A FAREWELL CELEBRATION TO HONOR VAUGHN BRYNER

On Sunday, July 21, 2024, we gathered to say farewell to our Minister of Music and Arts Outreach, Vaughn Bryner. Amicable Church believes that the arts are an important vehicle for exploring and expressing the emotional and spiritual side of the human experience. Vaughn Bryner accomplished this for us! Bringing a number of arts into our Sunday services. Traditional hymns, choir anthems, and organ pieces. Services at Amicable included folk, pop, R&B, rock, jazz songs and even musical theatre pieces that spoke to a topic or social justice theme that was being highlighted in the service. At times pieces of poetry, drama, musical drama, or dance were also included.

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Vaughn was also the director of our small but mighty choir! With his skills he shaped our choir and together, they lifted us in song and filled our services with wonderful music.

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In addition to his music offerings Vaughn also worked closely with Faith Formation and others to create our Reconnect & Regenerate Program. Conceived by Vaughn Bryner, this program focused on the book Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard by Douglas Tallamy and the film Kiss the Ground. From these two sources, four weeks of events evolved into programming that included a film screening of Kiss the Ground with a panel featuring local growers, book discussions on Nature’s Best Hope at the Tiverton Public Library and the Union Library, four worship services with coffee hour discussions, a potluck meal featuring locally-sourced food at Movement Ground Farm, and the development of a Native Plant Pollinator Picnic Garden at Amicable. 

 

Vaughn was also instrumental in many other programs here at Amicable like the Mind, Body, and Spirit program and bringing us together in song through video during COVID.

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To honor Vaughn and his many accomplishments here at Amicable an endowment fund has been established. The Bryner Music & Performing Arts Fund was initiated in honor of Vaughn Bryner’s 14+ years of serving as Amicable’s Minister of Music from 2010 through 2024, on his retirement in July of 2024. This endowment fund is to be used specifically for church members or involved friends, youth, or adults, who are pursuing higher education in Music or Performing Arts. If you would like to donate to this fund, please make your check payable to Amicable Church and write "Bryner Music Fund" on the envelope or in the check's memo line. You can also click on our DONATE button below! 

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Vaughns talents, and ideas to get the members of Amicable, community businesses, and town services together will be missed! In addition to his wonderful musical skills and voice, his warm smile will be missed most of all. We wish Vaughn the best of luck in whatever he chooses to do in the future and to always remember… He’s got a friend here at Amicable.

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GRATEFUL………