The Evangel The Congregational Church of Westborough, United Church of Christ Westborough Massachusetts "Open Doors - Growing Faith!

Transcription

1 The Evangel The Congregational Church of Westborough, United Church of Christ Westborough Massachusetts "Open Doors - Growing Faith!" Volume 38, Issue 8 October 24, 2018 WORSHIP SCHEDULE All of our Sunday services are at 10 AM, and there is nursery care and Faith Formation for kids up through the 8 th grade. The kids are in church for the first 10 minutes or so, and then they go to their special session. Everyone is invited to join us for coffee hour after the service downstairs in the vestry (or fellowship hall)! SUNDAY, NOV 4 TH STEWARDSHIP-COMMUNION SUNDAY NEW MEMBERS GREAT PIE CHALLENGE BEGINS! We will celebrate the Sacrament of Communion together today, and also bring our pledge cards forward before God as an act of our faith. We will also welcome Andrew and Jennifer Parent as new members in our church. Pastor Paul will be preaching on the ninth commandment, not bearing false witness against your neighbor. Our kids and youth will be starting to make their pies! SUNDAY, NOV 11 TH PASTOR PAUL S FINAL SUNDAY VETERANS SUNDAY We will honor our veterans today, and also have a chance to say goodbye to Pastor Paul and Irene. Our area minister, Kelly Gallagher will be with us as we do that. Pastor Paul will be preaching on the tenth and last commandment, about not coveting, as he gives thanks for our church in his life. SUNDAY, NOV 18 TH WELCOME TO OUR NEW INTERIM! THANKSGIVING SUNDAY PIES AVAILABLE FOR SALE! We will be welcoming our new interim this morning! The pies from the Great Pie Challenge will also be for sale downstairs during coffeehour on this Thanksgiving Sunday. TUESDAY, NOV 20 TH INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING COMMUNITY SERVICE 7:30PM The service this year will be at the Methodist church in Westborough. SUNDAY, NOV 25 TH Rev. Elaine S. Gaetani will be preaching today on this final Sunday before the season of Advent. PASTOR S COLUMN Friends, we have a special opportunity this first Sunday of November and during the rest of the month to please God in our lives. This is Stewardship Sunday, a Sunday and a season when we seek to put God first in our finances. As many of you know, we have been looking at the Ten Commandments in church this fall. We know that God said to us that we shall have no other gods before our God, and that we are not to worship any other idols. We know how easily money and the storing up of money can become an idol in our lives. So may this Stewardship time be a time when we consciously put God ahead of our money by giving some of it away. We know from Scripture how this pleases God! As we all know, our church is going through a big change. It is a time of uncertainty about the future, and it is also a time of new possibility. I encourage you if you are able to step up your giving, so as to help our church during this time, and to enable us to be ready for what the future might bring. With gratitude for each and every one of you, Regular Office Hours Monday - closed Tues & Wed, 9am 2pm, Thurs 10am 2pm Friday 9am 1pm Faithfully yours, Pastor Paul PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO JOIN US HERE FOR WORSHIP!

2 PRAYERS & CELEBRATIONS Bereavement: Marge Butcher and family as they grieve the loss of her daughter Donna Donovan. New Prayers: Pray for Cathie Achorn for a successful knee surgery on Oct. 29. Continued Prayers: Cathie Achorn s sister Linda Polatka; Jeffrey Bramley; Dick & Linda Birch; Donna Donovan (Marge Butcher s daughter); Anna Gavel; Paul Nauman (son-in-law of Norma Powell); Ron and Nancy Clark s daughter Melissa Dickinson. Praise: Cathie Achorn s friend Pari is doing better everyday thanks to our prayers; her cancer is in remission. Thank you prayer warriors! Beaumont: Carroll Hoffman Kindred Health Care: Bea Ladner You can place prayer concerns on the church s distribution list at eprayers@uccwestboro.org. To add or renew an ongoing concern, please call the church office or westboroucc@verizon.net STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY NOV 4 th The Stewardship Committee wants you to know that your support for fiscal year 2019 is crucial to fulfilling our mission projects and providing a nurturing environment in which to worship and teach our children the good news of the Bible. Pledging allows us to plan for the coming year and to execute that plan. Let s show our staff our appreciation for all they do while we prepare to welcome an Interim Minister. As has been our past practice over the last few years, we will be asking you to bring your pledge forward during the service so that the congregation can celebrate everyone s participation. Fiscal 2019 will present challenges as always, but we know that you and your family will support us to the level you deem appropriate. Your Stewardship Committee, Patty Wyner, Chair Neil Bock Nancy Hubbard Please join us for our farewell supper with Pastor Paul and Irene on Saturday, November 10th in the vestry at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $25 for 18 years old & older/$10 for under 18 years old. Reservations must be made by November so that we can guarantee the number with our caterer, Napoli of Shrewsbury. Checks can be dropped off or mailed to our church office, or Please find a member of the PPRC in the vestry after worship. Questions? Please speak to, call, or a member of Pastor Paul s PPRC: Jim Brown, Ed Wong, Brenda Lord, Patty Wyner, Joan Truesdell We hope to see everyone there! SMALL GROUP OFFERINGS Sunday Sermon Scripture Bible Study: Join us every Sunday morning at 9-9:30am in the chapel as we look at the sermon Scripture of the day. We always have a great discussion. Come to The Well : This fall, a new experience has come to the Congregational Church of Westborough. Each Wednesday, join us at The Well, for worship, reflection, conversation, and study in a relaxed environment designed for mid-week spiritual refreshment. We will gather on Wednesday nights at 7:30 pm in the chapel. There will be contemplative worship, Bible study, and deep conversation, clear and cool and refreshing enough to get you through the rest of the week. Come thirsty and drink deeply. The Well is facilitated by Pastoral Associate, Pete Graham. 2

3 63 rd EVERGREEN FAIR Our 63 rd annual Evergreen Fair will take place on Saturday, Dec.1 st form 9AM-3PM. We are looking for many elves to help in many areas. No experience necessary! Please see the attached wish list at the back of the newsletter to see how you can help. WOMEN S FELLOWSHIP Monday, November 5, 2018 Inspirational Program Open to Everyone Men, Women, Teens ~ Bring a friend. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Women s Fellowship November Program 6:00 Social Time and Refreshments in Vestry 6:30 Meeting (to make plans for the Fair) 7:00-Program Come join us to listen to Biblical storyteller Rev. Cindy Maybeck present a program of inspirational stories. The greatest stories ever told are the ones in which God s call becomes manifest in our human lives. Rev. Maybeck will tell biblical stories of God calling prophets and apostles alongside personal stories of God s call of ordinary people. When we hear inspirational stories, we are move to tell our own stories and to reflect on how God may be calling us serve more fully in daily life. Contact Nancy Gage for Questions at ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Looking Ahead: Don t miss the next Women s Fellowship meeting on Monday Dec. 5 th at 6:30pm. We will have our Yankee Swap. "...Being of sound mind and body..." Does this apply to you? If so please read on! By design, the expanded Sanctuary sound system has a "set it and forget it" feature that sets up the microphones and sound levels for very basic use. However, to optimally match the growing variety of musical and spoken contributions to our worship services, some tailoring and management of the system during the services better serves the congregation. I would like to form a small group from the church community to gain familiarity with the sound system and, on a rotating basis, assist the congregation during services by monitoring and adjusting the system. If you are such a "being of sound mind and body," please contact me. Thanks. Tom Morgan tomteck@aol.com CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FAITH FORMATION IN NOVEMBER It s that time of year It s The Great Pie Challenge! 2018 is our 5th year supporting The Curtis Family Thanksgiving. Over the years we have donated over 700 apple and pumpkin pies! Every pie made from scratch, both crust and filling. All 700+ pies were made with donated ingredients. All 700+ pies were made by volunteers ranging in ages from 3 years to 80+ years! All done within 2 Sunday mornings by 1 congregation, 1 congregation moved by the Holy Spirit and the desire to serve. This annual challenge is something that we can all look forward to achieving together! Please join us in any way that you feel moved to. If you would like to donate ingredients, we will be collecting APPLES, FLOUR, BUTTER, SUGAR & CANNED PUMPKIN PIE FILLING. You can also 3

4 donate a STOP&SHOP GROCERY CARD. Purchase your grocery cards at coffee hour from our Missions table - double your giving - and we can pick up exactly what we need! If you would like to volunteer your time & talents with pie making, join us on November 4th and 11th from 10-noon. You can also support this mission by purchasing pies at The Great Pie Sale on Thanksgiving Sunday during coffee hour. Plan on getting your homemade holiday pies from us! This year s Great Pie Sale proceeds will be donated to the Women s Fellowship, for their kitchen renovation project. Let s come together this Thanksgiving, as a congregation to Love, Serve, Repeat! MISSION TRIP 2020 The Mission Trip Planning Team had their first meeting in October. We had some great ideas and interesting options! We re continuing our follow up research and will meet again on Sunday, November 4th at NOON. GROCERY CARD SALES How can you get involved? 1. Help prepare a meal for 15 to 20 people. 2. Donate a grocery card that can be used to help shop for food. 3. Come along and join us as we share great food and fellowship with the residents! For more information please contact Karen Hutchinson at , millarhutch@aol.com or chat with her during fellowship hour! CHANGE OF ADDRESS Tracy Owens Meeting House Rd Carmel, IN Chris & Lori Fox 19 Eileen Ave. Clinton, MA Amanda Borglund 3A Merritt Ave. Shrewsbury, MA Marlene Zabrecky 424 W. Mountain Rd. Ridgefield, CT Grocery Shoppers: Be sure to have a grocery card in your pocket for those last minute items at Stop & Shop, Roche Bros, and Price Chopper. Purchase a grocery card on Sunday, stop by the Church office, or add your name to our delivery list. We ll be ready for you! Or contact Karen Hutchinson at or millarhutch@aol.com or Nancy Quimby at or nquimby11@gmail.com or Sally Petersen at sbpetersen4@gmail.com and MISSIONS DISMAS HOUSE DINNER Dinner with the residents at Dismas House is on the first Thursday of every month. Our next dinner will be Thursday, Nov. 1 st. 4 WORDS OF APPRECIATION On behalf of the Pastoral Counseling Centers of MA and the many folk it benefits, we give heartfelt thanks for your donation of $ this month. Mary Taber, Executive Director of PCC of MA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Congregation would like to thank Kathy and Paul Reynolds for their donation of three additional tables for the Vestry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you to Ric Plummer for the donation of an ipad for use with the Sanctuary sound system.

5 PCC of MA The Pastoral Counseling Centers of MA, with a main office at 7 Church Street, Westborough have a long history of providing counseling to all persons seeking healing, wholeness and renewal. We work with individuals, couples and families offering a holistic approach that focuses on all aspects of a person's life. We also offer several support groups including care-giving, divorce and mid-life groups. To inquire further, please call Mary Taber at # CONTACT INFORMATION Pastor Paul Sangree, Senior Pastor phsangree@gmail.com Rev Elaine S. Gaetani, Pastor of Spiritual Development revelaineg@aol.com Wendy Reardon, Director of Children s and Youth Ministry wendysreardon@yahoo.com Joe Stillitano, Interim Minister of Music Josephmstillitano@gmail.com Sue Menzel, Handbell Director westcongmusic@gmail.com Peter Graham, Pastoral Associate petegrahamiam@icloud.com Church Office Phone 508/ General Church WestboroUCC@Verizon.net Church web site 5

6 The Evergreen Fair will be Saturday, Dec. 1st at 9AM-3PM Please we need help. What can you do to help out the Evergreen Fair? NOW: Make craft items, donate jewelry, donate silent auction items and gift certificates, clean out your attic or garage and save items until Nov.19th before the fair. 1. Sign up to help on the big poster in the library. 2. Sign up to bake for the bake table or pies for the luncheon 3. Donate items that can be put in gift baskets. Gifts for men are needed (auto items, flashlights, etc.), for pets (toys, bones, treats), toiletry items, kitchen items, candles, candy, coffee mugs, notepads, baby toys, children s toys, etc. If you have a question ask Linda Borglund, Sandy Horton or Cathie Achorn. 4. Come to the church between 10 AM and 9PM on Nov.26-Nov.30 Nov.30 and we will have plenty of things for you to do. Especially need people to help put up tables, help with food prep, and to help with the greens. 5. Come decorate wreaths, put hangers on wreaths, make green arrangements, set up rooms 6. Help make gift baskets Nov Donate handmade ornaments, crocheted, knitted, sewn items for us to sell 8. Donate used jewelry or slightly used items for sale at the Jewelry Table 9. Donate items, tickets, gift cards, themed baskets, etc. for the Silent Auction room. Talk to Suzanne Arpante if you have questions 10. Donate items for Grandma s Elite or Upper Attic. Nice items, new items, antique items, paintings, etc. Drop off after Nov.19 in the chapel 11. Help needed on Sunday, November 25th Bring items over from the garage and down from the attic Set up tables in the Vestry for the wreath decorating Help unload the wreaths from the truck after church on Sunday and spray them before taking them down to the cellar of the church. Many hands are needed this day 12. Check with Linda Borglund to find what can be done Nov We will be setting up the chapel early for Grandma s Attic 13. Help by putting posters up at libraries, business etc. 14. Play a musical instrument or sing carols in the hall while the fair is going on. 15. Tell your friends about the fair. 16. Be a greeter and welcome everyone as they come in the door with a chart of the fair tables 17. Pray that we will have much fellowship, a successful fair and fun fair. 18. Someone to help decorate the Vestry starting Monday,Nov For information contact by call or text: Cathie Achorn- (508) , Sandy Horton (508) or Linda Borglund

7 ~ November 2018 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 3 BSA & GSA Scouts PPRC - Pastor Parish Relations Committee TPC - Teaching Parish Committee PCC Pastoral Counseling Center FOC Financial Oversight Choir Rehearsals: Sundays: 11:30 K 8 th grade Children s Bells & Chimes Tuesdays: 7:00 Festival Ringers Wednesdays: 3:30 Journey Home Singers & 6:30 Chancel Choir & 7:30 JoySpring 1 9am Playgroup/Nursery 2:30 PCC/F.F. 6- BSA Pot Luck/Court of Honor/Vestry & Sanctuary Dismas House Dinner 12:30 PCC/F. Forbes Rm REMEMBER TO TURN CLOCKS BACK 1 HOUR 4 STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY NEW MEMBERS JOIN 9am Bible Study/Chapel 10- Worship & Faith Formation 11:30 Deacons/Kerygma 2:30 GSA/Vestry & 5:30 GSA/Vestry 5 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED 6- Women's Fellowship/Vestry 7:30 AA/Nursery Whitney Place Service 10:30 Beaumont Service 11:15 Willow's Communion 7 10:30 Staff Meeting 7:30 "The Well"/Chapel 8 9am Playgroup/Nursery 2:30 PCC/F.F. 4:30 GSA/Vestry pm Farewell Dinner for Pastor Paul & Irene 11 Veteran s Sunday 9am Bible Study/Chapel 10- Worship & Faith Formation 5:30 GSA/Vestry 12 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED 7:30 AA/Nursery 7:30 Troop Comm/Kerygma Trustees/Kerygma pm Westborough Garden Club/Vestry 7:30 "The Well"/Chapel 15 9am Playgroup/Nursery 2:30 PCC/F.F. 4:30 GSA/Vestry am Flower Comm. decorates Sanctuary Ornament Wreath Workshop/Vestry 9am Weaver's Guild/Vestry, Kerygma, classrooms, Chapel 18 9am Bible Study/Chapel 10- Worship & Faith Formation 11:15 Music Commmittee 2:30 GSA/Vestry 5:30 GSA/Vestry 6:30 GSA/Kerygma 19 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED 6:30 BSA Pack/Vestry 7- Mission Committee/Kerygma 7:30 AA/Nursery EVANGEL DEADLINE 10:30 Staff Meeting Chapel in use for Fair preparations 7:30 Interfaith Thanksgiving Service/Methodist Church Chapel in use for Fair preparations 25CONFIRMATION SUNDAY 9am Bible Study/Chapel 10- Worship & Faith Formation 26 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED 7:30 AA/Nursery EVANGEL PUBLISHED 7:30 "The Well"/Chapel 29 2:30 PCC/F.F. 30 ALL CHURCH ROOMS IN USE FOR FAIR PREPARATIONS 7

8 The Congregational Church of Westborough United Church of Christ NON-PROFIT ORG. 57 West Main St. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Westborough, MA WESTBOROUGH, MA Change Service Requested PERMIT NO. 37 8