Meetinghouse Monthly

Transcription

1 Meetinghouse Monthly Volume 15/Number 5/May 2014 What s Coming Up in May Sunday, May 11 Music & Friendship Sunday Celebrating Music at First Church Sunday, May 18 Confirmation Sunday Welcoming the newest members of our Congregation. Sunday, May 25 Special Guest Preacher Rev. Sally Colegrove Wed, May 14 Women s Fellowship Luncheon 11:30 am in the Auditorium Monday, May 26 Memorial Day FCCOG giving out refreshments on Front Lawn at end of parade Looking Ahead June 1: Children s Sunday June 8: Heritage Sunday June 8: Congregational Mtg June 15: 1st Beach Service INSIDE THIS ISSUE Youth Groups in May...2 Speaking Pastorally...3 Musical Notes/Moms Group/CULF.4 Q & A about FCCOG...5 From the Parish Nurse Cemetery and Stained Glass Tours....7 Book Corner/Soup Kitchen Volunteers..8 Food Drive/May Assignments 9 Church School Church School (cont.)/volunteer Opp s...11 Church Mtg/Home Team/Confirmation..12 Women s Fellowship Preschool Summer Program...14 The Rummage Room.15 Administrators Day/Bible Study Birthdays/Life Events. 17 Annual Quilt Raffle Photo Gallery....19

2 SUNDAY, MAY 4 TH A DAY AT ADOPT-A-DOG Dogs are some of the most loyal and noble of God s creations, but many of them are without a loving home! Help us to give these pups some extra love! SUNDAY MAY 18 TH JPF MAYDAY! MAYDAY! Don t panic! Join us for a series of games in Binney Park that ll require you to keep your cool to succeed. Think you can handle it? SPF GUIDED MEDITATION Perhaps you re a huge fan of meditation, or perhaps you ve never done it before but have always wanted to try! Either way, tonight you ll get to experience both group meditation and private meditation as we explore its physical, mental, and spiritual healing properties. SATURDAY, MAY 24 TH A DAY IN THE CITY WITH SALLY COLEGROVE Sally Colegrove and her youth group are visiting from Maine for the weekend and have asked us to show them the best of New York for a day. Join us as we show them all a good time! Our to-do list includes: visiting the 9/11 Memorial, seeing a Broadway musical, and eating the best food New York has to offer! Have a question? Please Donald Haviland at donaldh@fccog.org. Or visit our website at 2 The Meetinghouse Monthly

3 Speaking Pastorally By: Rev. John Collins I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. ~ John 15:11 Dear Friends, As part of their ancient spiritual practice, the Navaho nation of Native Americans had a ritual chant that was used to celebrate the gift of life. They would point and say: Beauty Before Me Beauty Behind Me Beauty To My Left Beauty To My Right Beauty Below Me Beauty Above Me I Am On The Pollen Path Pollen coats the world in springtime and despite the allergy discomfort it can bring, pollen is absolutely crucial to life on our planet. Each tiny pollen grain is a miracle to contemplate, perfectly unique to its plant species and able to transform a flower into a seed-bearing fruit a delicious pear or Macintosh apple for instance. Each pollen grain has an intricate, one of a kind, geometric pattern that, under a microscope, looks like a golf ball or the Disney Epcot geosphere. Our lives depend on these tiny golf ball fruit makers. This is why the Navaho Pollen Path is really the path of the life force, the Divine Energy that gives life to all things. The Navaho ritual indicates that you are on the path of life when you are able to deeply appreciate the beauty around you. And, lucky us, May is a month in New England when beauty is pretty easy to see. Radiant daffodils and tulips, brilliantly green grass, forsythia, azalea, lilac and a thousand more all brought to life in astonishing beauty and fragrance! Jesus makes it clear that our experience of God is meant to be joyous. To rise from our bed each day intentionally looking for the beauty all around us is certainly a way to feel the joy of being alive. The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh actually hangs a small branch over his bed to remind him upon waking to begin the day looking for beauty. And being reminded is what we all need. Like yours, my life is often filled with an overload of stress and busyness. So I stop now and then to repeat the ancient Navaho chant as a way of reminding myself that beauty and joy are right in front of me. It helps to stop me, to refocus my mind and spirit. So this month I encourage you to hang a branch or do whatever you need to do to stop and pay attention, to look deeply for the wonder right here, right now. Put yourself on the Pollen Path. John The Meetinghouse Monthly 3

4 Musical Notes Music and Friendship Sunday is Mother s Day, May 11! This year, Music and Friendship Sunday will be slightly different than in the past. Our service will be a Festival of Hymns featuring many of your favorite hymns and some new ones you ll come away humming. Hal Hopson, a Dallas-based composer, has crafted a wonderful one-hour service which features 11 familiar hymns, including A Mighty Fortress, O God Our Help in Ages Past, Blessed Assurance and many others, all of which are preceded by a short visit from the composers themselves. Various congregation and choir members will be playing the parts of the composers and you ll learn a bit about their lives and how the music was born. Our Children s, Youth, Chancel, Palmer Handbells ensembles, and soloists, will bring the entire work to life on May 11. Join us after the service for a very festive Coffee Hour in the Memory Garden (weather-permitting), including our Music & Friendship Sunday tradition of croissants, strawberries and cream. Be sure to set aside this special morning of singing our faith. This service is highly-participatory, so make sure you invite all of your family, friends, and co-workers who love to sing. What better way to praise God than lifting our voices in song to the One who made each of us! For Moms of Very Young Children Join us in May If you have a baby, toddler and/or 2 year old, join us for an opportunity to meet and relax with other moms and their young kids. The group meets the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month (May 9 and 23 this month) from 9:30 10:30 am in Room104. For more information, contact Kristen Jacks at kmj33z@yahoo.com or call her at Last Call for THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY LOAN FUND (the "CULF") Please send in your application to: First Congregational Church of Greenwich 108 Sound Beach Avenue Old Greenwich, CT ATTN: CULF To ensure that you receive your loan proceeds in time for the Fall semester, we ask that you send in your loan application by the end of May. Application forms are available on the church website and in the Church Office. To access forms online, go to and click on the About Us tab on the homepage. Then scroll down to the College and University Loan Fund. Loan checks will be sent out in late July and early August. Good luck to all the students in the First Church family! 4 The Meetinghouse Monthly

5 Church Hall Meeting Highlights April 13, 2014 In the spirit of transparency and open communication, the lay leadership held the first Church Hall meeting of 2014 on April 13 in the Meetinghouse. The purpose of the meeting was to update the congregation on the progress from the First Church Alive initiative. As shared at the Annual Meeting, First Church Alive was focusing their efforts in two specific areas, Church Governance and Welcoming. Chris Cantwell is heading the Governance work group which is comprised of staff, clergy, current and former lay leaders, and congregants at large. This group is revisiting the recommendations from the Governance Task Force and is focusing on some of the more challenging areas noted by that group, including potential by-law changes that would affect the governance structure of First Church. No specific outline or recommendations were available at this point, but because of the magnitude it was felt it was important for everyone to know that this is being addressed. Kellie Norrgard spoke on behalf of the Welcoming Committee. She provided an outline of the possible recommendations for welcoming new members as well as current ones. Rick Derr provided us all with an update on the search for a new seated Senior Pastor. He indicated that the search was well underway and the Search Committee has been working through the applications and have begun interviewing candidates. Rick also made it clear that there is no way to tell how long the process will take. They have set no deadline for application submissions but the Search Committee is excited by the applications they have seen and look forward to winding up the process as soon as possible. The meeting continued with an open conversation about the proposed Alcohol Policy. There were several good questions and shared thoughts on how we should approach this policy and what message it could send. This policy conversation has just started and we would encourage you to share your input with either Elaine Teeters at JDTeeters@yahoo.com or David Alfano at David@AlfanoCPA.com. We also spoke about the completion of the 11 Forest renovations and that we now have the certificate of occupancy. Once again, Ben Menegon was thanked for volunteering his time and expertise on the project. Karen Pacent, current Trustee, mentioned that it would be wonderful to have a talents inventory of our church. Please Barbara Wilkov our Director of Communications at barbaraw@fccog.org with your contact information and area of expertise, if you are one of our congregants willing to donate your talents. Thank you to all who participated in the meeting. It was a wonderful chance to catch up on current events and to share fellowship time as we all work toward common goals. If you have any thoughts or ideas on any of the topics discussed please contact me at or me at david@alfanocpa.com. David Alfano, Board of Trustees Chair The Meetinghouse Monthly 5

6 From the Spotlight on Safety by Sue Asselin, RN One goal of the Wellness Committee is to enhance the safety of First Congregational Church members and visitors. Below is some useful information to do just that: Our automatic external defibrillator (AED) would be useless without the caring individuals who have volunteered to be trained in its use. We currently have more than 30 people certified in CPR which includes the AED training. As defibrillator site coordinator, I am responsible for keeping a record of individuals who are CPR/AED certified. If anyone keeps up a current certification, but gets training elsewhere, please kindly provide me with a copy of your certification card for the church records. AED Location: The AED is mounted on the wall in the hallway intersection just outside the Lounge door closest to the Meetinghouse. It is to the right of the liftovator. Anyone can assist by bringing it to the scene of an emergency. First Aid Kit Locations: There is a small kit mounted on the wall in the hallway leading from the rear of the Meetinghouse to the Auditorium. There is also a small kit in the office reception area in the corner near the mailboxes. Another small kit is in a labeled drawer in the main level kitchen. There is a larger kit located in Room 203 (just past the large kitchen on the main floor) on top of the filing cabinets. More kits are available for church-sponsored trips out of the building, and, with notice, I can ensure they are well stocked for your needs. Fire Extinguisher Locations: Several fire extinguishers are mounted on the walls in the kitchens, sanctuary and main hallways throughout the building. Try taking note of these on your next walk through the building. The Liftovator is in the rear of the Meetinghouse for anyone who may benefit from a lift for the halfflight up to the Auditorium level. Unless one uses it frequently, its peculiarities may take some practice to remember, so please don t hesitate to ask an usher for help or to ask me for an ascension demonstration any time. Wheel Chairs Locations: We have two wheel chairs. One is located in the Meetinghouse coat closet just off the Narthex. The other is in Room 203, just past the large kitchen on the main floor. Land Line Phones: When calling 911, cell phones are not ideal because of potential poor reception and because a caller may not reach the local EMS. A land line will automatically identify your address to the 911 operator. Though several offices in the church have phones, at times these offices are locked. When in need of a phone, these locations have accessible phones: 1) the desk in the reception area in the Church Office wing, 2) the desk in Room 203 just past the kitchen, and 3) the sound booth in the Meetinghouse which has a land line phone but is unlocked only during services. Continued on next page... 6 The Meetinghouse Monthly

7 From the Parish Nurse: Continued from previous page Exit Plan: Another safety measure is an emergency evacuation plan for fire or other reasons. Ushers are trained to identify the best exit doors for each section of the Meetinghouse to exit. Should the need arise to evacuate the sanctuary, please calmly follow your ushers instructions, and heed any directions announced from the pulpit. Emptying of the sanctuary can be efficient and quick if we systematically utilize all the available exit doors. Your suggestions for improved safety are always welcome. Feel free to bring these things to the attention of anyone on the Wellness Committee (Annette Bergh, Ginny Breismeister, Paul Kretschmann, Betsy Kreuter, Enid Norris, Ruth Reed, Karen Young, or your Parish Nurse, Sue Asselin). Staying Safe from Scams at Home: In honor of Older American s Month, the Town of Greenwich has a special program to teach us how to spot an impersonator. The Uniform Fashion Show, featuring law enforcement officers and employees from local companies and town departments, is at Town Hall on Wednesday, May 14, at 1:00 pm. This fun and informative event is free, and light refreshments will be served. Cemetery Tour on Memorial Day Sunday, May 25 On Memorial Day Sunday members of the Historical Committee will show where noteworthy people are buried in our cemetery, plus an outline of roughly where the white pillared church building used to stand (pictured below). Stained Glass Window Tour Sunday, June 1 On Sunday June 1 Tamara Ng-Yow and Pat Larrabee will conduct a tour of the Meetinghouse stained glass windows. It will be held after church at 11:15 am, so there s time to attend coffee hour first. If you can t make it, there are 2 booklets in the reading rack at the entrance to the meetinghouse for you to borrow at any time to take a tour on your own. You can also take a tour on our website: -stained-glass-window-tour/ ~Pat Larrabee, head of the Historical Committee The Meetinghouse Monthly 7

8 Avery s Book Corner for May This month Avery recommends Holy Luck by Eugene H. Peterson: Throughout his many years in pastoral ministry, Eugene Peterson has found that almost everything he does as a pastor -- preaching, teaching, praying, counseling, writing -- involves words. To keep himself attuned to the power of words and to help him use language accurately and well, Peterson both reads and writes poetry. "Holy Luck" presents three inspirational collections of Peterson's poems, most of which have never before been published, in one transcendent volume. Soup Kitchen Volunteers Making Food to Feed Our Neighbors and Friends Thanks to Meg and Virginia Stewart and Girl Scout Troop for preparing the April chili. Everyone had a great time in the kitchen! Thanks, also to Meg Sherman for delivering the chili to the Soup Kitchen in Stamford. Her generous support made it possible for our regular guy to get some needed recuperation. Volunteer Calendar - Note the Open Dates: May: Mary-Ann and Gordon Assing and friends June: Donald Haviland and Youth Group July: OPEN - Volunteers Needed August: Patrice and Nicole Anibel and friends Sept: OPEN - Volunteers Needed To sign up your volunteer team, contact Tom Mahoney at fccoghungermission@gmail.com. Financial Assistance Needed The ingredients to make salad and chili every month cost approximately $150. Our budget for the current fiscal year is in danger of running out of funds. Please consider making a donation to the church to keep this vital outreach activity alive. See more pictures at 8 The Meetinghouse Monthly

9 Volunteers Needed for a Special Event The 2014 NALC Annual Food Drive TO BENEFIT NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR Saturday, May 10 marks the 22nd anniversary of one of America s great days of giving - The National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from the customers on their routes. The Greenwich donations go directly to Neighbor to Neighbor s Food Pantry to provide food to people in Greenwich who need our help. Needless to say, this is a huge undertaking and volunteers are needed! The busiest times are from about 2:00 until 5:00 pm, but help is also needed late morning/early afternoon for the set-up. Hotdogs and hamburgers will be cooking on the grill with other snacks for our volunteers and letter carriers to feast on. Contact RosemaryL@fccog.org if you will be able to help. This is a great family opportunity. MAY Responsibilities and Assignments Deacon Assignments: Invocation - Bob Small Hospital Notes - Mary Fike Memorial Service: Wendy Reynolds - May 4 Betsy Kreuter - May 11 April Condon - May 18 Bob Small - May 25 Coffee Hour Committee Hosts: Church School Task Force - First 2 weeks Wellness Committee - Last 2 weeks May 4 Communion: Chris Cantwell - Capt Joe McBride - Set up Johann Thalheim - Set up Donna Hascher - Set up Elaine Teeters - Set up Phillip Bradford - Clean up Joe McBride - Clean up Carole Lang - Clean up The Meetinghouse Monthly 9

10 Church School Calendar for May and June May 4 May 11 May 18 May 25 June 1 Regular Church School Music & Friendship Sunday: All in worship; child care available for 4 year olds and younger Regular Church School; Confirmation; Church Hall Meeting with child care Memorial Day Weekend; Rev. Sally Colegrove preaching; No Church School Children s Sunday; children of all ages participate in worship; Communion; 3rd graders receive their Bibles; celebration during Coffee Hour June 15 Summer Church School starts at the 8:00 am Beach Service! November 3: Regular Church School; Youth Choir Sings in Church * November There will 10: be a very Veterans casual Day Church Weekend; School Service program Sunday and regular focus on Child Inspirica Care at the 10 am service during the summer. November 17: Regular Church School November 24: Harvest Sunday; All Choirs Sing; Bring bag(s) of non-perishable groceries for Neighbor to Neighbor and H.O.M.E. Co-op in Orland, Maine Food Pantries December 1: Thanksgiving Summer Weekend; Church 1st Sunday School of at Advent; the Beach! Service Sunday; Advent Make Your STARTS Own Craft WITH Workshop A YOUTH-LED 2:00 - SERVICE 4:00 pm (see ON inside JUNE back 15 cover for details). Throughout the summer, Church School will be held at the 8:00 am Beach Service. Children ages 4-10 years old will be able to gather as a group and: learn some of the beach stories from the Bible, explore God s creation on the shore, or just chill out on the sand. Each week we will have sand pails, sunglasses, visors and lots of other fun stuff to keep us busy while we learn. We: Sing Fly the parachute Play games Eat goldfish When Communion is served, we will join the big group for the end of worship. See you at Tod s Point starting Sunday, June 15! 10 The Meetinghouse Monthly

11 Looking to the Fall...yes, already! Church School Teachers and Task Force Members Wanted Sign Up on the Easels in the Undercroft and at Coffee Hour UPCOMING OUTREACH/MISSION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL Pilgrim Towers Watch for a date in May when we will go to Pilgrim Towers and Celebrate Spring with our friends at this wonderful UCC-founded residence for adults. May 3 - a HomeFront Project in Cos Cob Families can join the team! Sign up during Coffee Hour or contact Clem Lepoutre, the Outreach Committee Chairperson. Memorial Day Hospitality - Mon, May 26 starting at 10 AM Help greet neighbors when they come to Binney Park at the end of the parade. We will have water, popsicles, etc. to share while we meet new folks and say hello to those we already know. Join us! The Meetinghouse Monthly 11

12 The Home Team CHURCH HALL MEETING May18 Following Worship This is an opportunity to hear about the progress of the Governance and Welcoming Working Groups from First Church Alive as we get closer to proposals to change the structure of our governing committees and decide on creative ways to attract new members while caring for our existing church family. Please plan to attend. The HOME TEAM is still looking for volunteers who would like to do work projects around the church and all church properties. Most projects include gardening, cemetery headstone work and landscaping, but can include painting and simple maintenance tasks as well. So, if you would like to join our team to help save money and make the church look spiffy, please contact Tad Larrabee at or Please say what sort of work you want to do and when are the most convenient days and times for you. Confirmands to Join Our Congregation Our group of Confirmands is small this year, but the fewer numbers have made for a wonderful group. We began our Confirmation journey together last fall with our Confirmand/Parent retreat and, before you know it, Confirmation Sunday will be here. As I write this, our group is in the final stages of completing their Faith Statements. Soon, each Confirmand will share their story with a small group of Deacons. They ve put in a lot of good, hard work. I hope that you will join us on May 18 as we affirm this work and welcome them into our congregation. 12 The Meetinghouse Monthly

13 Women s Fellowship Women s Fellowship Annual Meeting & Luncheon May 14, 11:30 am Who: Women s Fellowship (all women of the church & guests) What: Catered Brunch. Our program will commemorate the 50th anniversary of The Rummage Room and will feature Stefanie Kies, musical entertainer. Wear your favorite Rummage Room outfit or accessory! When: Wednesday, May 14, 2014, 11:30 am (The quilt raffle will be at NOON sharp.) Where: First Congregational Church Auditorium Cost: Lunch reservations by check for $10/person are a MUST. Please make checks payable to Women s Fellowship, Att: Annual Meeting, and send to or leave at the Church Office by Sunday, May 11. We regret that we cannot accommodate reservations by phone, walk-ins, or reservations without payment. Election of Officers and Vote on Charitable Allocations FCCOG Ladies Daytime Bridge The year's finale will be held in the Auditorium on Monday, June 2. We will have the final playoffs with competing couples paired with those closest in cumulative scores since September. Lunch, favors and prizes will highlight the day. Now is the time for any lady couples to sign up for next year s monthly play. Arrange for a partner and call Lu Baldwin at or at bobalu827@gmail.com. Naturally, those who played this year will have preference. There will be no play scheduled until September. Questions? Contact Lu. Nights Off Women s Group The gathering of the Nights Off women s group has been cancelled for May. Instead, please plan to attend the Women s Fellowship Annual Meeting and Luncheon on May 14. In June, weather-permitting, Nights Off will meet down at the beach (Tod s Point) on June 16. More info will be announced in the Sunday bulletins two weeks before and the Friday blast just before the date. Any questions or to be added to the Nights Off list, contact Shirley Flierl at FBTworld@aol.com or Hats Off Book Discussion Hats Off is currently reading Mary Coin by Marisa Silver. The author takes Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother photograph as inspiration for a breathtaking reinvention - a story of two women, one famous and one forgotten, and the remarkable legacy of their chance encounter. Books are available in the Church Office. Please join us on Thursday mornings from 10:00-11:30 am in the Lounge. Any questions please call Debbie Berner at Kettle Quilters: Come and join us. Beginners always welcome. Mondays 9:00 am -12:00 pm Tuesdays 7:30 pm -9:00 pm In Room 203 (next to the kitchen)! Inge Thalheim Hilary Lawrence The Meetinghouse Monthly 13

14 The Summer Program at First Church Preschool 2014 The Summer Program at First Church Preschool is designed for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years (i.e. must be between turning 3 by 12/31/14 and entering kindergarten in September 2014). The program consists of three 2-week sessions: Session 1: June 16 June 27: Our World of Sports: Children participate in a variety of fun sports and physical activities that get their bodies moving and their game on! Session 2: June 30 July 11 (closed 7/4): The Arts Factory: Children imagine, design, and create within different media, including art, music, and dance. Session 3: July 14 July 25: Little Scientists: Exploration, experimentation, and discovery are encouraged through children s interactions with their natural environment. All sessions include arts & crafts, water play, playground time, and snacks. Seahorses: 3 year-olds only attend Tues, Wed, Thurs 9:00 am-12:00 pm. Children must be toilet trained. *Cost per full 2-week session: $350 *Cost per one-week only session: $200 4 & 5 Year-Olds: Attend Monday Friday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. These children bring a lunch from home. *Cost per full 2-week sessions 1 & 3: $600; Cost per full 2-week session 2: $550 *Cost per one-week only of sessions 1 & 3: $325; Cost per one-week only of session 2: $275 Contact Information: First Church Preschool, 108 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT ; darlak@fccog.org 14 The Meetinghouse Monthly

15 News from The Rummage Room 191 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich; Calendar for the Merry, Merry Month of May: Monday, May 5: Feliz Cinco de Mayo - El hombre no habla porque piensa sino que piensa porque habla. (Man does not speak because he thinks, he thinks because he speaks!) Sunday, May 11: Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers and Mothers-to-be. The Rummage Room has gift certificates in any amount for your mother, your mother-in-law or for your children to give their mother. Ask the cashier. Wednesday, May 14: The Women's Fellowship Annual Spring Luncheon will be held in the church auditorium beginning at 11:30 am. The agenda will be the election of Officers and the 44th Annual Quilt Raffle. Monday May 26: Memorial Day - The Rummage Room will be closed to honor the men and women in uniform who have served our country. Tuesday, May 27: The shop will reopen at 10:00 am and close at 5:00 pm. Manager Maria's Wish List for May: Gift Items for Mother's Day; Communion items and dresses; prom dresses; wedding dresses; mother-of-the bride dresses. Regular Shopping Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm & Saturday 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Donation Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:30 am to 4:30 pm and Friday and Saturday 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Thanks to all of The Rummage Room patrons who have contributed to the welfare of less fortunate women and children over the past 50 years. It is sometimes hard to believe that The Women's Fellowship has given away in the neighborhood of $4,000,000 to help thousands of women and children in that period of time. We are grateful to all The Rummage Room volunteers, some of whom have served 30 and 40 years, and to those who have sat on the Women's Fellowship Boards, The RR Committees, and the Allocation Committees through the years. If we want to change the world, we need to care about one person at a time! The Rummage Room Questionnaire: Why is October 1, 2014 such an important date? October 1, 2014 will mark the 50th anniversary of the best little shop in town. We are the re-sale shop in Old Greenwich known as The Rummage Room. Since 1964 we have been doing business in the same store front at 191 Sound Beach Avenue. Thanks to the generous donations from the community, we are able to offer clothing, toys, books, jewelry, small house wares and other salable items at great prices for our loyal customers. Next question; check here next month for the answer: Who is in charge of The Rummage Room? The Meetinghouse Monthly 15

16 Administrative Professionals Day April 23 To celebrate Administrative Professionals Day, several of our staff members enjoyed lunch together. Rosemary Lamie was there, but is taking the photo! Bible Study For the month of May, we will continue with Stories Behind the Psalms, including episodes concerning Ziphites, David hiding from Saul, Bathsheba again -- but not Psalm and David and Absalom. All of these are great stories and meaningful Psalms so join with many others on Sunday morning at 11:20 am in the Lounge for eye-opening scriptures and helpful discussion. Come even if you have not been able to come before. Led by Dan England 16 The Meetinghouse Monthly

17 M AYBIRT H D AY S 05/01 Peter Dadzis 05/07 Daniel Cioffari 05/15 Douglas Breismeister 05/24 Robert Brady 05/01 Erik Norrgard 05/08 Harriet Starr 05/15 Fritz Waine 05/24 Leah Carey 05/01 Edward Dadzis 05/08 Leslie VanDermeer 05/16 Lindsey Friedman 05/24 Vicki Cain 05/01 Caroline Glover 05/08 Paige Davis 05/16 Margaret Ann Parker 05/24 Robert Finch 05/02 H Kent Atkins 05/08 Phillip Bradford 05/16 Isabelle Carter 05/24 Christopher Cumming 05/02 Olga Hartwell 05/08 Martha Carey 05/16 Benjamin Nadler 05/25 Bradley Craig 05/02 Katherine Urban 05/08 Tamara Kilmurray 05/17 Matthew Carey 05/25 Elen Amedeo Sotzing 05/02 Alexandra Arader 05/08 David Provoost 05/17 Brian Mickley 05/25 Beverly Espinosa 05/02 Tom Fraser 05/08 Jennifer Whitehill 05/17 Mackay Eveland 05/25 Margaret Phyfe 05/02 Erika Bloes 05/09 Linda Lewis 05/17 Willie Piro 05/25 Matthew Kilmurray 05/03 Beverly Ahlberg 05/09 Matthew Derr 05/18 Ty Anderson 05/26 Stuart Serenbetz 05/03 Carolyn MacLea 05/09 David Allen 05/18 Andrew Sotzing 05/26 Finn Breismeister 05/03 John Denne 05/09 Nicole Baker 05/18 Charlotte Winston 05/27 Peter Simpson 05/03 Robert Dinmore 05/09 Kristen Jacks 05/18 Ryan Hayes 05/27 Jack Koppenheffer 05/03 Jennifer Cuminale 05/09 Shay Sippel 05/19 Erica Reiss 05/27 Joshua Arnold 05/04 Robert Smith 05/10 Stephen Weigner 05/19 Tyler Hogan 05/28 David Williams 05/04 Leslie Bacon 05/10 Fred Laffan 05/19 Michael Fusaro 05/28 Judy Provoost 05/04 Anthony Graham 05/10 Robert Friend 05/19 Field Garthwaite 05/28 Deborah Wheelock 05/04 Kimberly Kuppenheimer 05/10 Devon Kelly 05/19 Ellie Garnett 05/28 Mac Sykes 05/04 Todd Stafford 05/10 Amanda Gurciullo 05/20 Nancy McConnell 05/28 Lucinda Seufert-Hunter 05/05 Scott Gaulocher 05/10 Jacob Calle 05/20 Peter Thalheim 05/28 Samuel Nadler 05/05 Greg Kuppenheimer 05/10 Lydia Garnett 05/21 Chris Thompson 05/29 Karl Sandreuter 05/05 Roxanne Goh 05/11 Christian Meyer 05/21 Alison Cox 05/29 Elizabeth Stewart 05/05 Thea Kruger 05/11 Landon Hunter 05/21 Sean Kilmurray 05/29 Billy Heidt 05/05 Julia Quinn 05/12 Kathryn Hewitt 05/21 Rexford Reeves 05/29 Mariel Laffan 05/05 Lily Gale Bates 05/12 Shawn Aselin 05/22 Pat Geismar 05/30 Judy Coleman 05/06 Rosemary Lamie 05/12 Eric DeRiemer 05/22 James Morris 05/30 Julie Dodd 05/06 Daniel Kilmurray 05/12 Miles VanDermeer 05/22 Margot Brady 05/30 Nick Carter 05/06 Douglas Friedman 05/12 June Breismeister 05/22 David Gordon 05/30 Lindsey Hascher 05/06 Olivia Thalheim 05/13 Stella Thomas 05/22 Denis Fortunato 05/30 William Klingner 05/06 Nicole Alexandre 05/13 Tyler Shaver 05/22 Matthew Golodinskii 05/31 Pam Grunow 05/07 Helen Hagner 05/14 Cyndy Anderson 05/23 Alice Hallowell 05/31 Eleanore Olsen 05/07 Stephen Alden 05/14 Tamara Ng-Yow 05/23 Marty Burke 05/31 Libby Craig 05/07 Karen Harris 05/14 Ebee Grellier 05/23 Bill Wheaton 05/31 Thomas Mair 05/07 Chip Schenck 05/14 Curtis Grellier 05/23 Susan E Tedford 05/31 James Mair 05/07 Kim Schenck 05/15 Gary Klingner 05/23 Lisa Ghaffari 05/31 Jasmin Hayes 05/07 Julia McDonald 05/15 Hans Joachim Rieke 05/23 Taylor Schinto L ife E vents: Baptisms Charlotte Tillson Lorthioir Charles Robert Teeters The Church Office will be closed Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day. If you would like to save paper, go green and start receiving the Meetinghouse Monthly via , please contact Barbara Wilkov at barbaraw@fccog.org or ext. 24. The deadline for the June Meetinghouse Monthly is Friday, May 16. Please make a note of it. The Meetinghouse Monthly 17

18 Women s Fellowship 44th Annual Quilt Raffle The Kettle Quilters have created a beautiful queen size quilt for the Women's Fellowship quilt raffle. This year it is done in a liberal version of the classical Log Cabin pattern and has been named Greenwich after Sandy (pictured here). Our beloved Kettle Quilters painstakingly did the quilting. It will be raffled off at the Spring Luncheon on Wednesday, May 14. Please use the form below to order your tickets. Tickets will also be on sale at The Rummage Room, at Coffee Hour and in the Church Office in the weeks leading up to the luncheon, but please don t delay. Fill out the form below and drop it off or mail it to the Church. Your tickets will be filled out by the committee and your stubs held for you at the luncheon, unless you prefer they be mailed to you. You need not be present to win. All proceeds from this raffle will support charitable organizations that benefit women, children and families. We are grateful to our dedicated group of Kettle Quilters who continue the tradition of providing heirloom quilts year after year. We thank them and our faithful Church Community for the continued support of the mission of Women s Fellowship. If you have questions, please contact: Laura Erickson at lerick67@gmail.com. Thank you! _ Name: Address: Phone Number: (optional): This year individual tickets are being sold for $5 each and there will be a limit of 1000 tickets sold. # of Tickets: x $5.00 = Total Enclosed: I would like my stubs (check one): Held for me at the luncheon Returned to me via mail Checks may be made out to Women s Fellowship. Please return the form and payment to the Church Office at 108 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT 06870; Attn: Quilt Committee 18 The Meetinghouse Monthly

19 Visit our Photo Gallery to view more event photos: April Fool s Day at The Rummage Room (with special guests ) E A S T E R The Meetinghouse Monthly 19

20 Children s Page The First Congregational Church of Greenwich Nonprofit Organization 108 Sound Beach Avenue U.S. Postage PAID Old Greenwich, CT Stamford, CT Phone: Permit No Fax:: The First Congregational Church of Greenwich Ministers: The Members of The First Congregational Church of Greenwich Interim Senior Pastor: Rev. John W. Collins, jcollins@fccog.org Associate Pastor for Youth Ministry: Rev. Mark D. Montgomery, revmarkmontgomery@gmail.com Associate Pastor for Communication and Adult Education: Rev. Daniel B. England, dengland@fccog.org Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care: Rev. Avery C. Manchester, amanchester@fccog.org Director of Music: Dr. Craig Scott Symons, craigs@fccog.org Director of Family Ministries: Rosemary Lamie, rosemaryl@fccog.org Director of Membership: Ginny Breismeister, ginnyb@fccog.org Director of Communications: Barbara Wilkov, barbaraw@fccog.org Parish Nurse: Susan Asselin, RN, susana@fccog.org Director of Preschool: Darla Kohler, darlak@fccog.org Pastors Emeriti: Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Stiers and Rev. Sally Colegrove Director of Music Emeritus: Dr. John Stansell For My Mother I love you because you are M O T H E R HAPPY MOTHER S DAY! 20 The Meetinghouse Monthly