THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF DARIEN UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

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1 THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF DARIEN UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Parish Columns FEBRUARY 2015 Inside this issue: Call to the Annual Meeting 2 In Brief 2 Fat Sunday 3 FoodFirst Sunday 3 Soup or Bowl 4 Open Door Shelter 4 Outreach Open Door Shelter Evening Cooking 5 Yoga Class 5 Youth Group News 5 Confirmation Update 6 Church Calendar 7 Shelter From The Storm As I tap out these words, big lacey snowflakes are accumulating to a depth of well, we are not quite sure what. This morning one Church member forecasted eight inches, another 36. I got my errands finished and noticed society s usual behaviors before the elements descend on us. Haste.everyone was naturally in a big hurry. Fear as though we know this isn t the end of the world, but it might be. Hoarding getting more or crucial stuff, as though stuff can save us. Predictions we like to be on record as seeing it coming, whatever it is. Upon returning to Church, I was reminded of protocols we observe, whether it is Superstorm Sandy or a white-out. Maybe you noticed this in the mini-flash: our Church building is available as a sanctuary for anyone who needs shelter, to keep warm, or to prepare food. If you call the Church office, and the automated message comes up, you know we have power and heat. Those of us with power and heat should check on the well-being of neighboring elder Church friends. Let me take that a step further: if you take refuge here at Church, and need something, Cecile and I are right next door. And in emergency, you can always page me at I find power in our spiritual home, FCCD, as shelter in life s storms. Power, not only in being a real place of refuge but also powerful symbolism here. Consider Psalm : In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! First, God is our ultimate refuge, and Christ s church is God s extension of that. Would that we fortify ourselves with this consoling knowledge in our bosom rather waiting for fame, power, money, or family to exhaust themselves first. God is our first line of defense, not last. Second, the Psalmist asks not to be put to shame. He lived in a shame-based society. In some ways we ve moved beyond that, in others ways, not so much. Being able to hold one s head high in any society during any epoch has always been essential. To be declared dishonorable is almost worse than losing everything, for it represents a kind of death: the death of one s worth. We covered that two weeks ago, at Jesus baptism, declaring the belovedness of all God s own. Third, the Psalmist reminds us of that fancy theological words like salvation or redemption are really no more than God s rescue, deliverance, and protection. Human life is so vulnerable all of our lives that our exposure nearly defines us. We turn to God reflexively first, or ultimately, as other possibilities are exhausted, because God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. God is shelter from the storm. May our Church always gather us in and offer comfort to all.

2 Parish Columns Page 2 February 2015 THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF DARIEN 14 Brookside Road Darien, CT Phone: info@uccdarien.org Website: CLERGY AND STAFF Dale Rosenberger, Senior Minister DRosenberger@uccdarien.org Daniel Hague, Music Director DHague@uccdarien.org Max Pakhomov, Organist MPakhomov@uccdarien.org Dennis Hanlon, Church Administrator DHanlon@uccdarien.org Teri Manning, Nursery School Director fccns@sbcglobal.net Karen Hansen, Treasurer KHansen@uccdarien.org Kate Nelson, Church School Director KNelson@uccdarien.org Justin Inners, Youth Minister JInners@uccdarien.org Sally Bassler, Lay Minister of Pastoral Care sbassler13@gmail.com Marny Smith, Volunteer Office Staff Mondays, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Jerzy Karnowski, Nursery School Custodian PARISH COLUMNS STAFF Kathy Cramer, Editor Scott Berry, Communications Chair To submit information, send an to: ParishColumns@uccdarien.org SUNDAY SERVICES 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Church School and child care available during the 10:00 a.m. service CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Tuesday Friday, 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. A Call to the Annual Meeting You are hereby called to the Annual Meeting: Part I Finance of The First Congregational Church of Darien, United Church of Christ. This meeting is scheduled for Sunday, March 1, 2015 immediately following our 10:00 a.m. service of worship. The purpose of this Congregational meeting is to: * receive the 2014 financial reports. * receive the recommendations of Church Council for the 2015 budget. * address any other business or concern relating to the life of our Parish, which may properly be brought before the assembled Congregation. Childcare will be provided during the meeting. Constance Moore, Clerk In Brief...Church Announcements FCCD House Tour The FCCD House Tour will take place in June and Person-to-Person has been selected to be the recipient of the proceeds. Person-to-Person is very enthusiastic about the House Tour and has offered to help participate and market the event moving forward. We look forward to bringing you more information about the House Tour and how you can help get involved very soon. Please contact Heather Raker hraker@me.com or Karalesa DiFabrio karalesa@gmail.com for more information. Teens for Hire At long last, we have a Teens for Hire list available for all members looking for a babysitter, a pet sitter, or some yard or tech help. We ll be updating the list as additional teens come forward, but for now, if you are in need of help, contact Karen Brennan at KBrennan1567@gmail.com. Karen can supply you with cell phone information, s, and addresses, including elementary school districts so that you can plan your pick-ups and drop-offs accordingly. Happy 90th Birthday Georgie Brown! A small gathering of friends celebrated a milestone birthday for Georgie Brown in Parish Hall.

3 February 2015 Page 3 Parish Columns Please join the First Congregational Church of Darien for its: Jazz Fat Sunday Service Sunday, February 8 10:00 a.m. Mardi Gras Supper 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Come for the great jazz music at 10:00 a.m. and stay for our Mardi Gras celebration. All are welcome for this family-friendly event! Menu Compliments of Deacons & Women s Association Jambalaya, Étouffée, Chili and Soup Mini-Sandwiches Hotdogs and Chips King Cake All those attending are asked to bring a small side and/or contribute to the donation basket to offset event costs: Cheese & Crackers, Veggies & Humus, Salad, Cornbread, Cookies, or anything you want to share! RSVP via The Youth Group will be entertaining our youngest members with arts and crafts and carnival type games. First Congregational Church of Darien 14 Brookside Road, Darien FoodFirst FoodFirst FoodFirst Sunday Mark your calendars for February 1 and don t forget to pick something up at the grocery store to help the local food pantries. The items listed to the right are some suggestions of the foods that are most needed. With the record breaking cold, the pantries are in extra need of our help. Boxed mac and cheese Canned tuna fish Hot chocolate Canned Spagettios Sugar (boxes) Powdered milk/parmalat Small jars of pasta sauce Microwave popcorn Jelly Pasta Boxed pancake mix Boxed mashed potatoes Baked beans Syrup (8 oz size) Cooking oil(small) Chicken soup Cereals (sweet) Toothbrushes Rice (1 lb boxes) Oatmeal packets Toothpaste

4 Parish Columns Page 4 February 2015 Outreach Sponsors Soup or Bowl It s that time of year again! On February 1, take time out to tackle hunger by running back to the grocery store and touch down in the SOUP aisle. Kick-off your weekend with a pass through various shelves and recover a few cans for those in need. You won t get a penalty for not carrying a can or two because you can always bring cash for the BOWL. Our SOUP or BOWL event also coincides with FOOD FIRST so if soup isn t your thing, feel free to bring what you can for those in need. The clock is ticking and the play is on. February 1... don t wait for the flag! Open Door Shelter If interested, please contact Heather Raker at Hraker@me.com very fulfilling work for everyone involved. Thursday, February 12-8:00 a.m. cook at First Congregational Church in Darien Friday, February 13-11:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. serve at Open Door Shelter, 4 Merritt Street, South Norwalk. Christmas Collections of Joy: 2014 The Board of Outreach would like to thank the 18 Church members who took time out of their day to assist at the Open Door Shelter in the distribution of 150 Christmas Hams to those families in need. It was a great turn out, everyone was busy with smile on their face. Outreach would also like to thank all those who attended the Christmas Concert in mid-december of The recipient of the collection at the Concert was Inspirica. We were able to add $1,273 to our annual support. Last, a big thank you the Congregation and all of the visiting family and friends for their generosity towards the Christmas Eve Offering. This offering was split between the Church and The Shelter for the Homeless. FCCD provided an additional $2, to the shelter to assist in their mission work over the holidays. Dove Box Success The First Congregational Church of Darien was successful in delivering their promise to bring 71 Doves to the Stamford area in time for Christmas! With a big round of applause, Outreach would like to thank the Confirmation Team for the delivery of these gifts to two area shelters. Tracey Berry, member of Outreach said, Just think of the smiles the recipients of these treasures had on their faces and it will truly warm your heart. Agencies That We Support Please visit Parish Hall and look for the Outreach Bulletin Board where you can read up on the various Charities/Missions that we support as a Congregation.

5 February 2015 Page 5 Parish Columns Outreach Looking Ahead Open Door Shelter-Evening Cooking Returns The Board of Outreach is bringing back the evening cooking for those who can t make the day time hours. Thursday, March 5-6:30 p.m. Cook at First Congregational Church in Darien Friday, March 6-11:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Serve at Open Door Shelter, 4 Merritt Street, South Norwalk. If you would like to assist in this monthly effort (or just learn about it), please contact Heather Raker at HRaker@me.com Yoga for a Cause Board of Outreach Member, Wendy Mulligan has offered to hold Yoga/Meditation Class in the Circle Room in Parish Hall. Please be sure to bring friends and your own mats! Donations of any amount are welcome. The collection will be given to Person-to-Person s Fuel Bank to keep people warm this winter. Please contact Wendy Mulligan for more information, dates, and times available. She can be reached at wwmulligan@gmail.com. Youth Group News New Covenant House On Tuesday, February 10, 4:30-5:30 p.m. the Youth Group will be serving dinner at the New Covenant House in Stamford. We will depart from FCC at 4:10 and return by 6:00 p.m. If you plan to join, please sign up by sending an JInners@uccdarien.org. We would like one other additional adult chaperones to accompany Justin and the kids, so please let us know if you can assist. Youth Group Ski Trip Only a few spots remain for the Annual RoundHearth at Stowe Youth Group ski trip. The weekend is March 6-8 and includes transportation, lodging, lift tickets, and some meals. RoundHearth is dorm style bunk rooms and has plenty of amenities including games and an outdoor hot tub! To sign up for this trip, please contact Justin Inners, JInners@uccdarien.org. You will need a permission slip for you and any guests as well as a deposit check of $200 per person (non-refundable).

6 Parish Columns Page 6 February 2015 Confirmation in Full Swing The Confirmands kicked off the new year with two confirmation classes, an interfaith visit to St. Thomas More, and a fellowship event with the Youth Group. See pictures below of the group having fun with team building exercises, Minute To Win It style games, and a Find The Path Through The Maze puzzle. Looking ahead, the Confirmands have class on February 8, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. (note the new time) reviewing Chapters 24 and 26. The Confirmands are then invited to join in the Fat Sunday event, see page 3, and are encouraged to check off a service project by helping with the crafts for the children. Also on February 8, 9:00 to 9:20 p.m., the confirmands will visit St. Pauls on the Green in Norwalk for an interfaith visit of a different kind. This compline service is a contemplative service which is more of a meditative experience. It is candlelit and there is a choir singing chants. It is meant as a contemplative way to close the weekend and prepare for the week ahead. Early in March, on the 1st, the confirmands will have a class at 5:00 p.m. reviewing Chapter 14 and enjoying some pizza. Also, on March 8, the final interfaith visit is scheduled for Cavalry Baptist Church, 21 Concord St. in Norwalk, from 10:15-11:45 p.m. This is their youth led service and should be a great experience!

7 February 2015 Page 7 Parish Columns Church Calendar Notes February 1: FoodFirst FoodFirst FoodFirst, Meetinghouse Bring your items to Church to share with local food pantries. February 1: Soup or Bowl, Meetinghouse Outreach needs your help to sideline hunger this winter. February 1: Come As You Are Service, 4:30 p.m, Circle Room Don t miss the last Come As You Are Service in the pilot program. You will be home in plenty of time to catch the kick off of the Superbowl. February 8: Jazz Fat Sunday Service, 10:00 a.m., Meetinghouse Join us for Jazz Sunday, one service only, followed by a Fat Sunday supper in celebration of Mardi Gras! See page 3 for more information. February 12 and 13: Open Door Shelter Cooking/Serving, Church Kitchen and ODS Contact Heather Raker hraker@me.com if you d like to participate. March 1: Annual Meeting-Part I, 11th Hour, Meetinghouse Come hear the 2013 financial reports and receive the recommendations of Church Council for the 2015 budget. All are encouraged to attend. Childcare will be provided. THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF DARIEN UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 14 Brookside Road Darien, CT Phone: info@uccdarien.org Website: NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID DARIEN, CT PERMIT NO. 51