, Carole Young

Class of 2013: Jenny Stoner, Joannie Stinson, John Weaver

Clerk of Session: Jenny Stoner

Treasurer:  Bruce Shields     Assistant Treasurers:  Tom Warnock, Dave Stoner, Howard Crawford

Committees include elders and active members of the congregation. The major committees are Mission and Care, Christian Education, Music and Worship, Property, Outreach, Finance and Budget, Nominating, Auditors, Dinner, Dining Room, Ushers, and Bell Ringers. Other committees are formed, as needed, for special projects.