The Messenger OLD TIME CHRISTMAS FAIR SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, :00 3:00. First Congregational Church Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

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1 The Messenger Volume 67 No. 10 First Congregational Church Fairhaven, Massachusetts Dec/Jan 2018/19 First Congregational Church of Fairhaven 34 Center Street Fairhaven, MA (508) facebook.com/firstcongfairhaven firstcongfairhaven.com OLD TIME CHRISTMAS FAIR SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, :00 3:00 Pastor Rev. Bette McClure It s almost time! It s only a few weeks away! Tis the season for our annual Old Time Christmas Fair. Decorations are going up. Excitement is mounting. Everyone is getting ready for this busy but wonderful time Administrative Assistant Claudia Pompella Music Director David Touchette Pianist Isleila Rodriques Office Hours: Tues thru Thurs 9:00 am 1:00 pm While the fair is our largest fundraising event of the year, the importance of the fair goes much further. On that day hundreds of people come through our doors to browse through the various displays in search of just the right thing to make their holiday bright, to savor our delicious lobster rolls or to choose one of our baked goods or home cooked meals for their dining pleasure! Oh, yes, many are looking for some great Vermont cheese or to find a bargain at the jewelry table or at Heavenly Treasures. When we offer warm hospitality and a welcoming atmosphere our church becomes even better known as a place for all people. As the old adage goes many hands make light work, and we need as much help as possible. Not sure what you can do? Here are some ideas: *Sign up to help at a table (list at coffee hour or call the office) Our mission is to provide opportunities to experience God s presence and in humble and caring ways to use all of our resources to welcome, love, challenge, and equip each other for Christ s ministry in our community and the world. *Lend a hand at the famous lobster roll luncheon (see signup sheet) *Bake something for the baked-goods/cookie table or provide a home-cooked meal Cont on page 3

2 PAGE 2 Dear Ones, I have often asked youth in Confirmation Class what they might say to someone who had never heard about Jesus and who was asking what difference he made in their lives and in the world. More than once in my ministry I have had someone ask me what difference Christmas the birth of Jesus makes. Why is it such an important event for those of us who call ourselves Christians more important than all the secular trappings that surround the holiday, as much fun as they can be? There is a simple story written by Louis Cassels that I believe might help us understand why God came to earth in the human person of Jesus. I share it with you for your holiday reflections. Once upon a time there was man who looked upon Christmas as a lot of humbug. He wasn t a Scrooge, but he didn t believe all that stuff about an incarnation that churches proclaim at Christmas. And he was too honest to pretend that he did. He simply could not understand the claim that God became a human being. It didn t make any sense to him. On Christmas Eve, his wife and children went to the midnight service but he stayed home. He said he d feel like a hypocrite if he went to church. It began to snow. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier. Then he went back to his fireside chair to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another and another sort of a thump or a thud. At first he thought someone must have been throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They d been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large window. He couldn t let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat and boots and he tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them. So he fetched breadcrumbs and sprinkled them on the snow making a trail to the open doorway of the barn. But the birds ignored the breadcrumbs and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them and waving his arms. They scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn. Then he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me that I am not trying to hurt them but to help them. But how? Any move he made tended to frighten and confuse them. They just would not follow or be led or shooed, because they feared him. If only I could be a bird, he thought, and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see and hear and understand. At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. He stood there listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow. Now I understand, he whispered. Now I see why you had to do it. Christmas Blessings, Bette

3 PAGE 3 Continued from page 1 *Donate items for the Chance Auction (gift basket, gift certificate etc.) *Sort through your jewelry and make a donation to the Jewelry Table *Pick up your needles and make some item for the crafts table *Help set up (after church on 12/2 or Thursday or Friday evening 12/6,7) *Help clean up after the Fair on Saturday All contributions can be left at the church office just mark them FAIR. Thanks in advance to everyone for your help. Together we can make this a great celebration! Pat on the Back Ruth Cree sent a Thank you for the Holy Bible and the 50 year recognition ceremony. I felt truly honored. I have always been very proud to be a member of the First Congregational Church and have truly enjoyed my fellow church members. May God bless them all. Carol Backus, Dorothy Bungert s sister To all the reception helpers, makers of food, people who set up, served and cleaned up at such a wonderful celebration for Dotty. My many thanks to all of you, and it was so nice of you. My family is grateful. Dinner for Two Coupon Books Featuring over $1, in free dinners, plays, concerts, cruises, and entertainment, these books are $29.95 each or four for the price of three. $10.00 per book goes to the church. Please contact Ann Cochran at to make your purchase. Parking Reminder Please remember not to park in the Euro Store parking lot when you visit the church during December as the store is open for the holiday shopping season. Year-End Giving Checks for charitable contributions must be delivered to the church or mailed with a postmark on or before December 31 st in order to claim a charitable deduction for Statements of Giving will be mailed in January to everyone who has made trackable contributions to the church. New weekly offering envelopes will be distributed in late December for the 2019 giving year. They will be on the table by the main door of the sanctuary. If you have not had your own offering envelopes in the past but would like them, please contact the church office.

4 PAGE 4 LONGEST NIGHT/BLUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE Sunday, December 16th 7:00 p.m. Christmas can be a bittersweet time of year. While all the media tout the joy of the season and decorations glow on dark nights, many of us feel an ache in our hearts during this season. This year, perhaps especially, with the fear of continued terrorism on our mind, we may be finding it hard to get into the Christmas spirit. For some of us there will be an empty chair at the table this year for the first time; others of us may be dealing with health or financial woes or maybe we just find Christmas a somewhat lonely time, filled with many memories but few people. Holiday Hope Project Holiday Hope Project is Child and Family Services community wide volunteer effort that provides food, clothing, and gifts to families who have fallen on hard times. Action for Christ has chosen a medium size family this year with a mom and five children. There are three girls, ages 6 months, 3 and 11 years old. The two boy s ages are 5 and 6. On November 18 tags were made available with the child s name and age and suggested gift item. Please wrap, tag and return on December 2. All gifts will be delivered on December 4 along with a travel voucher and gift card. Please consider giving the gift of HOPE. What sometimes can help is the time and space to just be with whatever it is we are dealing with; to feel the feelings but to know that we are not alone. An awareness and reminder of God s presence and God s hope can help us make our way through the holiday season. So we invite you to join us for this meditative service where we will hear scripture, pray for healing and wholeness, listen to music and light candles to brighten the night. By doing so we can acknowledge that God s Word comes to shine light into our darkness. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to reach out to others who might be in need and invite them to join you for the service. Everyone is welcome. CHRISTMAS TEA Thursday, December 13th, 2:00 P.M. Join with friends to kick off the Holiday Season with a time of fellowship and light refreshments from 2:00-3:30 pm. We will have tea, mulled cider and cookies and pastries to enjoy as we chat together. Wear a Christmas sweater or earring sor hat or some other festive garb. Please call the office to let us know you will be coming.

5 PAGE 5 CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN (all ages are welcome, too!) Monday, December 24 th 4:30-5:00 p.m. A service planned with our littlest ones in mind. Perhaps your children are too wiggly to sit through our traditional 7:00 service or maybe your family has other plans for gathering later in the evening. Or it might be that you want an early evening at home, in your pj s, sitting around the tree and warmed by a crackling fire. Whatever the reason, consider joining us for this brief, low-key, interactive service. We will sing some simple carols to pre-recorded music, listen to the holy story with children taking part if they wish, say our prayers and sing Silent Night while holding our glow sticks. It s great for families with young children but all ages, with or without children are welcome. Candlelight Christmas Eve Service Monday, December 24 th 7:00 PM Please plan to join us for this special service celebrating the birth of the Christ Child. In the shadows of the evening our sanctuary will be warm and inviting and will create the perfect setting for us to give thanks to God for breaking into our world with hope and light. Favorite carols will be sung; our choir will share their gift of music with us; we will hear the sacred story read; and we will share our prayers. Then, when the sanctuary lights are extinguished, we will light candles and join in Silent Night. When we leave to celebrate the sacred day with friends and family we will take Christ s joy and love with us into the December night. All are welcome invite your friends and neighbors. CHRISTMAS SUNDAY INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICE Sunday, December 23 rd 10:00 a.m. On this Sunday before Christmas, join us for an uplifting service of word and song designed for people of all ages.. We will tell the old, old story of Jesus birth in an interactive way that allows everyone who wishes to participate. Come along and take part, be Mary, or Joseph, or an angel or shepherd or even a cow! Bring a friend and be prepared to have your spirit infused with the wonder and promise of Christmas!

6 PAGE 6 Mitten Tree The Mitten Tree will be in the sanctuary again this year starting on December 4, for your donations of warm hats, mittens, gloves, scarves, socks and hand warmers. During the week of December 18, all of your donations will be split between Sister Rose s and Gifts to Give. Thank you for your generous donations and warming someone s heart. Thanksgiving Food Drive and Prayer List Our prayers are with: Baskets Thank you to all who made donations to the food drive. We were able to fill the shelves in the pantry. We also assembled and delivered ten Thanksgiving Baskets that included gift cards for fresh produce. Our HATS OFF to you for your continued support of this much needed mission. Dot Gammans, Ellen Fields, Julie Lawton, Betty Monk., Rachel Joaquim, Tom Hebert, Mike Bobola, Ruth Cree and Al and Marge Jones. Happy 18 th Birthday Erwan! Our sponsored child from Indonesia turns 18 on December 15, To send a birthday or Christmas card, please use the address below. Erwan s last donation from us will be in December, as he has aged out of the program. We are moving our focus to a new organization, ADOPT A US SOL- DIER (Information to follow.) Erwan Ramadhani132/059533/01079 Putro Linuwih/4244 Christian Children s Fund P.O. Box 1364 Jakarta 1003 Indonesia PACK & TROOP 55, B.S.A. CHRISTMAS TREE FUNDRAISER Located in Fairhaven, MA at Mike and Wayne s Inc 163 Huttleston Avenue (Route 6) Troop and Pack 55 are holding their annual Christmas tree and wreath fundraiser. We hope to start selling on Thanksgiving weekend. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 5:00 to 7:30 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Scouts and parents volunteer to do most of the selling. Employees of Mike & Wayne s are gracious enough to collect money for the Scouts during the early hours on weekdays when the Scouts are not there. We have Balsam and Frasier Fir Trees and wreaths for sale. The height of the trees range from 6-8 Ft, prices from $40-70 depending on the height and fullness. Once we sell out we re gone till next year. Come early and pick your tree. THANK YOU All Proceeds Benefit BOY SCOUT PACK & TROOP 55, B.S.A.

7 PAGE 7 The Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross and The Emergency Fund Offering on Sunday, December 16 th The Christmas Fund is one of four special offerings for our denomination s the United Church of Christ mission projects. The proceeds from this offering provide a means to directly assist those who have faithfully and selflessly served UCC churches and now find themselves facing unexpected needs. Some are retired pastors who served churches for years at very minimal salaries and now, in retirement, have few financial resources to lean upon. Others are active ministers who have unexpected or catastrophic personal expenses that they and their congregations are unable to meet. The Fund is administered by the UCC Pension Board. Our church will be accepting your donations for this worthy cause on Sunday, December 16th; special envelopes will be available in church that day. SAVE THE DATE! Annual Budget Meeting Sunday January 20th, 2019 We will meet as a congregation following worship to review and vote on the proposed church budget for Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this important meeting. Pantry News Your contribution to the food pantry makes a difference! 6 families were served last month. Thank you to all who continue to donate. We are always in need of donations, particularly at this time of the year. SAVE THE DATES Afternoon At The Movies January 10th, and 24th at 1:00. Potluck Dinner Wednesday, January 9th at 5:30 pm. Bible Study every Wednesday at 1:00 until 2:00 (meet for lunch at 12:30)

8 The Messenger First Congregational Church 34 Center Street Fairhaven, MA NONPROFIT ORG. U.S.. POSTAGE PAID New Bedford, MA Permit No. 630 Please do not delay Time value dated material RETURN SERVICE REQESTED 12/ 2018 Lay readers in November: Tom Sheehan, Bev Johansen, Cindy Leblanc, Phyllis Goodwin; Donna Perry for the great Murder Mystery Dinner (and her decorators Sue Burr & Sally Wheeler). Sanctuary Flowers on November 11th in celebration of Macius James DeSouza s baptism by the Bobola Family. On November 25th in loving memory of Balie Peeley and David Quigley, niece and brother-in-law of Cindy LeBlanc. Congratulations to Molly Bobola & Jesse DeSouza on the baptism of their son Macius James on November 11th. Adopt A US Soldier Adopt a US Soldier is a non-profit organization that seeks volunteers to help show the brave men and women fighting for our freedom that their sacrifices will not go unnoticed. It connects supportive civilians with deployed troops and offers a channel by which to communicate encouragement and express gratitude to them.. Action for Christ has made a commitment to Jim Barclay for the duration of his deployment, so we will be sending a letter of friendship weekly, and a package monthly. There is a sign-up sheet for cards and a priority box is available for your contributions. Suggested items are on the display board at coffee hour or in the sanctuary. Please consider donating so that our package can be mailed before December 10. This will show our support and a much needed touch of home.