Healing Light Spiritualist Church

Happy New Year, Everyone! 2015 has passed into history but before we let go of it completely lets recap. In December of 2014 Donna Williams stepped down as pastor of the HLSC after 10 years of devoted service. She passed the baton to me, Rev. Janet Decker, and I brought along 4 other pastors to share the load, Rev. Wachian Welch, Dee Powers, Laurie Xanthos, and Donna, to my joy, remained on board as one of the 5 on the pastoral council. In April the HLSC held its first Healing Certification class which was taught by Pastor Laurie Xanthos. She graduated 10 students who now serve as healers during the service. Three important events happened in May. First, we launched the HLSC web site. Second, the Independent Spiritualist Minister Ordination course went online. Third, and perhaps the biggest event, was that the membership voted in favor of moving the church to the Temple on the Camp Etna grounds. On July 5th, swathed in gorgeous weather, we held the first service in our new home and a wonderful barbecue picnic celebration followed with both church and camp members, along with friends, attending. We were no longer gypsies! In September the second Healing Certification classes were held and Pastor Laurie graduated 5 more students. Also, in September, we welcomed Rev. Shirley Boyens to the pastoral council. On November 22nd our former pianist, Janet Ciano, passed into spirit. We miss her and her music. more than we can say. On December 6th I was honored to present Rev. Wachian Welch with his Certificate of Ordination. Rev. Welch was the first to take, and complete, our ordination course. Since July, 2015 we have welcomed 7 new members into our church and, here is something quite notable, we did not have to cancel any church services due to weather until December 27th, WooHoo! I believe last year's winter is still quite fresh in our minds so for New England to have such a long and beautiful stretch of mild weather was more than welcome. I'm sure you can agree. Now we move into 2016 and a new year begins. If you are making New Years resolutions here are some tips to help you accomplish them. 1) Define clearly what you want to change or improve. 2) What does success look like? See yourself as you will be once you have achieved it. In other words, pretend you have successfully achieved your goal(s). 3) This is the step most people leave out. Feel yourself as already successful. As you visualize yourself already successful in achieving your goal(s) how does that make you feel? Happy, strong, empowered, on top of the world, motivated to do more? Feel the desired result as if you already have it. 4) Take action! Steps two and three should motivate you to action. Remember, thoughts are electrical and feelings are magnetic. You need both to be successful. Now the News The church members meeting has been rescheduled from December due to weather. It will be held on January 17th after the service. We will be electing new board members. The following people have agreed to serve on the new board: President - Pastor Dee Powers, VP - Chris Couture, Secretary - Rev. Wachian Welch, Treasurer - Barbara Dolliver, Trustee - Marcia Ruland. If you are a member or thinking of becoming a member we hope you will attend. On the 3rd Saturday of each month, January thru June, table tipping will be offered in the Temple from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, weather permitting. I, along with Amy Griffith, will be leading these sessions. Please call 207-385-3321 to reserve your space. A Monday night mediumship development group will begin on March 14th. It will be held at Karleen Tanners house on the Camp Etna grounds and will be led by Pastor Dee Powers. All skill levels are welcome to attend. Serving the church in January: Facilitator – Dee Powers Speakers/Mediums January 3 - Pastor Dee Powers January 10 - Karleen Tanner January 17 - Christopher Smith January 24 - Bill "Windwalker" Wentworth January 31 - Stacey Lovejoy Scotia Reminders January 3rd is Pot Luck Sunday. Please come, enjoy the service and bring a dish to share afterwards. You can bring the food into the Temple with you and place it on one of the tables on the left. There will be an electrical strip for you to plug crock pots into and a microwave is also available. If you have something that needs to be kept cold you may want to leave that in your vehicle until after the service. See you there! We still need a pianist for our Sunday services. Does anyone know a piano student or pianist who would like a part time job? This is a paid position so if you know someone who may be interested please refer them to one of the pastors. If you have a class or workshop you would like to offer in the Temple during the fall, winter, or spring, please let us know. We will give it every consideration. You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site; http://www.healinglightspiritualistchurch.org/. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page. We are in the process of scheduling speakers and mediums for February through June. If you would like to serve in either, or both, of these capacities please see one of the pastors. Thank you! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to the speakers and mediums who served our church in December. You are appreciated! A BIG THANK YOU to the Pastoral Council for their their devotion to our church. A BIG THANK YOU to our church board members. We are very grateful for the time and effort you so lovingly give to our church. A BIG THANK YOU to Diane Jackman Skolfield who continues to keep to keep our website updated. Barbara Dolliver thanks everyone for their cards, phone calls and visits after her surgery and during recuperation. We are happy she is doing so well. Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held in the Temple November - April. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation. The Mediumship Development group meets on Sundays, at 1:30 PM in the Temple. Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. And yes, beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. Weather (Cancellation) Notification When the weather is bad church services and meetings are canceled. You can check on the local TV news stations for our cancellations. We will also put the notice out on Facebook and via email. Once in a while we cancel church and then the storm doesn't manifest. Ahhhhh, nature, you cannot always predict her. Never the less, once church has been canceled we do not change it. Please make a note of this. Winter has finally arrived. Please be ever mindful of safety both in the home and in your comings and goings. Always think, Safety First! The Mid Maine homeless shelter is always in need of many things. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday. (PLEASE, no unwashed clothing articles, no clothing with pet hair, and no clothing with holes in them. Thank you.) Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers - all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. If you know of anyone who would like to know more about our Healing Light Spiritualist Church and would enjoy reading our newsletter please, by all means, do pass this along. Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church! Bright Blessings to all and I wish you a happy and prosperous New Year! Rev. Janet Decker

Greetings Everyone! As the wind blows and snow falls let us remember to keep ourselves safe. The condition of the roads is often deceptive so please do not assume that just because the road is clear it is also safe. Black ice is a scary thing so please be alert to this possibility. Also, while clearing snow from around your home, remember, there could be a layer of ice under the snow. I pray that each and every one of us has a very safe and incident free winter season. I am hoping that you used the New Year energies to write down your intentions for 2016. For those that did, this is just a reminder that for a few minutes every day you should think about what success looks like. Also, just as important as seeing it accomplished, you should feel that you have already received it. Live every day as if your wishes have already come true. Here is a little test you can use to see if you are doing this right. If, while you are visualizing and feeling this new reality, a smile comes to your face and you feel really happy, then you are doing it correctly. See it, feel it, know it... and it is already yours! Now the News The church members meeting was held on January 17th after the service at Pastor Donna Williams house. Donna made a lovely turkey soup which we all enjoyed while holding our meeting. We elected new board members. The following people now sit on the board of the Healing Light Spiritualist Church: President - Pastor Dee Powers, VP - Chris Couture, Secretary - Rev. Wachian Welch, Treasurer - Barbara Dolliver, Trustee - Marcia Ruland. We offer a heart felt congratulations to the new board members along with our sincere gratitude for their willingness to be of service to our church. During the meeting we addressed a few items which I will share with you now: 1) The members meeting will be moved to the first Sunday in October to allow more of our snow birds to attend and share their thoughts on growing and improving our church. 2) The Spiritualism Philosophy class will be moved to June or July instead of holding it in the spring. Again, we want our snow birds to be able to attend. 3) When someone serves the church we generally pay them. We want folks to know they have options. They can, if they so choose, refuse the payment, in which case it stays in the church coffers to be used for rent, pot luck supplies, and other such things, or, you can ask that it be donated to the homeless shelter or other worthy endeavors. Of course, you can also keep the money which we are happy for you to do. We are grateful to all the folks who serve our church. If you would like to see a copy of the minutes from this meeting please see Rev. Welch. The next board meeting is scheduled for February 14th. I am thrilled to announce that Ruth, a relative newcomer to our church, has volunteered to play the piano for us on some Sundays. In fact, she has already played for 2 of our services and she plays beautifully! Ruth, from the bottom of our hearts we thank you. You Rock! Upcoming Events I will be teaching self-hypnosis for chronic pain management at my cottage on the Camp Etna grounds on February 13th at 1:30 PM. It will last approximately 2 hours. Allow extra time as we may go over. Please note, you must have already seen a doctor and know what is causing the discomfort. Call or email if you have questions. The cost is $25.00. Space is limited to 6 people so please register early. My contact information is below. The first ever (!) winter event scheduled in the temple, Table Tipping, had to be cancelled due to weather. Not to worry, though, we are offering it again on the 3rd Saturday of each month, February thru May, from 7:00 PM to 8:30/9:00 PM, weather permitting. Please mark your calendars. I, along with Amy Griffith, will be leading these groups. I will post the event to the church FB page and also to the Camp Etna FB page. When you see the invitation please click on "accept" so we can reserve your spot. Alternately, you may call Amy at 207-385-3321, to reserve your space. We need a minimum of 7 people for these events so please register in advance. Also, please "share" the event on your own page. The more the merrier! If you have a class or workshop you would like to offer in the Temple during the winter or spring please let us know and we will take it to the Camp Etna board. You can be sure they will give it every consideration. We want to keep Camp Etna in the fore front of everyone's mind by letting people know the camp is alive and well even in the coldest and darkest months of the year. After all, Spirit does not take a break, why should we :-) It is time again for our Valentine's Day stuffed toy drive. The toys must be new with tags attached. The church will give these stuffed toys to the Etna fire and rescue department. You can bring your donation to the church until Valentine's Day. We have been doing this for 4 years now. This annual Valentine's Day drive for stuffed toys began in commemoration of the Sandy Hook School Shooting on December 14, 2012. A Monday night mediumship development group will begin on March 14th. It will be held at Karlene Tanners house on the Camp Etna grounds and will be led by Pastor Dee Powers. I'm sure Karlene will also be giving some tips and pointers as she is a very gifted medium. This group is offered by donation and all skill levels are welcome to attend. The church membership application is now available for download on the home page of our web site; healinglightspiritualistchruch.org Serving the church in Februry: Facilitator – Pastor Donna Williams Speakers/Mediums February 7 - Pastor Donna Williams February 14 - Karlene Tanner February 21- Bethany Couture February 28 - Rev. Wachian Welch/Angie Butler Reminders February 7th is Pot Luck Sunday. Please come, enjoy the service and bring a dish to share afterwards. You can bring the food into the Temple with you and place it on one of the tables on the left. There will be an electrical strip for you to plug crock pots into and a microwave is also available. If you have something that needs to be kept cold you may want to leave that in your vehicle until after the service. See you there! You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page; healinglightspiritualistchruch.org We are in the process of scheduling speakers and mediums for March through June. If you would like to serve in either, or both, of these capacities please see one of the pastors. Thank you! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to Ruth for volunteering to play the piano for our Sunday services. A BIG THANK YOU to Donna and Barbara for hosting the members meeting. A BIG THANK YOU to the speakers and mediums who served our church in January. You are appreciated! A BIG THANK YOU to our church board members. We are very grateful for the time and effort you so lovingly give to our church. Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held in the Temple November - April. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation. The Mediumship Development group meets on Sundays, at 1:30 PM in the Temple. Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. And yes, beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. The Mid Maine homeless shelter is undergoing change. They are creating apartments for homeless youth at their facility which is wonderful! They are asking for the following items. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday and Pastor Dee Powers will collect and deliver them. Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers - all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books We are still accepting new and/or clean, used clothing donations, however they will now be given to Bill Wentworth who will take them to the Native American Reservations in Maine and Canada. Please no clothing with holes or pet hair. Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. Weather (Cancellation) Notification When the weather is bad church services and meetings are canceled. You can check on the local TV news stations for our cancellations. We will also put the notice out on Facebook and via email. Once in a while we cancel church and then the storm doesn't manifest. Ahhhhh, nature, you cannot always predict her. Never the less, once church has been canceled we do not change it. Please make a note of this. Please be ever mindful of safety both in the home and in your comings and goings this winter. Always think, Safety First! If you know of anyone who would like to know more about our Healing Light Spiritualist Church and would enjoy reading our newsletter please, by all means, do pass this along. Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church! Bright Blessings to all and I wish you a safe and happy February! Rev. Janet Decker

Greetings Everyone, It has been a wonderfully mild winter and now the year wheel turns again and spring is in the air. ` For those who set intentions for 2016 and spent time on a regular basis visualizing a positive result, spring is the time that those intentions will germinate and begin to take form. By fall, or sooner, those intentions will manifest. Just remember to spend a few minutes every day to think about what success looks like. Also, just as important as seeing it accomplished, you should feel that you have already received it. Live every day as if your wishes have already come true. Don't forget this little test to see if you are doing this right. If, while you are visualizing and feeling this new reality, a smile comes to your face and you feel really happy, then you are doing it correctly. See it, feel it, know it... and it is already yours! Now the News We are very happy to announce that we have 2 new members. Ruth Nickerson and Amber Herbest. Ruth and Amber, we are thrilled to welcome you as the newest members of the HLSC. WELCOME! WELCOME! On March 20th we will be having our special Spring Equinox Ceremony. We will still have our regular healing and mediumship portions of the service as well. The Equinoxes are times of equal day and night, or nearly so. Imagine, if you will, that you are standing in the middle of a circle and can see equally in all directions. Or, you can imagine you are standing on the top of Cadillac Mountain. If you've been there you will remember that you have a 360 degree view from there, and it is magnificent, I might add. This time of year gives us the greatest chance for the clearest vision of what it is we want or need for ourselves moving forward. The spring equinox ushers in a time of renewal. A time when the earth begins to wake up from her long slumber, a time for planting seeds and for those seeds to germinate. When I talk about planting seeds I'm not just talking literally but also metaphorically. This is a time for us to put real energy into the intentions we set for ourselves on New Years Day so that those intentions can be made manifest in our lives. When we come together in ceremony we join together as "ONE", one heart, one mind, one voice and our power to effect change in our lives and on the planet is magnified a thousand times or more. Coming together in sacred circle will enable us to better harness the Equinox energies for our highest good and the highest good of all. Also, when we join together in a sacred circle to do ceremony we are honoring the old ways. The ways of our ancestors, who were, in many respects, more in tune with their true nature of, "One with all creation" than we currently are. Doing ceremony allows us to step back in time and reclaim old knowledge of ourselves as part of that which is known as "Sacred Unity". When we sit together in a circle no one is greater than the other and the realization that we are all "ONE" becomes clearer. Also, whenever we come together in ceremony with the intention of doing sacred work to honor the elements, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit, the "Councils of Light" are present. They bring in the higher octaves of vibration that can assist us in moving into higher levels of consciousness. In other words, doing ceremony helps us to be conscious of ourselves at higher levels of being and in so doing we are more open to working with the "Councils of Light". I hope you will attend and be sure to bring with you a full and grateful heart and an open mind. The pastors are busy creating a code of ethics for speakers and mediums. This is something that most spiritualist churches have in place and we decided that it would be good for the HLSC to have it as well. With a code of ethics in place there will be no gray areas and everyone who serves the church will know exactly what is expected of them. I see it as a very positive step in the evolution of our church, one that offers a true spiritual haven where everyone can come and find deep inner peace, healing and fellowship with like-minded souls. The pastoral council and the church board of directors is open to hear suggestions that may improve our church and make it an even more inviting place of peace, and a sanctuary from the rigors of daily life. One suggestion given was that we include in our service from time to time, when appropriate, a short ceremony to welcome new members. I think this is a fabulous idea and I thank Heather and Bethany for suggesting it. Please feel free to approach us or send us an email if you have a suggestion. Upcoming Events March 13th begins Daylight Savings Time . Be sure to set your clocks forward one hour before you go to bed Saturday night or you may be late for church on Sunday morning. Also, the day we enter DST and move our clocks ahead one hour is a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. If you don't have a smoke detector or need safety information The American Red Cross is there to help. Please contact them at: http://www.redcross.org/news/article/Home-Fire-Campaign-Year-One-Successes-Just-a-Start. March 14th is the first meeting of the Monday night mediumship development group. It will be held at Karlene Tanners house on the Camp Etna grounds and will be led by Pastor Dee Powers. I'm sure Karlene will also be giving some tips and pointers as she is a very gifted medium. This group is offered by donation and all skill levels are welcome to attend. Karlene's house is easy to locate. When you drive onto the camp ground take the first left, Barrett Square, and Karlene's house is the second on the left. It is a white house with teal colored trim. You may park at the Inn. The Inn is the first building on the right as you come onto the camp ground, just across the street from Barrett Square. Please feel free to call Dee if you have questions. Her contact info is below. March 15th Meet Your Spirit Guides by Wachian Welch and Angie Butler at Hands of Peace Reiki in Ellsworth, 5:30 - 7:30, please RSVP at Hands of Peace Reiki, 207-479-3673 March 19th Spring Equinox Holistic Fair Jeff's Catering Brewer, ME 10:00 to 4:00, $5 entry fee and includes free workshops all day. March 19th there will be Table Tipping in the Temple form 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, weather permitting. I along with Amy Griffith will be leading the TT groups. Our February event was a huge success and we had great contact with spirit. Please spread the word about this fun and uplifting way to connect with loved ones, spirit guides and teachers as well as angels. We will post the event to the church FB page and the Camp Etna FB page. When you see the invitation click on "accept" so we can reserve your spot. Alternately you may call Amy at 207-385-3321 to reserve your space. Also, please "Share" the event on your FB page. The more the merrier! Fee: $20.00. Do you want to have a full and spiritually enriching weekend? Here is a suggestion, go to the Spring Equinox Holistic Fair in Brewer on Saturday the 19th, afterward have a nice dinner out then join us for Table Tipping in the evening. Then come to church on Sunday morning and join in our Spring Equinox ceremony. Ahhh, life is good! March 22nd Spring Detox by Dr. Nate Petley, 165 State Street, Brewer, please contact Dee Powers to RSVP and more info. If you have a class or workshop you would like to offer in the Temple during the winter or spring please let us know and we will take it to the Camp Etna board. You can be sure they will give it every consideration. Serving the church in March: Facilitator – Rev. Janet I. Decker Speakers/Mediums March 6 - Pat Heitman March 13 - Nedra Foster March 20- Rev. Janet Decker (Equinox Ceremony) March 27 -Karlene Tanner Reminders March 6th is Pot Luck Sunday. Please come, enjoy the service and bring a dish to share afterward. You can bring the food into the Temple with you and place it on one of the tables on the left. There will be an electrical strip for you to plug crock pots into and a microwave is also available. If you have something that needs to be kept cold you may want to leave that in your vehicle until after the service. See you there! The church membership application is now available for download on the home page of our web site. You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page. We are in the process of scheduling speakers and mediums for April through June. If you would like to serve in either, or both, of these capacities please see one of the pastors. Thank you! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to Ruth Nickerson for volunteering to play the piano for our Sunday services. A BIG THANK YOU to those who donated stuffed toys in February for Etna Fire and Rescue. A BIG THANK YOU to the speakers and mediums who served our church in February. You are appreciated! A BIG THANK YOU to our church board members and the Pastoral Council. We are very grateful for the time and effort you so lovingly give to our church. Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held in the Temple November - April. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation. The Mediumship Development group meets on Sundays, at 1:30 PM in the Temple. Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. And yes, beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. The Mid Maine homeless shelter is undergoing change. They are creating apartments for homeless youth at their facility which is wonderful! They are asking for the following items. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday and Pastor Dee Powers will collect and deliver them. Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers - all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books We are still accepting new and/or clean, used clothing donations, however, they will now be given to Bill Wentworth who will take them to the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. Please no clothing with holes or pet hair. Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. Weather (Cancellation) Notification When the weather is bad church services and meetings are canceled. You can check on the local TV news stations for our cancellations. We will also put the notice out on Facebook and via email. Once in a while we cancel church and then the storm doesn't manifest. Ahhhhh, nature, you cannot always predict her. Never the less, once church has been canceled we do not change it. Please make a note of this. Please be ever mindful of safety both in the home and in your comings and goings this winter. Always think, Safety First! If you know of anyone who would like to know more about our Healing Light Spiritualist Church and would enjoy reading our newsletter please, by all means, do pass this along. Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church! Bright Blessings to all and I wish you a safe and happy March! Rev. Janet Decker

Greetings Everyone, Hopefully, the snows of winter and early spring are over but all in all, it was a very nice, mild, winter. Don't you agree? I am sitting here looking out the window as I type this newsletter and I am seeing all the spring birds that are coming to my feeders. It is a beautiful sight to behold! Birds of all colors dance before my eyes, red, blue, gray, yellow, brown, green, black, and black with red wings... I never know what I will see from moment to moment. And when I step outside I am serenaded by these little marvels of the air. There is no lovelier sound in nature to my way of thinking. Their songs are so beautiful and wondrous. It occurs to me how many people don't even notice these incredible beings of light let alone hear their songs. How sad for them, the people, not the birds, for they are missing one of the creators most blessed gifts to our planet. A gift to us! I hope you will take a few moments each day to just bask in nature. There is no greater gift of healing than nature. Step outside, watch, listen, smell, feel, and taste the newness of life that is blossoming all around you. Let your soul be uplifted and nourished. You will not be disappointed, I promise. Now the News We had a wonderful Spring Equinox ceremony on March 20th. There were many new faces in the group that came to participate as well as many familiar faces. It was such a joy for me to lead everyone in celebrating the arrival of spring. I thank each of you for coming and hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Pastor Donna Williams has decided it is time to retire. She has stepped down from the Pastoral Council and we are sad to see her go while at the same time we are also very happy for her. Donna was one of the founding members of our church and she was sole, and soul, pastor of the church for 10 years. Without Donna there would be no Healing Light Spiritualist Church. Donna, with all our hearts we wish you the very best of all that life has to offer you...YOU DESERVE IT! Our church treasurer, Barbara Dolliver, will be having surgery April 20th to reverse a previous surgical procedure. Please hold her in your prayers. The 2016 summer schedule for Camp Etna is now available on the CE web site. There are some truly remarkable workshops and classes coming up. Check it out here. http://www.campetna.com/summer-programs-.html The pastors have created a code of ethics for speakers and mediums. This is something that most spiritualist churches have in place and we decided that it would be good for the HLSC to have it as well. With a code of ethics in place there will be no gray areas. We see it as a very positive step in the evolution of our church, one that offers a true spiritual haven where everyone can come and find deep inner peace, healing and fellowship with like-minded souls. The church thanks all speakers and mediums for their service. The pastoral council and the church board of directors is open to hear suggestions that may improve our church and make it an even more inviting place of peace, and a sanctuary from the rigors of daily life. Please feel free to approach us or send us an email if you have a suggestion. Upcoming Events Saturday, April 1st What: Rural Living Days Time: 8:30 Am to 3:30 PM Where: Mt. View High School, Thorndike Description: Terrific presenters and workshops for those of us who love rural living and sustainability. Many wonderful workshops from bee keeping to growing strawberries, pasturing chickens, cheese tasting, tomato grafting, designing and building a small home, how to choose vegetable varieties, and so much more! Fee: $20.00 and this includes lunch. Contact Info: http://umaine.edu/waldo/rld/ Saturday, April 2nd What: Holistic Mystic Fair Time: 10 AM - 4:00 PM Where: Calumet Club, Augusta, ME Description: Psychic mediums, many vendors and free workshops all day Contact Info: http://www.enchanteddragons.net/holistic-mystic-fair.html Saturday April 10th What: Mind Body Spirit Festival Time: 10 AM - 4:00 PM Where: Hutchinson Center, 80 Belmont Ave, Belfast, ME Description: Psychic mediums, many vendors and free workshops all day Contact Info: http://www.mindbodyspiritfestival.org/festival-dates-locations/ Saturday April 16th What: Table Tipping in the Temple Time: 7:00 PM Where: Temple on Camp Etna grounds Presenters: Rev. Janet Decker, janet.decker9@gmail.com and Amy Griffiths Description: Table Tipping is a method of connecting with the spirit world known as physical phenomena. Come experience what spirit is capable of. The table can get quite active so please wear walking or running shoes. Footwear is required! Our March event was a huge success and we had great contact with spirit. Please spread the word about this fun and uplifting way to connect with loved ones, spirit guides and teachers as well as angels. We will post the event to the church FB page, and the Camp Etna FB page. When you see the invitation click on "accept" so we can reserve your spot. Alternately you may call Amy at 207-385-3321 to reserve your space. Also, please "Share" the event on your FB page. The more the merrier! Fee: $20.00. Thursday, April 21st What: Psychic Dinner Time: 5:00 PM Where: Clewley Farms Restaurant, Eddington, ME Description: Dinner and a message Presenters: Kelly LaRochelle, Rev. Wachian Welch, Angie Butler Contact Info: http://www.clewleyfarm.com/ Reservations required: 843-7446 Saturday, April 23rd What: Tinctures, Infusions, Decoctions - Oh My! Time: 2:00 PM Where: Circles of Healing, 20 Black Fly Lane, Levant, ME Presenter: Bethany Couture - Email: bethanycouture@rocketmail.com - Ph: 207-504-6776 Description: There are no products like homemade products. Breaking through the mystery of DIY beauty products & homemade remedies can be difficult and confusing. Follow Bethany down the Do-It-Yourself road & learn first-hand how amazingly easy it is to make your own beauty products. In this fun 2 hour workshop we will demystify the how to & making of your own products and enjoy a complete facial to boot! Includes hand outs, facials, and samples to take home. Fee: $35.00 April 30th What: Marketplace Mystical Fair Time: 11:00 Am - 3:00 PM Where: Marketplace at Augusta between GNC and Kay Jewelers Contact Info: None available If you have a class or workshop you would like to offer in the Temple during the winter or spring please let us know, and we will take it to the Camp Etna board. You can be sure they will give it every consideration. Serving the church in April: Facilitator – Pastor Laurie Xanthos Speakers/Mediums April 3rd - Pastor Laurie Xanthos April 10th - TBA April 17th - TBA April 24th - Kelly LaRochelle Reminders April 3rd is Pot Luck Sunday. Please come, enjoy the service and bring a dish to share afterward. You can bring the food into the Temple with you and place it on one of the tables on the left. There will be an electrical strip for you to plug crock pots into and a microwave is also available. If you have something that needs to be kept cold you may want to leave that in your vehicle until after the service. See you there! The church membership application is now available for download on the home page of our web site. You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page. We are in the process of scheduling speakers and mediums for May and June. If you would like to serve in either, or both, of these capacities please see one of the pastors. Thank you! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to Bethany Couture for cleaning the church prior to our Spring Equinox ceremony. Bethany, you did a beautiful job! A BIG THANK YOU to Rev. Wachian Welch for playing the Native American flute on Spring Equinox Sunday. Wachian, your music was wonderful! A BIG THANK YOU to Ruth Nickerson for volunteering to play the piano for our Sunday services and for going a step beyond on Spring Equinox Sunday. Always, we enjoy your gift of music. A BIG THANK YOU to the speakers and mediums who served our church in March. You are appreciated! TO BE CLEAR, everyone who serves our church, no matter what the capacity, is a blessing to us. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held in the Temple November - April. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation. Mediumship Development Groups: Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM in the Temple on the Camp Etna grounds - Led by Rev. Janet Decker Monday night 7:00 PM at Karlene Tanners house on the Camp Etna grounds - Led by Pastor Dee Powers. Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. Beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. The Mid Maine homeless shelter is asking for the following items. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday and Pastor Dee Powers will collect and deliver them. Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers - all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books We are accepting new and/or clean, used clothing donations. These contributions will be given to Bill Wentworth who will take them to the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. Please no clothing with holes or pet hair. Again, you can bring your donation to the church and Pastor Dee Powers will collect them. Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. Weather (Cancellation) Notification When the weather is bad church services and meetings are canceled. You can check on the local TV news stations for our cancellations. We will also put the notice out on Facebook and via email. Once in a while we cancel church and then the storm doesn't manifest. Ahhhhh, nature, you cannot always predict her. Never the less, once church has been canceled we do not change it. Please make a note of this. Please be ever mindful of safety both in the home and in your comings and goings this winter. Always think, Safety First! If you know of anyone who would like to know more about our Healing Light Spiritualist Church and would enjoy reading our newsletter please, by all means, do pass this along. Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church! Bright Blessings to all and I wish you a bright and beautiful April! Rev. Janet Decker

Greetings Everyone, I trust that May finds everyone well and excited to spend time outdoors. I know I am certainly feeling the pull to get outside and do things. Winter has a way of making us grateful for spring and summer now doesn't it? Now the News This year the first Sunday in May falls on May 1st. May 1st is also known as "May Day", and to celebrate there will be some special things happening during the service. The May Day celebration is being created and facilitated by Pastor Dee Powers. Flowers are the theme for May Day and we ask that everyone who comes to church that day bring (one) flower to add to a bouquet that we will be creating. Children are an important part of this celebration so come to church on May 1st and please do bring the children and grandchildren! May 1st is also pot luck Sunday. We are hoping the weather will be nice enough to eat outside so think "SUNNY" thoughts. http://icons.iconarchive.com/icons/mag1cwind0w/o-sunny-day/32/osd-sun-icon.png Here is a truly great piece of news; Rev. Wachian Welch and Angie Butler are engaged to be married! I am extremely happy for them, as is everyone who knows them. Watch for the happy date of their marriage in future newsletters. The 2016 summer schedule for Camp Etna is now available on the CE web site. There are some truly remarkable workshops and classes happening in July and August. Check it out here. http://www.campetna.com/summer-programs-.htm Camp Etna's "Work Weekends" are coming up in May and June. These are the dates: May 21, 22, 28, 29 and June 4, 5, 11, and 12. If you are a member of Camp Etna, planning on becoming a member, or simply a friend and fan of Camp Etna, please come out and help us get the camp ready for the summer season. Everyone's help is both needed and appreciated. Thank you! If you have something you would like added to the church newsletter please be aware that I will need that information by the 12th of the month prior to the month being published. Example, for June I need the information by May 12th. Please send info to me via email. You will find my email address (Rev. Janet Decker) at the bottom of the newsletter. The pastoral council and the church board of directors is open to hear suggestions that may improve our church and make it an even more inviting place of peace, and a sanctuary from the rigors of daily life. Please feel free to approach us or send us an email if you have a suggestion. The church council members are: Pastor Dee Powers, Chris Couture, Rev. Wachian Welch, Barbara Dolliver, and Marcia Ruland. Upcoming Events Saturday May 7th What: Mind Body Spirit Festival Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Where: Fairfield Community Center 61 Water St. Fairfield, ME 04937 Contact Info: www.mindbodyspiritfestival.org Thursday May 19th What: Psychic Dinner Time: 5:00 PM Where: Clewley Farms Restaurant, Eddington, ME Presenter: Kelly LaRochelle Reservations Required: 207-843-7446 Saturday May 21st What: Table Tipping in the Temple Time: 7:00 PM Where: Temple on Camp Etna grounds Presenters: Rev. Janet Decker, janet.decker9@gmail.com and Amy Griffiths Description: Table Tipping is a method of connecting with the spirit world known as physical phenomena. Come experience what spirit is capable of. The table can get quite active so please wear walking or running shoes. Footwear is required! Our April event was a huge success and we had great contact with spirit. Please spread the word about this fun and uplifting way to connect with loved ones, spirit guides and teachers as well as angels. We will post the event to the church FB page, and the Camp Etna FB page. When you see the invitation link click on "accept" so we can reserve your spot. Alternately you may call Amy at 207-385-3321 to reserve your space. Also, please "Share" the event on your FB page. The more the merrier! Fee: $20.00. Sunday May 22nd What: Church board meeting Time: 1:00 PM Where: Donna and Barbara's house Serving the church in May: Facilitator – Pastor Dee Powers Speakers/Mediums May 1st - May Day Celebration! May 8th - Amy Griffiths May 15th - TBA May 22nd - Bonnie VanDenBossche and Bonnie Lee Gibson May 29th - Bethany couture Reminders May 1st is Pot Luck Sunday. Please come, enjoy the service and bring a dish to share afterward. You can bring the food into the Temple with you and place it on one of the tables on the left. There will be an electrical strip for you to plug crock pots into and a microwave is also available. If you have something that needs to be kept cold you may want to leave that in your vehicle until after the service. See you there! The church offers an ordination course for those who are interested in becoming an Ordained Independent Spiritualist Minister. This course covers everything from how to create a complete service to classes on spiritual counseling. If you are doing any type of spiritual healing or spiritual counseling work you may want to think seriously about becoming ordained. Please feel free to contact me, Rev. Janet Decker, with questions. You can find my contact info at the bottom of the newsletter. The church membership application is now available for download on the home page of our web site. You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page. If you would like to serve as either a speaker and/or a medium during one of our services please see one of the pastors. Thank you! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to Bethany Couture for cleaning the Temple prior to our May Day celebration. A BIG THANK YOU to Ruth Nickerson for volunteering to play the piano for our Sunday services. A BIG THANK YOU to the speakers and mediums who served our church in April. You are appreciated! TO BE CLEAR, everyone who serves our church, no matter what the capacity, is a blessing to us. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held in the Temple November - May. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation. Mediumship Development Groups Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM in the Temple on the Camp Etna grounds - led by Rev. Janet Decker. Monday night 7:00 PM at Karlene Tanners house on the Camp Etna grounds - led by Pastor Dee Powers. Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. Beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. The Mid Maine homeless shelter is asking for the following items. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday and Pastor Dee Powers will collect and deliver them. Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers - all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books We are accepting new and/or clean, used clothing donations. These contributions will be given to Bill "Windwalker" Wentworth who will take them to the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. Please no clothing with holes or pet hair. Again, you can bring your donation to the church and Pastor Dee Powers will collect them. Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. Weather (Cancellation) Notification NONE! - I am always happy when May comes and I can remove the Weather Cancellation Notification. Happy days are here again, Woo Hoo! Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church! Bright Blessings to all and I wish you a bright and beautiful May! Rev. Janet Decker

Happy July and Happy Summer! July 3rd marks the one year anniversary of our church moving to the Temple on the Camp Etna grounds. We thank spirit every day for creating an opportunity to be located in such a lovely building on grounds that are steeped in Spiritualist history. During our first year in the Temple we accepted 18 new members, most all of them are year round residents of Maine. Why is this important, you may ask? Well, it is important because previous to this past year most of the folks coming to service have been snow birds. Not that we mind because WE DON'T! We love our snow birds, however, when fall arrives our wonderful snow birds fly away and from November through May, historically, there have been low numbers at our Sunday service. This past winter has seen our Sunday regulars double and often triple and this makes everyone at the HLSC smile. It is becoming well known in Etna and surrounding communities that we offer a warm and welcoming atmosphere to all who walk through our doors. Several have stated they did not feel welcome in other churches but have felt completely welcome in ours. Isn't this part of what church is about, making people feel welcome? We think so. Let it be known far and wide HLSC welcomes everyone! Now the News July 3rd is Pot Luck Sunday, come enjoy our Sunday service and bring a dish to share after. See "Reminders" for details. There will be a Spiritualist Philosophies class on August 1, 2016 at 6:00 PM, place to be announced. This class is required for new members, so everyone who has joined our church since December of 2014 should plan to attend. Although new members are required to attend everyone is welcome. There should be lots of interesting discussion. In July and August the speakers/mediums each week are the mediums featured by the camp. We hope you will come out and support all these wonderful and inspiring folks, many of whom have traveled great distances to serve. The next board meeting is scheduled for 1:00 PM, August 21st at Rev. Wachian Welch's cottage. New member applications will be voted on at that time. Looking ahead, the HLSC will hold their Mediums Day fund raiser on Saturday, October 1, 2016, on the Camp Etna grounds. Mediums and healers are needed. We like to feed our volunteers so donations of food are also welcome. Please consider helping the church in one of these capacities. Thank you! Camp Etna News Saturday, July 2nd, is opening day of the Camp's 140th summer season.There are free demonstrations, readings, healers, a guided historical walk about the grounds, vendors, food, and lots of fun planned for that day. To honor the spirits of Camp Etna there will be a 10 cent admission fee. This is what the entrance fee was for many years back in the day. There will be a bowl at the Inn to drop your dime in. Also, on July 2nd, in the evening, there are BIG DOINGS! From 7 to 9 PM Etna Spiritualist Association will celebrate Camp Etna's 140th year of continuous service to spirit with live music by "Josh WeKnow and Friends" and during intermission there will be an interview with renowned clairvoyant Jeanne Marie Antoinette. The evening's entertainment is by donation. For more information on our opening day gala you can visit the FB page created just for this day. July 3 - 9: Friends from Florida Week, July 10th - 16th: Camp Etna Mediums Week, July 17th - 23rd: Spirit Sampler week, July 24th - 30th: Features Laurie Xanthos, July 31st - August 6th Features Malcolm Speirs and Lynn Walker. Please check out the Camp Etna web site to find out everything that is happening on July 2nd and throughout the summer season. Upcoming July Events Featuring HLSC Members Thursday July 13th What: Psychic Dinner Time: 5:30 PM (Sitting 1) 7:30 PM (Sitting 2) Where: Jasper's Restaurant, Ellsworth, ME Presenters: Angie Butler, Rev. Wachian Welch, Kelly Purrington, Bonnie Lee Gibson, Ernie VandenBossche Reservations Required: 207-667-5318 FYI this event sells out quickly and may already be sold out for July. It would be wise to make your reservation asap and think ahead for August by making your reservation now. It is always held on the second Wednesday evening of the month. Community News! Beginning July 11th from 4-6 PM, and each Monday thereafter to infinity, Edgar Cayce's Glad Helpers Group will meet in the Maine Holistic Center located at 81 Maine Street Bangor, ME. Edgar Cayce started the first Glad Helpers Group in 1931 and it continues to be the healing arm of the ARE Edgar Cayce Center with groups around the world. Members follow his original guidelines, which include: Reading from Cayce's book, "Meditation" Building group intention Meditating Sending healing prayers to people who have requested prayer, each other, countries and leaders of the world Hands on healing If you are in need of healing or know someone who is please call Rosalie Deer Heart at 207-730-2288 or email: rosie.heart@yahoo.com and she will gladly include your name on the weekly prayer list. An invitation is extended to all Energy Healers who would like to join this group. The ARE has donated Meditation books and the group is free. The Healing Light Spiritualist church is happy to see this group come to Bangor! Serving the church in June: Facilitator – Rev. Shirley Boyens Speakers/Mediums July 3rd - Rev. Dr. Phil DeLong July 10th - Christopher Smith/Kelly Purington July 17th - Graham Connolly July 24th - Laurie Xanthos July 31st - Malcolm Speirs Reminders July 3rd is Pot Luck Sunday. We will be holding this after church at the Inn. The Inn is the first building on the right as you enter the camp ground. Please come, enjoy the service and bring a dish to share afterward. You can leave the food at the inn. There is a refrigerator and electrical strip for crock pots. There is also a microwave available. The church membership application is available in the church and can also be downloaded from the home page of our web site. You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page. The church has an online Ordination Program. You can check it out here. If you would like to serve as a speaker and/or a medium during one of our services, September through June, please see one of the pastors. Thank you! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to Bethany Couture for cleaning and setting up the Temple prior to our Solstice Ceremony. A BIG THANK YOU to the speakers and mediums who served our church in June. You are appreciated! A BIG THANK YOU to those who contributed to the Mid Maine Homeless Shelter, the local fire and rescue and the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. TO BE CLEAR, everyone who serves our church, no matter what the capacity, is a blessing to us. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held at the Inn June through October and in the Temple November through May. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation with like-minded souls. Mediumship Development Groups meet Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM in Janet Decker's cottage (July and August) on the Camp Etna grounds - led by Rev. Janet Decker and Monday night 7:00 PM at Pastor Dee Powers cottage on the Camp Etna grounds - led by Pastor Dee Powers. Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. Beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. The Mid Maine homeless shelter is asking for the following items. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday and Pastor Dee Powers will collect and deliver them. Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers of all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books We are accepting new and/or clean, used clothing donations. These contributions will be given to Bill "Windwalker" Wentworth who will take them to the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. Please no clothing with holes or pet hair. Again, you can bring your donation to the church and Pastor Dee Powers will collect them. Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. If you have something you would like added to the church newsletter please be aware that I will need that information by the 12th of the month prior to the month being published. Example, for the August newsletter I need the information by July 12th. Please send info to me via email. You will find my email address (Rev. Janet Decker) at the bottom of the newsletter. The pastoral council and the church board of directors is open to hear suggestions that may improve our church and make it an even more inviting place of peace, and a sanctuary from the rigors of daily life. Please feel free to approach us or send us an email if you have a suggestion. The church council members are: Pastor Dee Powers, Chris Couture, Rev. Wachian Welch, Barbara Dolliver, and Marcia Ruland. Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church and please DO to share this newsletter. Bright Blessings to all and I wish you a bright and beautiful July! Rev. Janet Decker

Happy August Everyone! In August we turn the Sunday services over to Camp Etna. What this means is you may, or may not, notice a bit of a change from the way the Healing Light Church conducts the service. For the most part, however, any changes will be little changes. Rev. Shirley Boyens will facilitate the services as she did in July. Now the News There will be a Spiritualism Philosophies class on August 1, 2016 at 6:00 PM, at the museum in the inn.This class will be taught by Pastors Laurie Xanthos and Dee Powers and is required for new members. Everyone who has joined our church since December of 2014 should plan to attend. Although new members are required to attend everyone is welcome. There should be lots of interesting discussion. There will be NO pot luck after church on the first Sunday of August. Camp Etna, however, invites you to join camp members on Saturday evenings, at 5:00 PM, for pot luck. The Monday night Mediumship Development class is moving to Tuesday nights beginning August 2nd. In July and August the speakers/mediums each week are the mediums featured by the camp. We hope you will come out and support all these wonderful and inspiring folks, many of whom have traveled great distances to serve. The next board meeting is scheduled for 1:00 PM on August 21st at Rev. Janet Decker's cottage. New member applications will be voted on at that time. If you would like to become a member please get your application in before then. Membership requirements can be found on the HLSC web site under the "About Us" tab. Look for Article IX Membership. Also, if you have anything to bring before the board please join us, or alternately, you may put it in writing and give it to any pastor or board member. The Sunday afternoon Mediumship Development group will NOT meet on August 21st at 1:30 PM because I will be hosting the board meeting at my cottage that day. Looking ahead, the HLSC will hold their Mediums Day fund raiser on Saturday, October 1, 2016, on the Camp Etna grounds. Mediums and healers are needed. We like to feed our volunteers so donations of food are also welcome. Please consider helping the church in one of these capacities. Thank you! Camp Etna News July 31st - August 6th features Malcolm Speirs and Lynn Walker from Canada August 7th - 13th features Louis Gates from Casadega, Florida August 13th, Mediums Day August 14th - 20th features Christina Cross from Chicago August 21st - 27th, features Rosy D'Elia from Canada August 28th - September 3rd, International Week, September 5th - September 9th, Clinical and Spiritual Hypnotherapy Training and Certification course offered by Rev. Janet Decker, C.Ht.. Certification is offered through the International Metaphysical University (intermetu.com) Please check out the Camp Etna web site for details of everything that is happening throughout the summer season. Upcoming August Events Featuring HLSC Members Wednesday August 10th What: Psychic Dinner Time: 5:30 PM (Sitting 1) 7:30 PM (Sitting 2) Where: Jasper's Restaurant, Ellsworth, ME Presenters: Angie Butler, Rev. Wachian Welch, Kelly Purrington, Rev, Janet Decker Reservations Required: 207-667-5318 FYI this event sells out quickly. It would be wise to make your reservation ASAP and think ahead for September by making your reservation now. It is always held on the second Wednesday evening of the month. Community News! Self Hypnosis for Pain Management workshop - August 13th, 2016 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon, taught by Rev. Janet Decker at the Maine Holistic Center, 81 Maine Street, in Bangor. All who attend will receive a free CD/MP3 (your choice), Hypnosis for Stress Reduction, by Rev. Janet Decker. There will be other CD/MP3 titles available for purchase. Workshop Cost: $25.00. Edgar Cayce's Glad Helpers Group meets every Monday afternoon from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Maine Holistic Center located at 81 Maine Street Bangor, ME. I was fortunate to be able to attend the very first one on July 11th. It was fabulous! Edgar Cayce started the first Glad Helpers Group in 1931 and it continues to be the healing arm of the ARE Edgar Cayce Center with groups around the world. Members follow his original guidelines, which include: Reading from Cayce's book, "Meditation" Building group intention Meditating Sending healing prayers to people who have requested prayer, each other, countries and leaders of the world Hands on healing If you are in need of healing or know someone who is please call Rosalie Deer Heart at 207-730-2288 or email: rosie.heart@yahoo.com and she will gladly include your name on the weekly prayer list. An invitation is extended to all Energy Healers who would like to join this group. The ARE has donated Meditation books and the group is free. The Healing Light Spiritualist church is happy to see this group come to Bangor! Serving the church in August: Facilitator – Rev. Shirley Boyens Speakers/Mediums August 7th - Malcolm Speirs August 14th - Christina Cross August 21st - Rosy D'Elia August 28th - TBA Reminders No Pot Luck Sunday, August 7th. The church membership application is available in the church and can also be downloaded from the home page of our web site. You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page. The church has an online Ordination Program. You can check it out here. If you would like to serve as a speaker and/or a medium during one of our services, September through June, please see one of the pastors. Thank you! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to Bethany Couture for cleaning Temple, Nice job! A BIG THANK YOU to Marcia Ruland and Past Dee Powers for supplying beautiful flowers for our services. A BIG THANK YOU Chris Couture for maintenance on several Temple repairs. A BIG THANK YOU to the speakers and mediums who served our church in July. You are appreciated! A BIG THANK YOU to those who contributed to the Mid Maine Homeless Shelter, the local fire and rescue and the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. TO BE CLEAR, everyone who serves our church, no matter what the capacity, is a blessing to us. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held at the Inn June through October (no pot luck in August) and in the Temple November through May. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation with like-minded souls. Mediumship Development Groups meet every Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM in Janet Decker's cottage, July and August, on the Camp Etna grounds (with the exception of Aug. 21st, 2016) - led by Rev. Janet Decker and Tuesday nights at 7:00 PM at Pastor Dee Powers cottage on the Camp Etna grounds - led by Pastor Dee Powers. Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. Beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. The Mid Maine homeless shelter is asking for the following items. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday and Pastor Dee Powers will collect and deliver them. Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers of all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books We are accepting new and/or clean, used clothing donations. These contributions will be given to Bill "Windwalker" Wentworth who will take them to the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. Please no clothing with holes or pet hair. Again, you can bring your donation to the church and Pastor Dee Powers will collect them. Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. If you have something you would like added to the church newsletter please be aware that I will need that information by the 12th of the month prior to the month being published. Example, for the September newsletter I need the information by August 12th. Please send info to me via email. You will find my email address (Rev. Janet Decker) at the bottom of the newsletter. The pastoral council and the church board of directors is open to hear suggestions that may improve our church and make it an even more inviting place of peace, and a sanctuary from the rigors of daily life. Please feel free to approach us or send us an email if you have a suggestion. The church council members are: Pastor Dee Powers, Chris Couture, Rev. Wachian Welch, Barbara Dolliver, and Marcia Ruland. Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church and please DO to share this newsletter. Bright Blessings to all and I wish you a fabulous August!! Rev. Janet Decker

Happy September Everyone! Well, September is upon us and with it comes the end of a glorious summer in Maine, albeit a dry one. Even though I do hate to see summer go I look forward to the changing of the seasons. Those of us who live in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic region, where I spent most of my life, have it best, I think, where the changing of season's go. There is an energy about each season that is palpable to those of us who are attuned to nature. Personally, I tend to grow pensive with the coming of autumn. It is a time of reflection for me. I find myself looking back at my year and asking myself if I am satisfied with the things I created and brought to fruition in 2016. If I am not satisfied then I reflect on what I could have done differently. Taking time to do this helps me to grow personally and spiritually. Another part of my reflection on the year involves asking myself this question, "Did I say or do anything this year that negatively impacted anyone or anything?" Now this is an interesting question to ask because sometimes saying or doing nothing, in any given situation, can do as much harm as saying or doing something unkind or harmful. A big part of growth is understanding ourselves and why we do things. Often, fear is our greatest challenge and overcoming it can be our greatest stepping stone to success on all levels of being. Personally, I choose to see fear as a tool for growth, expansion and higher learning, because that is exactly what it is. So, in conclusion, if you are feeling pensive this fall be honest with yourself. Seek out the things you feel you "failed" at and ask yourself the hard questions. No need to beat yourself up. Simply look at "the thing" or "the event" with the eyes of an "observer" then resolve to do better next time because, sure as the sun rises in the east, there will be a "next time." Happy Harvest! Now the News We are aware that some folks have difficulty walking up to take a chair during the healing part of the service so, we decided we can bring the healers to them. Beginning in September the last row of chairs on the right side of the Temple will be reserved for people who have trouble getting up and down and/or walking. If you would like to have a healer come to you during the service please take a seat in one of these chairs. On Sunday, September 18th, we will be doing an Autumn Equinox ceremony as part of the church service. Please join us as we celebrate The Divine in the changing of the seasons. Rev. Wachian Welch and Angie Butler were united in marriage on August 6th on the camp ground. I felt very honored to officiate. May they experience many, many years of happiness together! I am excited to announce that we have 2 new church members, Bruce Towle and Bonnie Mellott. Bruce and Bonnie, Welcome to our church family! For a small, out of the way church we are sure attracting a fair number of new people. I am reminded of the line from the movie "Field of Dreams" which says, "If you build it they will come." And indeed, people are coming! Chris and Bethany Couture and their children are moving to New York to live with, and be caregivers for Chris's grandparents. Chris has already left and Bethany will follow at the end of September. Where we hate to see them go we recognize the goodness of their hearts and spirits in their willingness to pull up stakes to be live in caregivers for their aging grandparents. The good news is, they will return to us one day. We wish them many blessings as they journey onward. Because Chris Couture has gone to NY to take care of his grandparents Pastor Dee Powers, HLSC President, has appointed Bonnie Mellot as new VP of the HLSC board. Thank you, Bonnie, for agreeing to take this position. Donna Williams and Barbara Dollivar have moved to a new home! When I get their new mailing address I will post it in the newsletter, with their permission of course. Also, Donna has been having some health issues and will be undergoing surgery on August 29th. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Kate Dobbins is back in her home on the camp ground after a few weeks in the hospital recovering from a fall. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as well. Looking ahead, the HLSC will hold their Mediums Day fund raiser on Saturday, October 1, 2016, on the Camp Etna grounds. Mediums and healers are needed, also we need a registrar. We like to feed our volunteers so donations of food are welcome as well. Please consider helping the church in one of these capacities. Thank you! The church membership meeting will be held on Sunday, October 2nd, during pot luck. We truly do welcome members input so join us as we eat and discuss the direction of the church. Upcoming September Events Featuring HLSC Members Saturday September 10th What: Table Tipping Time: 2:00 PM Where: Maine Holistic Health Center, Main St., Bangor Presenters: Rev. Janet Decker and Amy Griffiths Contact: maineholisticcenter@gmail.com Cost: $21.00 Wednesday September 14th What: Psychic Dinner Time: 5:30 PM (Sitting 1) 7:30 PM (Sitting 2) Where: Jasper's Restaurant,200 High ST., Ellsworth, ME Presenters: Angie Butler, Rev. Wachian Welch, Kelly Purrington, Reservations required: 207-667-5318 FYI this event sells out quickly. It would be wise to make your reservation ASAP and think ahead for October by making your reservation now. It is always held on the second Wednesday evening of the month. Camp Etna News August 28th - September 3rd - International Week with mediums from Iceland, Great Britain and the U.S. September 3rd - Mind, Body Spirit Fair, 10:00 AM -3:00 PM September 5th - September 9th, Clinical and Spiritual Hypnotherapy Training and Certification course offered by Rev. Janet Decker, C.Ht.. Certification is offered through the International Metaphysical University (intermetu.com). Preregistration and payment are required by September 2nd. You can find out about the full details of this course, register and pay on the Camp Etna web site. Or, you can write a check, made out to "ESA", and give it to Sue Jalbert, Donna Williams, Janice Nelson Kroesser, or myself. Please note, if you pay by check you save the Pay Pal fees. September 17th - Annual camp members meeting, 10:00 AM at the Inn. Community Events! Saturday, September 10th What: Power In Belief Where: Spectacular Event Center, 395 Griffin Road, Bangor Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Cost: $50.00 at the door ($40.00 if prepaid) Contact: Melissa Gabriel: 207-299-5960 Web site: http://spectaculareventcenter.com/ Saturday September 17th What: Mind, Body, spirit Fair Where: Fairfied Community Center, 61 Water St., Fairfield, ME Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Cost: $5.00 entrance fee Saturday September 24th What: Ultimate Women's Expo Where: Spectacular Events, 395 Griffin Road, Bangor Time: 10:00 AM Contact: https://www.facebook.com/Bangors-Ultimate-Womens-EXPO-1116504418395406/ Edgar Cayce's Glad Helpers Group meets every Monday afternoon from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Maine Holistic Center located at 81 Maine Street Bangor, ME. I was fortunate to be able to attend the very first one on July 11th. It was fabulous! Edgar Cayce started the first Glad Helpers Group in 1931 and it continues to be the healing arm of the ARE Edgar Cayce Center with groups around the world. Members follow his original guidelines, which include: Reading from Cayce's book, "Meditation" Building group intention Meditating Sending healing prayers to people who have requested prayer, each other, countries and leaders of the world Hands on healing If you are in need of healing, or know someone who is, you can request to be on the prayer list. Email your request to: MaineGladHelpers@gmail.com An invitation is extended to all Energy Healers who would like to join this group. The ARE has donated Meditation books and the group is free. The Healing Light Spiritualist church is happy to see this group come to Bangor! Serving the church in September: Facilitator – Rev. Janet Decker Speakers/Mediums September 4th: Rosie Deerheart/Speaker and Bethany Couture - Medium September 11th: Kimberly Charest September 18th: Rev. Janet Decker September 25th: Rev. Chris Owen Reminders Pot Luck Sunday, September 4th at the inn. The church membership application is available in the church and can also be downloaded from the home page of our web site. You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page. The church has an online Ordination Program. You can check it out here. If you would like to serve as a speaker and/or a medium during one of our services, September through June, please see one of the pastors. Thank you! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to Rev. Shirley Boyens for facilitating services in July and August. A BIG THANK YOU to Diane Skofield for continuing to maintain our web site. A BIG THANK YOU to Marcia Ruland and Pastor Dee Powers for supplying beautiful flowers for our services. A BIG THANK YOU to Chris Couture for maintenance on several Temple repairs. A BIG THANK YOU to those who contributed to the Mid Maine Homeless Shelter, the local fire and rescue and the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. TO BE CLEAR, everyone who serves our church, no matter what the capacity, is a blessing to us. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held at the Inn June through October (no pot luck in August) and in the Temple November through May. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation with like-minded souls. Mediumship Development Groups meet every Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM in in the Temple (led by Rev. Janet Decker) and Tuesday nights at 7:00 PM at Pastor Dee Powers cottage on the Camp Etna grounds (led by Pastor Dee Powers). Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. Beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. The Mid Maine homeless shelter is asking for the following items. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday and Pastor Dee Powers will collect and deliver them. Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers of all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books We are accepting new and/or clean, used clothing donations. These contributions will be given to Bill "Windwalker" Wentworth who will take them to the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. Please no clothing with holes or pet hair. Again, you can bring your donation to the church and Pastor Dee Powers will collect them. Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. If you have something you would like added to the church newsletter please be aware that I will need that information by the 12th of the month prior to the month being published. Example, for the September newsletter I need the information by August 12th. Please send info to me via email. You will find my email address (Rev. Janet Decker) at the bottom of the newsletter. The pastoral council and the church board of directors is open to hear suggestions that may improve our church and make it an even more inviting place of peace and sanctuary from the rigors of daily life. Please feel free to approach us or send us an email if you have a suggestion. The church council members are: Pastor Dee Powers, Bonnie Mellott, Rev. Wachain Welch, Barbara Dolliver, and Marcia Ruland. Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church and please DO to share this newsletter. Bright Blessings to all and I wish you a SPECTACULAR September!! Rev. Janet Decker

Welcome to October! Here we are in the last third of the year. The months have certainly flown by! I find I have little time at the moment to write anything witty or thoughtful so I will go right to the news. News Our Mediums Day fund raiser is on Saturday, October 1, 2016, on the Camp Etna grounds. If you would like to help with this event please see one of the pastors. Food to feed the workers or goodies to sell can be dropped off before 10 AM. Thank you! The church membership meeting will be held on Sunday, October 2nd, during pot luck at the inn. Come enjoy our service, bring a dish to share and join us as we discuss the direction of the church. All are welcome. I am excited to announce that Pastor Laurie Xanthos will teach another energy healing class for those who would like to receive a certification in this. Part of this class is dedicated to the proper etiquette and ethics of "the laying on of hands". In order to offer healing in our church this certificate is now required. This is a two part class and the classes will be held on October 23 and 30th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the inn, location to be announced. Both classes are required to receive your certificate. Laurie is a fabulous teacher and you will be able to put your skills to work right away. This class is offered by donation. It seems that designating the back row on the right side of the church as healing chairs for those folks who have difficulty getting up and down or walking up front to the healing chairs is going to work out nicely. The chairs were utilized several times in September. There has been some confusion about church HLSC and Camp Etna memberships. I hope the following will explain. Becoming a member of the HLSC does not automatically make you a member of Camp Etna. Camp Etna and the church are separate entities and each has their own set of requirements for becoming a member. If you want to become a member of the church please go to our web site: healinglightspiritualistchurch.org to read our by-laws and membership requirements and if you want to become a member of Camp Etna please go to campetna.com to read their by-laws and membership requirements. If you do not use a computer, you may ask any member of the church board or camp board for their respective information. We apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding regarding membership in these two organizations. We will once again have a Thanksgiving Day food drive. Beginning the last week of October and continuing until the Sunday before Thanksgiving you may bring non-perishable items to the Temple and leave them on the tables on the left side. The Temple is always open so you can bring your items and drop them off throughout the week. It has been suggested that gift certificates to one of the grocery stores would be a welcome contribution. We will deliver these to the local town halls who will see they are distributed. Thank you for making someones Thanksgiving a little nicer. Donna Williams and Barbara Dolliver have moved to a new home and we are happy for them. They have given me permission to put their address here in the newsletter. It is: 11 Derby Estate #14, Rome, ME 04963. Upcoming October Events Featuring HLSC Members Saturday October 1st What: Mediums Day Fund Raiser for the HLSC Time: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Where: Camp Etna grounds Presenters: Mediums and Healers from HLSC Offering: Readings, Healing, Food Contact: info@healinglightspiritualistchurch.org Come and bring friends! Saturday October 15th What: Table Tipping Time: 7:00 PM Where: Temple on the Camp Etna grounds Presenters: Rev. Janet Decker and Amy Griffiths Contact: janet.decker9@gmail.com (207-404-1845) or amyjspiritedway@gmail.com (207-385-3321) Cost: $20.00 Shoes required! Camp Etna News The 140th camp season has come to a close and now it's time to put the camp to bed. Every weekend in October is designated for clean up. The HLSC encourages all church members to come out and support the camp in this way. Even if only for a few hours on one of the week ends. All help is tremendously appreciated and if you are a camp member, or considering becoming a camp member, volunteerism is required. Thank you. Community Events! Mind, Body, Spirit Fall Festivals When: Saturday, October 8th - University of Maine Hutchinson Center, Belfast Maine When: Sunday October 16th - Hilton Garden Inn, Freeport, Maine Cost: $5.00 admission fee (includes most, but not all, workshops) Web site: mindbodyspiritfestival.orgMediums Weekend at Acres of Wildlife Campground Mediums Weekend at Acres of Wildlife What: Psychic medium readings, vendors, workshops and a paranormal investigation! When: Friday, October 7th thru Monday, October 10th Where: 60 Acres of Wildlife, Steep Falls, ME Cost: $20.00 Healing Arts Fall Equinox Fair When: Saturday, October 22nd Where: Jeff's Catering, 15 Littlefield Way, Brewer, ME Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Cost: $5.00 admission includes free workshops with paid admission, vendor fees are separate Edgar Cayce's Glad Helpers Group meets every Monday afternoon from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Maine Holistic Center located at 81 Maine Street Bangor, ME. I was fortunate to be able to attend the very first one on July 11th. It was fabulous! Edgar Cayce started the first Glad Helpers Group in 1931 and it continues to be the healing arm of the ARE Edgar Cayce Center with groups around the world. Members follow his original guidelines, which include: Reading from Cayce's book, "Meditation" Building group intention Meditating Sending healing prayers to people who have requested prayer, each other, countries and leaders of the world Hands on healing If you are in need of healing, or know someone who is, you can request to be on the prayer list. Email your request to: MaineGladHelpers@gmail.com An invitation is extended to all Energy Healers who would like to join this group. The ARE has donated Meditation books and the group is free. The Healing Light Spiritualist church is happy to see this group come to Bangor! Serving the church in October: Facilitator – Pastor Laurie Xanthos Speakers/Mediums October 2nd: Melissa Gabriel October 9th: Sandy Matheson October 16th: Bonnie Lee Mellott (facilitator and speaker) Message Circle October 23rd: Angie Butler Welch October 30th: Patty Pepin Reminders Pot Luck Sunday, October 2nd at the inn. Members meeting to follow. The church membership application is available in the church and can also be downloaded from the home page of our web site. You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page. The church has an online Ordination Program. You can check it out here. If you would like to serve as a speaker and/or a medium during one of our services, September through June, please see one of the pastors. Thank you! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to the members who cleaned the church after camp season closed. A BIG THANK YOU to Marcia Ruland and Rev. Wachian Welch for helping me set up the church for our Equinox ceremony and to the church members who put the church back into order afterwards. A BIG THANK YOU to Diane Skofield for continuing to maintain our web site. A BIG THANK YOU to those who contributed to the Mid Maine Homeless Shelter, the local fire and rescue and the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. TO BE CLEAR, everyone who serves our church, no matter what the capacity, is a blessing to us. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held at the Inn June through October (no pot luck in August) and in the Temple November through May. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation with like-minded souls. Mediumship Development Groups meet every Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM in in the Temple (led by Rev. Janet Decker) and Tuesday nights at 7:00 PM at Pastor Dee Powers' cottage on the Camp Etna grounds (led by Pastor Dee Powers). Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. Beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. The Mid Maine homeless shelter is asking for the following items. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday and Pastor Dee Powers will collect and deliver them. Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers of all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books We are accepting new and/or clean, used clothing donations. These contributions will be given to Bill "Windwalker" Wentworth who will take them to the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. Please no clothing with holes or pet hair. Again, you can bring your donation to the church and Pastor Dee Powers will collect them. Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. If you have something you would like added to the church newsletter please be aware that I will need that information by the 12th of the month prior to the month being published. Example, for the September newsletter I need the information by August 12th. Please send info to me via email. You will find my email address (Rev. Janet Decker) at the bottom of the newsletter. The pastoral council and the church board of directors is open to hear suggestions that may improve our church and make it an even more inviting place of peace and sanctuary from the rigors of daily life. Please feel free to approach us or send us an email if you have a suggestion. The church council members are: Pastor Dee Powers, Bonnie Mellott, Rev. Wachain Welch, Barbara Dolliver, and Marcia Ruland. Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church and please DO to share this newsletter. Bright Blessings to all and I wish you an AWESOME October! Rev. Janet Decker

Welcome to November! I do believe that cooler weather is here to stay and as I sit here creating this newsletter most of the leaves are off the trees and I once again can see through the denseness of the forest outside my window. Whereas I do hate to see the end of warm weather I have to admit there is something very inspiring about the crispness of the breeze and the scent of wood smoke that hangs in the air this time of year. It speaks to me of homecoming, the harvest, and pumpkin pie, yummmmm! I do so hope that everyone can get out outside to enjoy a brisk walk and while doing so open your senses to the scents of the earth and the air. You will sleep better for it, I'm sure. News Our Mediums Day fund raiser was held on Saturday, October 1, 2016, on the Camp Etna grounds, I am happy to say it was a great success! Although there was a nip in the air, and in spite of other events being held in the surrounding communities, we still had a nice turn out of people. Marcia did a fabulous job with the food and there were many nice donations of food and baked goods from our members as well. All very yummy! Thanks to everyone who helped with this event. I am pleased to announce that we have a new treasurer, Janet McNerney. Janet brings years of accounting knowledge to our little church and we are grateful to have her. Thank you, Janet, for agreeing to take this position. A brief pastoral council meeting was held on Sunday, October 23rd and out of that meeting came some good ideas. One of those ideas will be instituted beginning the first Sunday in November. We are adding something called "Sharing What Makes Us Smile". So, what is "Sharing What Makes Us Smile", you may ask? Well, everyone loves to hear good things and so we will set aside 5 to 10 minutes, after announcements, for folks to simply share something good they have experienced in their lives. It doesn't matter if it is a recent event or a past event, as long as it is something that has made you smile, it is sharable. Is that even a word??? :-) We look forward to hearing about what makes you smile. The Pastoral Council also decided to make the last Sunday of the month, September through June, an "All Healing and Message Service". What that means is, we will not have an inspirational talk on the last Sunday of the month but instead we will dedicate the entire service to healing and messages from spirit. This will be done in a circle formation. The first one will be held the last Sunday of January. We hope you will enjoy this bit of a change up one Sunday a month. If not, we can always return to the standard format for all services. Part of our meeting was devoted to a discussion about student presenters. While HLSC strives to bring you speakers and mediums who are inspiring and incredible in their ability to connect with spirit, we also want to encourage and teach others how to do the same. We are a "teaching church". Students are the future of Spiritualism and they need to have a platform on which to "hone their skills", while at the same time, learning about appropriate presentation. That being said, from time to time, as in the past, we will have students facilitating the service, leading the meditations, giving the inspirational talks, and giving messages from spirit. Some students will be from our church and some may come to us from other churches. Where ever they come from we want to encourage their evolution and growth as spiritualists. The Pastoral Council and the Church Board wish to thank you for helping us to grow our religion by coming out to support and encourage the students. We are having a Thanksgiving Day food drive. Beginning the last week of October and continuing until the Sunday before Thanksgiving you may bring non-perishable items to the Temple and leave them on the tables on the left side of the Temple. The Temple is always open so you can bring your items and drop them off throughout the week. It has been suggested that gift certificates to one of the grocery stores would be a welcome contribution. We will deliver these to the local town halls who will see they are distributed. Thank you for making someone's Thanksgiving a little nicer. Upcoming November Events Featuring HLSC Members Saturday November 19th What: Table Tipping Time: 7:00 PM Where: Temple on the Camp Etna grounds Presenters: Rev. Janet Decker and Amy Griffiths Contact: janet.decker9@gmail.com (207-404-1845) or amyjspiritedway@gmail.com (207-385-3321) Cost: $20.00 Shoes required! Camp Etna News Camp Etna has been put to bed for the winter. Community Events! Edgar Cayce's Glad Helpers Group meets every Monday afternoon from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Maine Holistic Center located at 81 Maine Street Bangor, ME. All Energy Healers are welcome to become part of this group at any time. For more information on Glad Helpers please see last month's newsletter. You can find it on our web site under the "Newsletter" tab. Serving the church in November: Facilitator – Rev. Wachian Welch Speakers/Mediums November 5th: Pat Heitman/Speaker, Pat Heitman and Rev. Welch/messages November 12th: Caroline King/Speaker, Rev. Wachian Welch/messages November 19th: Rev. Wachian Welch/Speaker, Rev. Wachian Welch and congregation participation/messages November 26th: Facilitator Pastor Dee Powers, Terry Willette/Speaker, Message Circle Reminders Pot Luck Sunday is November 5th in the Temple. There will be an electrical strip to plug crock pots into. You may want to leave cold items in your car until after service. The back row of chairs on the right side of the church, as you enter, are designated as healing chairs for those folks who have difficulty getting up and down or walking up front to sit in a healing chair. There will be a healer assigned to those chairs at every service. The church has an online Ordination Program. You can check it out here. You can find it under the "Classes" tab. The church membership application is available in the church and can also be downloaded from the home page of our web site. There has been some confusion about church HLSC and Camp Etna memberships. I hope the following will explain. Becoming a member of the HLSC does not automatically make you a member of Camp Etna. Camp Etna and the church are separate entities and each has their own set of requirements for becoming a member. If you want to become a member of the church please go to our web site: healinglightspiritualistchurch.org to read our by-laws and membership requirements and if you want to become a member of Camp Etna please go to campetna.com to read their by-laws and membership requirements. If you do not use a computer, you may ask any member of the church board or camp board for their respective information. You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page. If you would like to serve as a speaker and/or a medium during one of our services, September through June, please see one of the pastors. Thank you. Weather (Cancellation) Notification When the weather is bad church services and meetings are canceled. You can check on the local TV news stations for our cancellations. We will also put the notice out on Facebook and via email. Once in a while we cancel church and then the storm doesn't manifest. Ahhhhh, nature, you cannot always predict her. Never the less, once church has been canceled we do not change it. Please make a note of this. Please be ever mindful of safety both in the home and in your comings and goings this winter. Always think, Safety First! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to our speakers and mediums for the month of October A BIG THANK YOU to Sherwood for cleaning the Temple A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped out and/or contributed food to our Mediums Day fund raiser A BIG THANK YOU to Diane Skofield for continuing to maintain our web site. A BIG THANK YOU to those who contributed to the Mid Maine Homeless Shelter, the local fire and rescue and the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. TO BE CLEAR, everyone who serves our church, no matter what the capacity, is a blessing to us. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held at the Inn June through October (no pot luck in August) and in the Temple November through May. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation with like-minded souls. Mediumship Development Groups meet every Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM in in the Temple (led by Rev. Janet Decker) and Tuesday nights at 7:00 PM at Pastor Dee Powers' house in Canaan (led by Pastor Dee Powers). Please call or email her for directions. Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. Beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. The Mid Maine homeless shelter is asking for the following items. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday and Pastor Dee Powers will collect and deliver them. Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers of all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books We are accepting new and/or clean, used clothing donations. These contributions will be given to Bill "Windwalker" Wentworth who will take them to the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. Please no clothing with holes or pet hair. Again, you can bring your donation to the church and Pastor Dee Powers will collect them. Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. If you have something you would like added to the church newsletter please be aware that I will need that information by the 12th of the month prior to the month being published. Example, for the September newsletter I need the information by August 12th. Please send info to me via email. You will find my email address (Rev. Janet Decker) at the bottom of the newsletter. The pastoral council and the church board of directors is open to hear suggestions that may improve our church and make it an even more inviting place of peace and sanctuary from the rigors of daily life. Please feel free to approach us or send us an email if you have a suggestion. The church board members are: Pastor Dee Powers (President), Bonnie Mellott (Vice President), Rev. Wachian Welch (Secretary), Janet McNerney (Treasurer), and Marcia Ruland (Trustee). Their contact information is below. Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church and please DO share this newsletter. Bright Blessings to all and I wish you a November filled with things to be grateful for. Rev. Janet Decker

Welcome to December! Thanksgiving has come and gone and now the Christmas holiday season truly begins. With the holidays comes stress. The stress of the holidays coupled with post-election stress can be almost more than many people can bare. My suggestion is to take time daily to do some deep breathing, bringing in the light with each in breath and releasing all things that "do not serve you" with the out breath. Being in a space of constant stress is not good on soooo many levels, and if you are stressed remember, you are giving that out to everyone you meet whether or or not you actually have a conversation with them. One could say that we are "walking energy fields", and as such it is helpful to be aware of the energy we are putting out there for all to experience. One of the best quotes I've ever read is, "Serenity is not freedom from the storm but peace within the storm". May you know deep and abiding peace this holiday season and always. News Pot Luck Sunday is December 4th. A member of our church family, Cathy Baker, is in Stillwater Rehab Center in Bangor, room #4B. If you have the opportunity to visit her, or can send her a card, I know she would be thrilled. Thinking healing thoughts is also most welcome. Laurie Xanthos will be teaching the second half of her energy healing certification class on Sunday, December 11th at 1:00 pm in the Temple. The Sunday Mediumship Development group will not meet the 1st (December 4) or 2nd (December 11) Sundays of December. We'll see you on December 18th. The church will have a Sunday service on December 25th, Christmas day. In place of the regular service we will have a Solstice Ceremony. There will also be healing and messages from spirit. All are welcome! Our church has a benevolence fund that we can use to help church members who have fallen on hard times. If you find yourself in need of some financial assistance this winter, be it to buy fuel or put food on the table, for example, please let one of the pastors know. Rest assured that all things discussed with the pastors or members of the church board will be held in strictest confidence. The last Sunday of every month, beginning in January, will be an "All Healing and Message Service". What that means is, we will not have an inspirational talk on the last Sunday of the month but instead we will dedicate the entire service to healing and messages from spirit. This will be done in a circle formation. We hope you will enjoy this bit of a change up one Sunday a month. If not, we can always return to the standard format for all services. While HLSC strives to bring you speakers and mediums that are inspiring and incredible in their ability to connect with spirit, we also want to encourage and teach others how to do the same. We are a "teaching church". Students are the future of Spiritualism and they need to have a platform on which to "hone their skills", while at the same time, learning about appropriate presentation. That being said, from time to time, as in the past, we will have students facilitating the service, leading the meditations, giving the inspirational talks, and giving messages from spirit. Some students will be from our church and some may come to us from other churches. Where ever they come from we want to encourage their evolution and growth as spiritualists. The Pastoral Council and the Church Board wish to thank you for helping us to grow our religion by coming out to support and encourage the students. Upcoming December Events Featuring HLSC Members Awakening the Spiritual You (Workshop) When: Tuesdays, December 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th Time: 5:30pm - 6:30pm What: You’ll learn in a group setting what Spiritual gift or gifts you have, how to develop and work with them to create an empowered Spiritual you! Where: Clifton ME (about 25 min. from Bangor and 30 min. from Ellsworth) Cost: $20 per class Contact: Rev. Wachian Welch, Ph: 207-514-6023, email: wachianwelch44@gmail.com, website: rollinwspirit.com Presenter: Rev. Wachian Welch Community Events! Edgar Cayce's Glad Helpers Group meets every Monday afternoon from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Maine Holistic Center located at 81 Maine Street Bangor, ME. All Energy Healers are welcome to become part of this group at any time. For more information on Glad Helpers please see last month's newsletter. You can find it on our website under the "Newsletter" tab. Serving the church in December Facilitator – Pastor Dee Powers Speakers/Mediums December 4th: Bonnie Lee Mellott - (Facilitator and Speaker) Messages TBA December 11th: Sherwood Denham - (Speaker/Medium) December 18th: Pastor Dee Powers - (Speaker/Medium) December 25th: Rev. Janet Decker - (Solstice Ceremony) Reminders Pot Luck Sunday is December 4th in the Temple. There will be an electrical strip to plug crock pots into. You may want to leave cold items in your car until after service. The back row of chairs on the right side of the church, as you enter, are designated as healing chairs for those folks who have difficulty getting up and down or walking up front to sit in a healing chair. There will be a healer assigned to those chairs at every service. The church has an online Ordination Program. You can check it out here. You can find it under the "Classes" tab. The church membership application is available in the church and can also be downloaded from the home page of our web site. There has been some confusion about church HLSC and Camp Etna memberships. I hope the following will explain. Becoming a member of the HLSC does not automatically make you a member of Camp Etna. Camp Etna and the church are separate entities and each has their own set of requirements for becoming a member. If you want to become a member of the church please go to our web site: healinglightspiritualistchurch.org to read our by-laws and membership requirements and if you want to become a member of Camp Etna please go to campetna.com to read their by-laws and membership requirements. If you do not use a computer, you may ask any member of the church board or camp board for their respective information. You can send prayer requests and/or "suggestions" from our web site. You will find the form on the “Contact Us” page. If you would like to serve as a speaker and/or a medium during one of our services, September through June, please see one of the pastors. Thank you. Weather (Cancellation) Notification When the weather is bad church services and meetings are canceled. You can check on the local TV news stations for our cancellations. We will also put the notice out on Facebook and via email. Once in a while we cancel church and then the storm doesn't manifest. Ahhhhh, nature, you cannot always predict her. Never the less, once church has been canceled we do not change it. Please make a note of this. Please be ever mindful of safety both in the home and in your comings and goings this winter. Always think, Safety First! To Say Thank You! A BIG THANK YOU to our speakers and mediums for the month of November. A BIG THANK YOU to Sherwood for cleaning the Temple. A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the Thanksgiving Day Food Drive. A BIG THANK YOU to those who contributed to the Mid Maine Homeless Shelter, the local fire and rescue and the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. TO BE CLEAR, everyone who serves our church, no matter what the capacity, is a blessing to us. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Ongoing The first Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Pot Luck is held at the Inn June through October (no pot luck in August) and in the Temple November through May. Come enjoy the service and stay after for a nice meal and conversation with like-minded souls. Mediumship Development Groups meet every Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM in in the Temple (led by Rev. Janet Decker) and Tuesday nights at 6:30 PM at Pastor Dee Powers' house in Canaan (led by Pastor Dee Powers). Please call or email her for directions. Anyone who is interested in developing or growing their mediumship and psychic skills are welcome to join us. Beginners are certainly welcome as are the more advanced folks. Donations are gladly accepted. The Mid Maine homeless shelter is asking for the following items. If you have items you would like to donate just bring them to the church on any Sunday and Pastor Dee Powers will collect and deliver them. Here is a list of supplies they could use: Playground toys Diapers of all sizes Trash bags Toilet tissues, paper towels, and tissues All Purpose cleaner Paper plates, cups, and napkins (square) HE laundry detergent Ziploc bags and aluminum foil Food storage containers Grocery store gift certificates Soap, shampoo, and conditioner Feminine products (pads and tampons) Deodorant Toothpaste and toothbrushes Razors and shaving cream Coffee (regular; decaf) and creamer Sugar and drink mixes Canned and non-perishable foods Children's books We are accepting new and/or clean, used clothing donations. These contributions will be given to Bill "Windwalker" Wentworth who will take them to the Native American Indian Reservations in Maine and Canada. Please no clothing with holes or pet hair. Again, you can bring your donation to the church and Pastor Dee Powers will collect them. Both Etna and Canaan Fire Departments need sweat pants and sweat shirts to give out to people who, during a fire, are forced to flee their homes with no more than the shirt on their backs. It is not necessary to buy new. Clean, used items in good condition are very welcome. Please bring them to the church on any Sunday. Children’s sweats are also needed. To all who have contributed in the past, or will contribute in the future, to any of the above causes, your gifts are truly a blessing. Thank you. If you have something you would like added to the church newsletter please be aware that I will need that information by the 12th of the month prior to the month being published. Example, for the September newsletter I need the information by August 12th. Please send info to me via email. You will find my email address (Rev. Janet Decker) at the bottom of the newsletter. The pastoral council and the church board of directors is open to hear suggestions that may improve our church and make it an even more inviting place of peace and sanctuary from the rigors of daily life. Please feel free to approach us or send us an email if you have a suggestion. The church board members are: Pastor Dee Powers (President), Bonnie Mellott (Vice President), Rev. Wachian Welch (Secretary), Janet McNerney (Treasurer), and Marcia Ruland (Trustee). Their contact information is below. Thanks for reading and most of all, thanks for being part of our church and please DO share this newsletter. Bright Blessings to all and I wish you a joyous Yule season and a very happy and safe New Year! Rev. Janet Decker