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February 2012
Mardis Gras Sunday February 19
Worship in February
Sunday, February 5, 10:00 Holy Communion
Sermon: Learning to Let Go Rev. Stan Cook, preaching 11: 15 -- Souper Bowl Chili Chowder Cook-Off
ASH WEDNESDAY, February 22, 12:00 Noon & 7:00 A sacred service of
Holy Communion and Anointing with Holy Oils for Healing, Redemption and Reconciliation
Sundays 11:30 am 12:30pm "A Father's Legacy: Understanding the Six Stages of Fatherhood"
A group study and discussion about fatherhood, for men only, led by the pastor. The group will go on a masculine journey in understanding the six stages of manhood based on biblical teachings: Adam: The Noble Savage; Zakar: The Phallic Taskmaster; Gibbor: The Warrior Hero; Enosh: The Wounded Male; Ish: The Mature/Reborn Man; Zaken: The Sage & Fulfilled Man.
Wednesdays 10 11am
Then there are learning opportunities for all ages! Children thru 6th grade Crafts, music and prayer for children Led by Kris Beezer and Lori Tomko Teens Who is Jesus? Exploring the many facets of Jesus Christ: Jesus the man, Jesus the Lord, Jesus the Servant, Jesus the King, Jesus the High Priest. Led by Jay Downes Adults A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent For women only. Led by Cathie Thomas The Blessing -- Giving the gift of Love and Unconditional Acceptance Led by Barbara Whitcher Prayer Shawl Knitting come and learn the basics. Led by Joyce Hills
DEACONS ORDAINED TO NEW MINISTRIES Kris Beezer, Judy Gardiner, Leigh Gesick, Bob Jensen, Bob Meyer, Pat Moore, Jim Platt and Kathy Sugland were ordained and commissioned to special ministries based on their spiritual gifts and Calling on Sunday, January 29 at the 10:00 service of worship. The process of training and ordaining Deacons in the local church for specific ministries is a retrieval of the biblical office of Deacon as described in Acts 6, where disciples were chosen to fulfill ministries beyond the preaching ministry of the Apostles. Pastor and Deacons became partners in the ministry of the church, especially the free church of the Protestant Tradition of which Congregational Churches were a part. But over time and by the 20th Century the role and function of Deacons deteriorated to a simple board or committee of volunteers with many functions but without training or knowledge. The recovery of the Office of Deacon was the doctoral thesis of our pastor and was published among best practices in Encouraging Excellence by the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ in 2004.
Baptisms
Families seeking the Baptism of their children are encouraged to contact the Pastor and arrange a mutually agreeable Sunday worship for this sacrament. Baptisms take place within the context of the community of faith; as it is into the Body of Christ, the Church, the child is baptized. Baptism is an outward and visible sign of the grace of God which is Gods desire to save us from all evil and to reconcile us to Gods self. By this act parents covenant with the church to raise their child in the Christian faith.
From: HOPE PARTNERSHIP For Affordable Housing Thank you so much for sending us your congregations generous Christmas Eve Offering. With Ferry Crossing months away from occupancy, we have over 100 families requesting applications for just 16 units. We are reminded that we have a lot of work to do. Your churchs $1393.00 donation will certainly help HOPE make a difference in the lives of many.
Barbara Whitcher reporting for the Communications Team reminded teams of the importance of keeping the congregation informed of events and activities. Ann Gamble will post information on the church website, and Sue Liberty will make posters for the Connector bulletin boards.
2.
The withdrawal policy states that no more than 25% of the annual withdrawal can be used to balance the annual operating budget. The remaining 75% of the withdrawal would be used to support ministry and mission projects nominated by members and approved by the congregation.
Hospitality
If you would like to help bake or serve during Coffee Hour please contact Liz Cairns (860-388-6122) emcrjc2@aol.com, or Katie Gesick (860-395-0181) katie.gesick@att.net
February 5th
Come to our Souper Bowl Cook off and buy something to take home for the Super Bowl Kick off! 11:15am in the Fellowship Hall Come and enjoy a variety of homemade chowders/chilis/soups. Only $1 a taste, $6 for a container to go. Lunch will be provided for children. Desserts and beverages will be available. Vote for your favorite!
Senior Choir
"Calling all Singers"
We always want new members, but we're happy to include those who just want to do something special to mark the Easter holiday. As long as there is sufficient rehearsal participation, anyone who wants to sing in any of the Easter services is welcome. Lolly Bassett
The 17 Mission Trip teens and their parents have been busy raising the necessary funds to drive to Philadelphia this June. With your support, we have raised approx. $2000 so far! You will see from our LOVE graphic in the connector, that we are closer and closer to reaching our goal!
Join us Sunday February 26th after worship as the Mission Trip teens and parents prepare and serve you a delicious breakfast to kick-off the 2012 Stewardship Campaign. Watch a slide show of last years mission trip to North Carolina while enjoying cinnamon swirl French toast, ham, eggs. Tickets will be available in the Connector on Sundays Feb 12th and 19th. Please purchase tickets in advance if possible. $7 adults, teens & tweens; $3 children.
Dan S, Maizie and Jillian work together making pizza at the last Jr Sr High activity!
Upcoming Jr & Sr High activities include: Sunday February 19th, 4:30-6pm in Fellowship Hall Those who cannot hear a shout may strain to hear a whisper." All Jr & Sr High teens are encouraged to come and find out way Jay is quoting Leonard Nemoy - SPOCK! Wednesdays in March 6-7:30pm Lent Series Jesus the Man, Jesus the Lord, Jesus the Servant, Jesus the King, Jesus the High Priest Sunday March 18th, 6-7:30pm MANDATORY Mission Trip Prep meeting
Childrens Ed Team
This quarter, the children in grades 1 6 will have more of a chance to delve into their bible lesson. On 1/22, the children started going directly to their classrooms when leaving the worship service. This allows them to enjoy age-specific activities and spend more time learning. We are asking parents to pick up their children in their classrooms at the close of the service. With Bill Giffords retirement and the present shortage of assistant teachers, we are unable to monitor the length of the service and hope you will assist us in meeting your children at the classrooms. We have also started a classroom helper sign up for each classroom. Please select a Sunday that you can commit to helping in the classroom. No preparation necessary.
Winter blues setting in? Think warm think sun think deep blue sea. This years Vacation Bible Schools theme is Operation Overboard. Join the VBS team and help plan this fun July event. Feeling crafty? We will be putting our heads together in February and using the cold gray months of winter to prepare the decorations that will transform the church into an underwater oasis.
Frank Runyeon will provide a spell binding performance of the Gospel of Mark as part of our worship service to start our Lenten journey. Take a brochure and pass it along to someone you think would be interested. If you would like to be a financial sponsor of this program, please leave your check in the Church Office noting that the donation is for the Gospel of Mark performance. Thank you! _____________ Studies! Time to sign up for Lenten Studies!
Preview the Books in the Connector and sign up for the Lenten Study that interests you. The studies on A Clearing Season and The Blessing require us to order books, so please sign up by February 5th to make sure that we can get the books on time. Sundays 11:30 am 12:30pm starts on February 26th : "A Father's Legacy: Understanding the Six Stages of Fatherhood" - led by Pastor Whitcher for men only ABBA - A Basic Bible for Adults - A survey of the books of the Bible covering major stories and themes. Informal discussion format. Weeks 1 and 2 Survey of Old
Testament Books. Weeks 3 and 4 Survey of New Testament Books. Week 5 Tie it all together. led by Bob Meyer open to all Mondays 10 11am for women only starts February 27th A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent Come and clear a space for God in your heart. Led by Barbara Whitcher Wednesday 6:30 7:30pm starts February 29th A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent For women only. Led by Cathie Thomas The Blessing Led by Barbara Whitcher open to all
Let this Lenten Breakfast be the dawn of a new day in your prayer life! See you there!
Name_____________________________________________________________________ Email Address_____________________________________________________________ Please print clearly! We want to be able to contact you!
Photos Needed!
Do you have photos of our church events? We would love to include them in our communications. If you have photos of church events one photo per event please - email them as follows! Lane Bolton for the Tower- fcofchrist@snet.net Ann Gamble for our website- anngamble@sbcglobal.net Kristin DeCapua for our Facebook page kbd388@comcast.net
First Church Book Group will meet on Monday, February 27th at 2 pm in the connector. Our Book to discuss is "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. This is available at Acton library or in paperback. New members are always welcome! March: "A Covert Affair: Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS" By Jennet Conant
Please See Below: The Date of the CROP Walk Has Changed
Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries and World Hunger Relief through Church World Service
Help us fight hunger in the Valley Shore and Around the World Recruit or Join a Team, Walk Alone, or Walk in Spirit
For more information PLEASE contact: Dorothy Nesbitt Email - oscropwalk2011@yahoo.com or Telephone - 860-395-1583.
TRUSTEES GROUP
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees hopes that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that 2012 brings happiness and success to all members of First Church. Trustees have been very busy lately. Members of the Board have been working extremely hard to search for a new CE Minister, update and revise the Church Office Assistant position, review and finalize a Safe Church Policy, develop an Internet/WiFi policy, transfer church investments to an investment manager, establish endowment fund policies, update and upgrade our waste disposal contract to both save money and include recycling pick-up, and start initial budget discussions. However, one of the most important upgrades that Trustees has made is with regards to cleaning services. The church used to be cleaned once a week on Monday evenings. For many, this was insufficient and many people were embarrassed as to the cleanliness of the facilities. With the retiring of Bill Gifford, the church was at a crossroads. Instead of immediately going out to find and hire a new sexton, the Trustees thought it would better serve the church to re-evaluate the sextons duties and search for a new candidate once the job description has been reviewed and updated to a position that better fits the needs of First Church. That process is on-going. On the other hand, the Board found it desirable to increase the responsibilities of the cleaning service that we already employ. Their services will now include: two full-scale cleanings a week (once after service on Sunday and another on Friday), each evening will include emptying of waste baskets and cleaning of window sills and ledges, and all doors and windows to be closed and locked and lights turned off each night. This is a two-fold benefit for the church and its members. Not only will congregants have a cleaner, more user-friendly environment, but there is a substantial savings with the combined services of the cleaning company. Next month will begin budget deliberations and we will be looking for group leaders to meet with their teams and bring recommended group budgets to Trustees. These budgets will be the teams and groups responsibilities for developing and the Trustees hope that all groups understand that we can do only so much as the church is willing to afford. As always, please come and speak with any of the Trustees on any issue of concern and it will be rightly discussed at the next meeting. Again, Trustee meetings are on the second Monday of each month if you are interested in attending. Please come and make your concerns known. Sincerely, Derrik M. Kennedy
Legacy Team
Our Legacy Fund received a big boost at the recent church meeting when the congregation voted to support the limited withdrawal proposal from the Trustees. This will allow us to use some of the fund each year without reducing the principal, thereby ensuring continuation of the fund into the indefinite future. Annual withdrawals will be used to fund items not in our regular budget, thereby opening up a new avenue for ministry and mission here at First Church. A special team will be formed to collect and propose ideas for using this new resource. Each years proposal will be presented to the congregation at the annual budget meeting. Glenn DeVan Legacy Team
Stewardship Team
SURVEY RESULTS
The following survey was made available through the church TOWER and for two Sundays in the worship bulletin. Below are the raw figures that combine the degrees of Agreement and Disagreement. Neutrals and blanks are generally disregarded unless commented upon below. The results are based on 50 returns.
4.
45
5.
41
6.
46
7. 8.
43 44
4 1
9. 10.
44 46
1 2
11.
33
12
12.
43
43 41 44
3 3 1
16.
47
17.
41
Volunteers Needed to Work in the Office Lane Bolton will be on vacation March 5 through 9. Please call the office if you would like to help one day that week, Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, 9am 1pm (we have people for Tuesday and Friday). Greet people, answer the phone, check email, open/distribute mail.
Grateful thanks to Terry Shuttleworth, Barbara Downie, and Suzanne Otto for preparing the Tower for mailing. Articles for the March TOWER must be submitted to the Church Office no later than February 22. Thank you.
Sign up for email! Receive the Tower by email and help save on paper and postage costs! It is a Word document, in a PDF format, which is easy to download, it comes through instantly, and you can receive it when you are traveling wherever you are. Contact the Church Office and give it a try!
IF YOU NO LONGER WISH TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER, please ask to have your name removed by calling the church office or e-mailing us. This will save us postage and save you the inconvenience of receiving unwanted mail
Church Staff
The Rev. Dr. Craig M. Whitcher, Senior Pastor Jay Downes, Director of Teen Ministry Lolly Bassett, Choir Director and Organist Lane Bolton, Church Administrative Assistant Lori Tomko and Kris Beezer, Co-Directors Childrens Ministries Leigh Gesick, Treasurer and Director of Handbell Choirs Ken Hartley, Financial Assistant Bill Gifford, Sexton Lori Tomko, Christian Education Music Director
FEBRUARY 2012
Sunday Monday Tuesday
1 10:00 Prayer Shawl Ministry 12:15 Alanon
Wednesday
Thursday
2 W Watchers: 9:30 , 11:00, 6:00 12:30 Bridge 6:00 Breast Cancer 7:00 Choir 7:00 Search 7:30 Narcotics 8:00 Alanon 9 W Watchers: 9:30 , 11:00, 6:00 12:30 Bridge 7:00 Choir 7:00 Scouts 7:00 Search 7:30 Narcotics 8:00 Alanon 16 W Watchers: 9:30 , 11:00, 6:00 12:30 Bridge 6:00 Breast Cancer 7:00 Choir 7:00 Search 7:30 Narcotics 8:00 Alanon 23 W Watchers: 9:30 , 11:00, 6:00 12:30 Bridge 7:00 Choir 7:00 Search 7:30 Narcotics 8:00 Alanon 3
Friday
Saturday
4 8:00 WWatchers 9:30 WWatchers
5 10:00 Worship Boy Scout Sunday 11:00 Lay Readers Mtg. 11:15 Chowder/ Chili/Soup Cookoff
6 8:00 Heat n EatCooking 9:00 SSKP 1:00 Heat n EatPackaging 3:00 SSKP 3:30 Bible Explorers 7:00 Stewardship 13 8:00 Heat n EatCooking 1:00 Heat n EatPackaging 3:30 Bible Explorers 4:15 Scouts 7:00 Trustees 20 8:00 Heat n EatCooking 1:00 Heat n EatPackaging 3:30 Bible Explorers
7 1:00 SSKP 3:00 Food Pantry 5:00 WWatchers 6:00 Scouts 6:30 Bell Choir 7:00 & 8:00 Alanon 7:30 Narcotics 14 3:00 Food Pantry 5:00 W Watchers 5:00 Scouts 6:30 Bell Choir 7:00 & 8:00 Alanon 7:30 Narcotics
8 12:15 Alanon Lunch 6:00 Cub Scouts 7:00 Teen Ministry 7:00 Steering Committee 15 10:00 Prayer Shawl Ministry 12:15 Alanon Lunch 5:30 Scouts
10
17
19 10:00 Worship Mardis Gras Sunday AFRAID! Gospel of Mark, Frank RunyeonSanctuary 11:15 Blair Team 4:30 JR Sr Hi Fellowship 26 10:00 Worship 11:15 All Church Breakfast 11:30 Adult Classes: - A Fathers Legacy Understanding the Six Stages of Fatherhood - ABBA
21 3:00 Food Pantry 5:00 W Watchers 5:00 Girl Scouts 6:30 Bell Choir 7:00 & 8:00 -Alanon 7:30 Narcotics
22 ASH WEDNESDAY 10:00 Prayer Shawl Ministry 12:00 Healing Service 12:15 Alanon 7:00 Healing Service 29 10:00 Prayer Shawl 12:15 Alanon 6:00 Lenten Supper and Classes
24
27 8:00 Heat n Eat10:00 Womens Study: A Clearing Season 1:00 Heat n EatPackaging 2:00 Book Group 3:30 Bible Explorers
28 9:30 Crafters 3:00 Food Pantry 5:00 W Watchers 6:30 Bell Choir 7:00 & 8:00 -Alanon 7:30 Narcotics