Our Stories
Meet the Wonsons and the Brandts
He' s the guy with the saxophone tie clip, the saxophone baseball cap & and the saxophone, which he wails on periodically at jazz vespers. Retired electronics engineer Roger Wonson is the patriarch of a three-generation SCC family.
We met right after World War II, says Roger' s wife, Mary Sue. We both auditioned for the Washington Choral Society. We' ve been singing ever since.
The Wonsons moved to Beverly in 1949. One of the deacons came to visit, Mary Sue says. That' s how we learned about Second Church. In those days, the church had an active couples club and a women' s club that met for lunch on weekdays. Very few women worked back then, Mary Sue recalls. In those days, the organ and the choir occupied the balcony and the church had a different front. We' ve seen a lot of changes, of course, Mary Sue says, but you couldn' t drive me away from this church. It' s like family. I've found it a big comfort.
The Wonson' s three daughters, Kathy, Dee Dee, and Martha (Marty) were baptized and confirmed at SCC. Marty, the only daughter who still lives in the area, brought her husband David Brandt here after they married in 1984. David was a disaffected Catholic, she says. One thing I really like about Second Church is the atmosphere: open and welcoming to all people. I like raising the kids that way. They have a good foundation in God and the Bible, but they won' t be afraid to step out, look around, and make their own decisions about church when they' re adults.
The Brandt kids, all of whom were baptized here, like SCC too. Karlsen likes the choir. They sing good. They' re nice to hear. Mary likes Sunday school, ' cause it' s fun. We have snacks and draw pictures. Older brother David likes to help out at the Bean Supper.
Meet Maureen, Melena and Carter Schug
Last appearing as Mary in the Sunday school' s production of the Nativity Scene, Melena Schug is the one who brought her family to Second Church. Her mom, Maureen, did some reconnaissance first, narrowing the field of possibilities and then taking Melena to visiting the most likely prospects.
My daughter felt comfortable here, Maureen says. She visited other Sunday Schools, but she liked Second Church best. Melena was only in second grade at the time, but she was old enough to know what felt right.
Maureen, a special ed. teacher, grew up in the Congregational Church. Second Church felt like home. For me, there' s a certain amount of comfort in the ritual: the same order of worship, the same hymns I grew up with. I liked Alan, too, and his style of preaching. I knew I could worship there.
When Melena first went to SCC she pronounced, This is a good church. And according to Maureen, she still loves it. She particularly likes Bible Olympics, making cards for Advent, and her teachers. Her little brother Carter has started going too.
God gave us a brain, Maureen says. I feel comfortable in a church that encourages you to think about what' s said. I want my kids to think. I want them to make good choices about their life and their faith.
Meet Wendy Gaspar
For Wendy Gaspar, SCC' s Spirited Women is like a church within a church. The group meets once a month, after services. Every meeting has a different topic: spirituality, favorite books, creativity, mental health. But there's something happening on a deeper level, too. It feels like worship, she says. Sacred, somehow.
Wendy attributes this feeling to the group' s warmth and supportiveness.
We tend to be very open with one another, she says. These women aren't afraid to be vulnerable. There' s a sense of trust that' s awesome.
Wendy joined the group in 2000, when she started coming to Second Church. After four years she became its leader. Stepping into that role, she says, pushed me to do something I really love.
The church she attended previously wasn' t a good fit. But Wendy says that Second Church and Spirited Women are a wonderful niche for me.
Even with that, she waited until 2005 to formally join SCC. It was a serious decision, she says. I wanted to make it at the right time.
Not only was it the right time, for Wendy, it was the right choice: Second Church is open and accepting. It respects people' s individuality. As Alan says, "Wherever you are on your journey, you're welcome here." That' s absolutely the truth.