T H E B E A C O N. Visit our web site: OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 a.m. 4:00 p.m. First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ

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1 First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ T H E B E A C O N N O V E M B E R 2 3, Deadline for the next BEACON is Friday, December 5, 2014 Send entries to beacon@fccucc.org L o o k i n g A h e a d i n W o r s h i p PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE For those who live without sufficient food, water, shelter, or safety; for veterans and those in active service; for peace and peacemakers; for areas in strife around the world. Prayers for Patrick Miller, son of Carole and Walter Jellison, who is at Brighton Rehabilitation Hospital; Prayers for Chris Dow, who continues to recover from surgery; Prayers for Betsy and Dan Cummings, as Betsey s treatment continues; Prayers for Richard Kelley and Family, as Mary passed away on Nov. 19. November 30 First Sunday of Advent 8:30 a.m. Chapel Worship 10:00 a.m. Sanctuary Worship with Meetinghouse Choir and Sunday School. Bob Morse will give the message. Fellowship time and Advent wreath making follow in Guptill Hall. December 7 Second Sunday of Advent 8:30 a.m. Chapel Worship with Communion 10:00 a.m. Sanctuary Worship with Communion, Meetinghouse Choir and Sunday School. Cindy Maddox will give the message. Fellowship time and Kid s Quarter Store follows in Guptill Hall. December 14 Third Sunday of Advent 8:30 a.m. Chapel Worship 10:00 a.m. Sanctuary Worship with Meetinghouse Choir, Children s Choir and Sunday School. Cindy Maddox will give the message. Fellowship time follows in Wright Pavilion. 5:30 p.m. Advent Vespers December 21 Fourth Sunday of Advent 8:30 a.m. Chapel Worship 10:00 a.m. Sanctuary Worship with Meetinghouse Choir and Children s Pageant. Fellowship time and Eskimo s Cookie and Fudge Sale follow in Guptill Hall. 4:00 p.m. Blue Christmas (Longest Night) Service 5:30 p.m. Christmas Caroling OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Visit our web site: Phone: Fax: office@fccucc.org

2 A NOTE FROM THE McCALLS Andrea and I left Boston on October 2, filled with excitement and gratitude as we began our longanticipated European adventure. Over the next 25 days we delighted in sights, sounds and experiences that reminded us of the rich variety of people and cultures and histories that seem distant yet familiar. And almost every day we thought of you who made this post-retirement honeymoon richer than it otherwise could have been by your gifts in June, We explored five countries, ten cities, (one currency, thank goodness), with hours of walking, plus travel on planes, high-speed trains, metros, vaporetti Venezia (boat-buses), ordinary buses, and the occasional taxi. We d prepared and dreamed for months, following the wisdom of travel guru Rick Steves to find a neighborhood and settle in, and imagined this might be the only such trip we d have. We hit the must see landmarks, cathedrals and museums, while quietly wondering exactly how many Botticellis are scattered across Europe. I won t bore you with too many details but maybe give you a flavor: Paris, Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples & Pompeii, and Athens. Louvre, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, D Orsay, Royal Palace, La Rambla, Vatican Museums, St. Peter s Basilica, Pantheon, Parthenon, Acropolis, Uffizi, Accademia, Borghese, Two days of rain, one unsettled, and more than twenty of sunshine and we packed for cool weather so it was off to buy some lighter shirts. A chance meeting in Pompeii when Andrea recognized a college classmate last seen 40 years ago in Florida! We returned home happy and weary, deeply grateful for our daily lives, for you, and for our world in all its rich diversity. Thank you, as always, for your loving and generous spirits that continue to bless so many. Gratefully, faithfully, John and Andrea KIDS QUARTER STORE The third annual Kids' Quarter Store will be open on Sunday, December 7 at 11:15 a.m., following church services. The sale takes place in Guptill Hall during coffee hour. We are currently looking for donations of items, as the sale last year was a near sell-out! Please grab a box and take a look around your home or work to see if there is anything you could donate. Children's items were in short supply last year and we want to encourage kids to give to their siblings and friends as well, so please keep that in mind. Mark your donations for the Quarter Store and drop them off at the church by Saturday, December 6. Thank you! COMMUNITY CRISIS MINISTRY PRESENTS FOR THE NEEDY Helpers are need to distribute the CCM presents on December 15, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. and December 17, from 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Please call the office to let Kathy know that you would like to help. Page 2

3 STEEPLE LIGHTING November 30 December 6 in loving memory of Wayne Lockwood, by Bruce, Ann, Rachel and Andrew Lockwood. Reservations for Steeple Lighting: Please call the office ( ). MEMORIAL/CELEBRATION FLOWERS November 30 in loving memory of Gordon Franklin Adams and Jeffrey Stephen Adams, from Gretchen Seavey Adams, the Cynthia Adams Blanchard Family, and the Robert Gordon Adams Family. Remember or celebrate a loved one with flowers on the altar. Please contact: Dana Wiggins danawig@gmail.com The Hilltop Guild will meet December 11, at 2:00 p.m. for dessert and coffee. Our guest speaker will be Kathy Sahrbeck who will speak to us about the Community Crisis Ministry. SENIOR ACTIVITIES. Thursday, December 4 SAGE meeting at 1:00 p.m. in 2nd/3rd grade classroom above the church office. If you need a ride, please contact Kathy Sahrbeck at , X.112. Sunday, December 7 After worship, at 11:30 a.m., we will travel to Yarmouth for lunch and a visit with the alpacas at Estabrook s Gardens. Wednesday, December 10 Join us for lunch at SMCC at noon. The cost is $16, which includes a four-course gourmet meal, tax and gratuities. You must R.S.V.P. by December 3. Thursday, December 18 The movie Frozen will be shown at 1:00 p.m. in Davidson Lounge. Thursday, January 8- SAGE meeting at 1:00 in 2nd/ 3 rd grade classroom above the church office. ESKIMO S MEETING WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 3, 6:00 ARE YOU ON FACEBOOK? If so, we need your help. 1) First, "Like" us and "Follow" us--which are two different actions, both important. 2) Whenever you see a post from the church, please like it or comment on it right away. The more interaction our posts receive, the more frequently they will appear in other people's newsfeeds. 3) Most weeks we will offer a "Leaning Toward Sunday" question late in the week, which asks for your thoughts on something coming in that week's sermon. Most Sundays we will post "Today at worship I heard..." and we invite you to fill in the blank with a thought from the sermon, a quote from one of the kids during children s time, something someone said to you that made you smile, or a line from the anthem you found meaningful. 4) Finally, "Check in" on Facebook when you come to worship on Sunday mornings. Why do we ask this of you? We are trying to increase our presence on social media. We want to interact more with you on a regular basis. We want to build relationships and community. We want to promote our church through free advertising. We want to reach people with the good news of grace. And we want to help you share your faith, which you can do subtly and easily by interacting on our page. If you have questions, see Cindy Maddox. Thanks for helping us increase our ministry outreach. Page 3

4 A CHILD S CHRISTMAS IN WALES and A CHRISTMAS MEMORY Local actors Claudia Hughes and David LaGraffe will present a reader's theatre performance of Dylan Thomas' time-honored "A CHILD S CHRISTMAS IN WALES and Truman Capote's "A CHRISTMAS MEMORY," a story describing Capote's boyhood Christmases in the American South. These costumed holiday classics are sure to transport the audience into two richlytextured experiences of Christmas in childhood. The performances will be held in the Sanctuary on Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. Admission at the door is $10 for adults and $5 for children. The performances are recommended for adults, and children eight years of age and older. SEWING FOR THE FOOD PANTRY Take part in an active and fun way to support folks who are in need. On Sunday, December 7, a member of the Mission Committee will have her sewing machine set up in Guptill Hall following the 10:00 a.m. service. Come on down to see how to construct a fabric shopping bag for our food pantry. Those of you with portable sewing machines are invited to come early to set up their machine. Patterns and fabric will be available for you to work on. Extra patterns will be there for anyone who wants to work at home on these designer shopping bags for the benefit of food pantry shoppers. ~ Jan Hamilton THE EMERGENCY FOOD PANTRY would like to thank you for your ongoing nonperishable donations of staples for needy families. Please keep thinking of our food pantry when you shop! The theme for December is Soup: It s starting to get cold! Let s make sure the kids have warm soup to eat when they come in from playing outside. The theme for January is Toiletries: Did you know that you can t buy many of these basic needs if you are using a government support program? How about throwing in some shampoo, toilet paper, or deodorant, toothpaste, and/or toothbrushes into your cart when you replenish your supply? DEDICATE A HYMNAL As we know, a church is much more than a building. The congregations, the people who participate in the life of the church are vital in creating a sense of community. When we use our hymnals we see dedications in many of them, remembering or honoring family members, friends, and groups. These add a very personal touch and help us to think about people we cherish. We also have many hymnals that do not include a dedication. This holiday season please consider making a lasting tribute to someone by personalizing a hymnal with a special dedication to remember, celebrate, or honor someone or something that is dear to your heart. Dedications may be made for $20 which helps to defray the cost of a hymnal and personalizes a hymnal with a special book plate tribute. Please contact the church office if you would like to make a special remembrance this year. Please call or the office to let us know if you have changed any directory information phone number, or home address. Thank you. THE BEACON can be delivered via and also viewed on our website ( Please let us know if you would like to help us cut paper costs and have The Beacon ed to you, instead of receiving a paper copy. Page 4

5 CHRISTMAS MEMORIAL POINSETTIAS Remember your loved ones and help decorate the Sanctuary with beautiful Christmas Memorial Poinsettias. The poinsettias are in six-inch pots, have five to eight blossoms, and are available in red or white. The cost is $11 for each plant. A list of the names for Memorial and Celebration Poinsettias will be included in the order of worship on Christmas Sunday, December 21. Please clearly print all information on the following form and mail or drop it off at the church office with your check, no later than Sunday, December 7. CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS I would like to order white, and/ or red poinsettias at $11 each, in Memory of Celebration of From (Name and Contact Information): I will pick up my poinsettia(s) on Christmas Eve following the: 5:00 p.m. service 7:00 p.m. service 10:00 p.m. service I will leave my poinsettia(s) as a gift to be delivered to our shut-ins. Total amount enclosed: $ Please return this form and payment to the church office by Sunday, December 7. Page 5

6 FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 301 Cottage Road South Portland, ME (207) Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Portland, ME Permit No. 944 Post Office Time Sensitive Newsletter