Come and Celebrate Holy Week

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2 Come and Celebrate Holy Week Palm Sunday Service Sunday, April 9 at 10:00 am at First Christian Congregational Church Maundy Thursday Service Thursday, April 13 at 6:00 pm At The First Christian Congregational Church 1113 GAR Highway, Swansea, MA The Olde White Church and our sister, The First Congregational Christian Church of Somerset share a history of walking with one another through Holy Week. This year the Maundy Thursday Service is being held here at The Olde White Church. In addition to dinner and worship, musical director Gregg LeMay will lead the combined choirs to create a wonderful and meaningful space. Come and join us for our Maundy Thursday Service. All are welcome. Good Friday Ecumenical Service Friday, April 14 at The First Christian Congregational Church The Good Friday service here at The Olde White Church has taken on quite an amazing life. This untraditional service moves through four stations of the last moments of Jesus death through a guided tour of the stations. Teaming with the Greater Fall River Council of Churches and many other brothers and sisters from all around, we will join together to walk with one another in Christ s last moments. Please come and join us for our Good Friday Ecumenical Service. Completely handicap accessible. There are four start times; 5:00 pm, 5:20 pm, 5:40 pm & 6:00 pm and the journey takes about 30 minutes. Sunrise Easter Service Sunday, April 16 at 6:15 am at Pierce Beach, Somerset, MA What a wonderful early spring we are having this year and the Sunrise Easter Service at Pierce Beach in Somerset is the most exciting way to celebrate our Risen Savior! Come and watch the sun come up as we celebrate the Risen Son! We will join together with our sisters and brothers from surrounding churches. Immediately following the service, we are all invited to Somerset Baptist, just up the street, for a full breakfast together. All Are Welcome! Easter Sunday Celebration Sunday, April 16 at 10:00 am at The First Christian Congregational Church He is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Come and sing and dance and worship our Risen Savior, uniting all people with God through the power and love of His resurrection here at The Olde White Church. It won't be the same without you, all are welcome!

3 April 2017 What s new at The Olde White Church Love in Action Journey of Ministry Greetings Friends in Christ! My journey in ministry here at The Olde White Church is so exciting and rich that I want to share it all with you! You already know that I am in the office Tuesday-Thursday from 9-2, and of course, on Sunday mornings; but some of the most powerful moments of ministry can happen outside of the office. I would like to share with you the amazing opportunities of ministry that I have with our family, our friends, our community, our denomination and beyond! Come along and enjoy my journey of ministry with me This month was full of amazing moments of ministry. In addition to my office hours, management of our four social media sites, preparation/writing time, and worship this month I had the pleasure of. *visiting over 35 people through the course of visits to home and hospital *leading the celebration of life for Bud Cartin *providing the Dunkin Ministry every Thursday *attending 3 church committee meetings *hosting bi-monthly confirmation classes *providing weekly Lenten Dinner and Devotion Bible Study Series *administering Ashes throughout the day on Ash Wednesday *co-officiating the Ecumenical Ash Wednesday Service at Somerset Baptist Church *officiating the Greater Fall River Council of Churches Meeting *officiating the Committee on Ministry Meeting *coaching a sister church through transition *leading a member in discernment meeting *attending the AM21 Training in Manchester, NH March 2-4 *attending the South East Area Clergy Day of Covenant in Falmouth *participating in and attending the Organ Dedication, 350 th Swansea Celebration *attending the Interfaith Gathering, Caffeine and Conversation *continuing to write my doctorate (your prayers are welcomed!!) My church family is a part of my ministry everywhere that I go. I hope to be able to bring some of that joy back to all of you! Blessings, Rev. Holly

4 NEWS FROM THE PEWS DEATHS IN OUR FAMILY Curt Smalzel, Nancy Smalzel s brother, passed away on March 1, 2017 Manuel A. Donald, Gwen Donald s brother, passed away on March 2, 2017 at the age of 70. Barbara Davol, wife of Thomas Davol, passed away on March 9, 2017 at the age of 78. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, April 8, in Church of our Saviour, 2112 County Street, Somerset at 11 am. All are invited to attend. IN OUR PRAYERS: Deb Athearn, who is home and would welcome cards, visits, and phone calls. Her address is 396 Durfee Street, Fall River, MA and her phone number is Deb s husband, Tom, is also home recuperating as well. Bob & Jane Eddy. Bob and Jane are home recuperating at 159 Wood Street, Swansea, MA. Pat Hayden, who is receiving cards at her home at 52 Seaview Avenue, Swansea, MA Ray DesLauriers and Family, as Ray receives some testing. Please keep the family in your prayers. They are receiving cards and calls at 516 Tower Street, Fall River, MA Bets and Gerrit Sanford, who are at home receiving calls and cards at 172 Seaview Avenue, Swansea, MA Bill & Phyllis Lyne, who are at Somerset Ridge Center, 455 Brayton Avenue, and is receiving cards, calls and visits. Barbie Brunette, a friend of Susan Hardy s. She would love to receive cards from us if we feel so included. Her address is 1015 Crossroads Drive, No. Dartmouth, MA Linda Desmarais, who is at Clifton Rehab Nursing Center, 500 Wilbur Avenue, Somerset, MA 02726, receiving cards, calls and visits. Rosemary Marshall, who is home at 63 Luther Street, Seekonk, MA receiving cards, calls & visits. Rosemary and John just celebrated their 47th Wedding Anniversary together! Ken and Nancy Bosworth. Dorothy O Neil, who has moved to Buckley Health Care Center, 95 Laurel Street, Greenfield, MA and would appreciate cards and well wishes. ****************************************** Bernard John Bud Cartin, Jr., Husband of Edna, Dad to Jill, and Grandpa to Ally, passed away on March 17, 2017 at the age of 76. A Memorial Service was held on Saturday, March 25 in the First Christian Congregational Church. We extend our prayers and support to all our families who lost loved ones during the month of March.

5 PADRENOSS-EMOND FAMILY SAY HELLO!!!!! THRIFTY SHOPPE FUN!!!! Karen Rebello, Bob Baker, and Joyce Buxton Bob Baker Well, It s been a long winter, and we are glad that spring is here and summer is around the corner. We are looking forward to a couple of months off. But before that time comes, we have many things to do! We have donated all of our remaining winter clearance clothing to the Veterans and the Somerset Lions. We have helped out a few families in our community with clothing this winter. We have taken advantage of the Sears store closing and purchased a few new fixtures; this allowed us to dispose of some of the old rickety ones. We are always looking for good help, larger plastic bags, and good quality donations! We have had some fun! Check out the latest photos of fun in the!! The customers even joined in and loved the water pistols. Yes, Bob was the target of the day. All in fun! Come and join in on the laughter and love in the Shoppe.

6 Lenten Dinner and Devotion All are invited to the last session of our Bible Study Series "Borders" on Wednesday, April 5 from 6 7:30 pm. We start with a light supper at 6 pm followed by Lenten Conversation, Borders. Come and enjoy great fellowship together. All are welcome! Care Team Meeting The next meeting of the Care Team will take place on Saturday, April 22nd at 9:00 am at Chris Roy s home. Her address is 77 Edwards Avenue, Somerset, MA. Anyone wishing to join the Care Team or find out more about what they do, please join us or speak with Pastor Holly or Chris. FELLOWSHIP NEWS.. It Was a Miracle!!! Let me tell you about the miracle that happened last Sunday (March 19). The coffee was made, the cheese and cracker platter was filled, Rev. Wilson brought deviled eggs and we had a plate of cinnabuns that s all!!!! It was 9:50 am and Louise and I were concerned our fellowship guests were not all going to have a snack. BUT!!! By 9:56 am, we had a full table of very delicious fruit and desserts. To say we were overjoyed and very grateful puts it mildly. Thank you to those that fed us all on March 19. Many thanks to everyone that brought snacks to share this month. Thanks to the Thomas *, the Allard s*, Gwen Donald*, the Wilson s*, Donna Wood, Mary Finnin, Cheryl Crossley-Simmons, Jerry Grota, Melissa Francis, and Barbara Monize. Remember, there is never too much food as we have a big freezer for extras!! Thank you, Sara *means brought snacks multiple times this month!! Dunkin Ministry Our Dunkin Ministry meets each Thursday evening. We invite all of you to come and have coffee with Pastor Holly Norwick each Thursday evening from 5:00 6:00 pm in the brand new lounge area of the Wilbur Avenue, Swansea Dunkin Donuts. Greater Fall River Council of Churches "Not By Bread Alone" Sunday, April 2, 1:00 pm Greater Fall River Council of Churches Community Meal This meal will be held at First Baptist Church 228 North Main Street, Fall River All proceeds from this meal will benefit the Greater Fall River Community Food Pantry All are invited to the Not by Bread Alone Community Meal where all donated items and monetary contributions will be given to the Greater Fall River Food Bank. The items they are looking for are breakfast cereals, baked beans, spaghetti sauce, juices, baby foods, diapers, wipes, formula, Depends for adults, toiletries, toilet paper, and hand-held can openers, as well as monetary contributions. Please bring your donations to church or drop them by the office before April 2nd. Tenebrae Service of Shadows Wednesday, April 12 at 7:30 pm at Cathedral of St. Mary s 467 Spring Street, Fall River, MA This is a special prayer service called Tenebrae which has its roots in monastic tradition and held each year. This service of readings, psalms and hymns at which the bishop presides in the light which eventually fades into darkness as the candles in the sanctuary are gradually extinguished. Christians of all denominations and their ministers are especially invited to participate as a means of sharing in worship during these holy days when we are encouraged to forget our differences and focus together on the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Please join us to experience the beauty of this special service, and perhaps it will become an annual tradition during Holy Week.

7 One Great Hour of Sharing This year we will take the One Great Hour of Sharing allchurch offering on Sunday, May 7th. We will join with Protestant Churches all over the USA in collecting more for both disaster relief and prevention. You will be hearing more each week about the good work this money does, but for now I want to make just two simple points: 1. When you give through your church to help disaster victims recover, you can be sure that your money gets where it's intended. Your church has the lowest overhead: just 3%! That's because we have a vast army of volunteer church folk collecting and forwarding the money. (A recent charitable organization bragged that it's overhead was only 19%!) Your church does not have high-paid executives running the show. 2. We plan ahead! Last year when the earthquake in Ecuador killed hundreds and destroyed thousands of homes, we responded immediately with aid and help because WE COLLECT THE MONEY AHEAD OF TIME! If we took a collection now, it would take a week or two for our church to process the money and send it on. By then the immediate need will have passed. When we give to the One Great Hour of Sharing, we already have the money in the bank ready to respond immediately to the next disaster. Your money gets there first thing when it's needed most. Please consider giving generously to the One Great Hour of Sharing on May 7th. Thank you, Deacon John Wilson DEACON NEWS Greetings, The Deacons are looking for readers for Sunday morning services. If you are interested in doing one of the Bible readings, please let one of the Deacons know. This is a nice way of being actively involved in the worship service. There will be a container on the table in the narthex each Sunday morning marked Deacon Samaritan Fund. These funds are used for assisting congregation members and people in the community who are in need. The Deacons and Pastor Holly are made aware of the person in need and determine how we can help. If you feel moved, all donations are greatly appreciated. Thank you! Charlene Orton, Chair of Deacons MAY BREAKFAST NEEDS Calling All Candy Makers!!! We are once again in need of fantastic homemade candy makers to help make homemade candy for the May Baskets. Please bring the candy to church on May 5th at 6:00 pm to be included in the May Baskets. If you have any questions, please contact Louise Slowe at We appreciate the volunteers that have been helping out over the years, and are hoping to add to our candy maker list this year. Everyone is welcome!! If you are interested in donating toward the cost of the May Breakfast, please forward your donation to the church office indicating May Breakfast Needs. MAY BREAKFAST Please join us for our Annual May Breakfast on Saturday, May 13, :00 am 10:00 am At The Olde White Church 1113 GAR Highway, Swansea, MA We will be offering a wonderful breakfast buffet featuring eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, toast, fruit, juice, coffee, tea and so much more!! Traditional May Baskets filled with homemade candy will be available. SAVE THE DATE FOR AN AWARD CEREMONY!! Henning Anderson, the Eagle Scout whose Eagle Project was the resurrection and cleanup of the cemetery, which he did a really great job at; is being honored on May 7 at 3:00 pm More details to follow shortly.

8 VISITORS NEEDED FOR IMMIGRATION DETAINEES IN PLYMOUTH, MA The Massachusetts Council of Churches, the body to which the Greater Fall River Council of Churches belongs, is offering the opportunity for adult lay leaders and clergy who are interested in being trained to visit detainees at the immigration center in Plymouth. If you would like this training which will take place in May, please speak to Pastor Holly for more details. We are hoping to get a group together that may be interested in this opportunity. Here are the Peace Walkers who came to our church on Friday, March 24th and spent the night in the Sanctuary before resuming their walk to the Boston area. A big Olde White Church thank you to thenipponzan-myōhōji Buddhist Order monks and walkers who graciously chose us as a place of sanctuary during their 16th Annual Walk for a New Spring. We hope to be considered a stop on their route for future walks. DEDICATION OF EASTER FLOWERS Anyone wishing to purchase Easter Flowers, please fill out this form and mail to the Church Office at 1113 G.A.R. Highway, Swansea, MA 02777, Attention: Easter Flowers, or place in the mailbox on the door of the Church Office. The deadline to have your orders in to the Church Office is on or before Sunday, April 2nd. Please make checks payable to First Christian Congregational Church with Flower Fund in the memo. Thank you! PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY Your Name Phone Number In Memory/In Honor of Lilies Tulips Daffodils Hyacinth ($10.00 Donation each) Will you be taking your flowers(s) after the Easter Sunday service? Or donating to a shut-in? The names of in memory of / in honor of and by whom, will be listed in the Easter Sunday Worship bulletin. Any profits from the sale of the flowers will be given to the Church to support the ministries of the church. If you have any questions, please call or text Karen Rebello at Thank you for your purchase of the flowers to decorate the Church, and for honoring our brothers and sisters in Christ! We must order flowers on April 2. Any dedications made after that date will be at a cost of $12.00 per plant.

9 MUSIC NEWS. Hello Everyone!, Let me first start off by saying what an amazing and wonderful event we had to rededicate the organ to the ministry of the church. I wish to again send out a HUGE thank you to all who helped with food, decorating, clean up, serving and any other thing that I may have forgotten. Specifically, I wish to also thank Shaun for his outstanding job once again for preparing the food. Jonathan Ortloff gave a wonderful performance and demonstration of our organs capabilities, and Scot Huntington provided us with a wonderful history of our organ and the company that built it. The local Cable Company took video of the recital and a photographer will be providing photos for us as well. Stay tuned to announcements for an opportunity to purchase a DVD of the recital. Thank you again to all those who supported, donated, prayed and continue to support the organ restoration fund in its restoration journey. The month of April is finally here, and with it spring. The cold weather is on its way out, and we are entering a time of spring renewal. The choir is busy learning their pieces for holy week and Easter morning. Throughout the month I will be finishing the process of the application for the historical organ citation. I am continuously surprised in new and delightful ways of the love, support, and ministry of this congregation. It is an honor to be your Music Director. Blessings, Gregg LeMay Director of Music Ministry Rev. Holly Norwick, Scot Huntington, Jonathan Ortloff, Gregg LeMay, Joe Sloane A Huge Olde White Church thank you to Gregg LeMay and his team for putting on a wonderful event enjoyed by all!!!

10 WEEKLY MUSIC REHEARSAL SCHEDULE Music Lesson Choir Spirit Tone Chime Each Tuesday from 6:30 7:00 pm Each Tuesday from 7 8 pm Sundays at 11:30 am Each Tuesday from 8 9 pm Sundays at 11:30 am Each Wednesday from 7 8 pm SCHOLARSHIP NEWS Harland O. McNeill Memorial Scholarship Applications for the Harland O. McNeill Memorial Scholarship are available at the church office. To be eligible for the scholarship, an applicant must be a member in good standing of the First Christian Congregational Church of Swansea, MA and currently enrolled in or accepted by an accredited college or university as a full time student. The completed application must be returned to the church office no later than May 15, One scholarship of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.) will be awarded each year if there is a qualified candidate. Payment usually will be made directly to the school involved at the beginning of the second semester after the recipient has successfully completed at least one semester. Selection of the recipient in any given year shall be the responsibility of a committee of five members: the Treasurer, one Executive Council member, one Deacon, one member of the Board of Religious Education, and a member-at-large. High School Seniors, college undergraduates and adult church members are encouraged to apply. Scholarship Committee Applications will be placed on lower Bulletin Board for the convenience of interested parties. To Family and Friends of Carolyn A. Sampson Dear family and friends of Carolyn A. Sampson, Thank you for your previous gifts to the Carolyn A. Sampson Memorial Scholarship. As you know, it has been eight years since Carolyn passed. In her honor, we have been awarding a memorial scholarship for seven years. Usually, the scholarship is awarded by either Renee or Jon Carl Bernier at the Case High Senior Class Awards Ceremony. I have been part of the selection team that identifies a qualified student from the senior class. Carolyn's scholarship is given to a Case High Senior who plans to continue their education at a professional, technical, or vocational institution, not always a fouryear academic institution. We look for students that have been actively involved in the music or drama programs at Case High School, and we try to select students who have participated in marching band and/or drama club, as well. The previous winners of Carolyn's Memorial Scholarship include: Kirsten Gonsalves (2010); Taylor DeMoranville (2011); Brittany Costello (2012); Samantha Hussey (2013); Lauren Dunn (2014); and Amanda Feno (2015). Five winners have been given a $500 scholarship after the first year of the CAS Memorial Scholarship, based on the interest earned by the trust. In the first year, we were only able to award a scholarship of $450. So, I just wanted to remind everyone that it is once again time to consider making a gift to Carolyn's Memorial Scholarship. I wanted to acknowledge that you are part of Carolyn's Memorial Scholarship team, so that's why I included the names of the past awardees. Gifts to Carolyn's Memorial Scholarship are welcome until April 25, If you are interested in making a contribution to Carolyn's Memorial Scholarship, you should send your gift to: Treasurer, Case High Scholarship Trust, Inc. Their mailing address is: P.O. Box 33, Swansea, MA, Checks should be made payable to: Case High Scholarship Trust, Inc. In the note field of the check, please designate Carolyn Sampson Scholarship. Thank you so much for your continued support of Carolyn's Memorial Scholarship. With warm regards to all, Martha H. Curtis, CAS Memorial Scholarship Coordinator

11 APRIL Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday **Church Office Hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 2:00 pm** **Pastor Holly s Office Hours are Tuesday thru Thursday from 9:00 am 2:00 pm** ***Individual Committee Report are due in Church Office by April 20**** 1 9:30 1:00 2 Worship Service 10:00 am 11:30 am Not By Bread Alone Luncheon 1 pm at First Baptist Church Fall River, MA 9 Worship Service 10:00 am Property Cmte Meeting at 11:30 am 11:30 am 16 Easter Sunrise Service at Pierce Beach at 6:15 am Easter Worship Service 10:00 am 3 Deacons Meeting 6:30 pm at Church Music Lesson 6:30 7 pm Choir 7 8 pm OWC Spirit 8 9 pm Music Lesson 6:30 7 pm Choir 7 8 pm OWC Spirit 8 9 pm Music Lesson 6:30 7 pm Choir 7 8 pm OWC Spirit 8 9 pm 5 9:30 4:00 Quilt Club 1 3 pm Lenten Dinner & Devotion Bible Study Series 6 pm 7:30 pm Tone Chimes 7:30-8:30 pm 12 9:30 4:00 Quilt Club 1 3 pm Tone Chimes 7:00 8:00 pm Tenebrae Service of Shadows at 7:30 pm at Cathedral of St. Mary s in Fall River 19 9:30 4:00 Quilt Club 1 3 pm Tone Chimes 7:00 8:00 pm Newsletter Deadline 6 Dunkin Ministry with Pastor Holly at DD on Wilbur Ave. 5 6 pm 13 No Dunkin Ministry Today Maundy Thursday Service 6:00 pm at The Olde White Church 20 Dunkin Ministry with Pastor Holly at DD on Wilbur Ave. 5 6 pm Finance Meeting at 6:15 pm at Dunkin Donuts 7 AA 7 8:15 pm 14 Good Friday Service The Via Dolorosa at 5:00, 5:20, 5:40 & 6:00 pm AA 7 8:15 pm 21 AA 7 8:15 pm 8 9:30 1: :30 1:00 22 Care Team Meeting at Chris Roy s house at 9 am 9:30 1:00 23 Worship Service 10:00 am 11:30 am Music Lesson 6:30 7 pm Choir 7 8 pm OWC Spirit 8 9 pm 26 9:30 4:00 Quilt Club 1 3 pm Tone Chimes 7:00 8:00 pm 27 Dunkin Ministry with Pastor Holly at DD on Wilbur Ave. 5 6 pm Executive Council Mtg at 6:30 pm at Church 28 AA 7 8:15 pm 29 9:30 1:00

12 First Christian Congregational Church The Olde White Church 1113 GAR Highway Swansea, MA APRIL 2017 First Christian Congregational Church The Olde White Church A Church Where Faith is Active in Love 1113 GAR Highway Swansea, MA swanseawhitechurch@meganet.net Website: Facebook:FirstChristianCongregationalChurch ofswansea Reverend Holly Norwick, Pastor Worship Service and Sunday School at 10:00 am Coffee and fellowship following worship Church Office Hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 2 pm Pastor s Office Hours: Tuesday thru Thursday 9-2 pm UPCOMING CHURCH EVENTS All are Welcome!! Dunkin Ministry at Dunkin Donuts on Every Thursday from 5 6 pm Wilbur Avenue Music Lesson Every Tuesday from 6:30 7 pm Choir Every Tuesday from 7 8 pm And Sunday at 11:30 am OWC Spirit Every Tuesday from 8 9 pm And Sunday at 11:30 am Tone Chimes Each Wednesday from 7 8 pm starting April 12 Deacons Meeting Monday, April 3 at 6:30 pm at Church Property Committee Meeting Sunday, April 9 at 11:30 am at Church Tenebrae Service of Shadows Wednesday, April 12 at 7:30 pm at St. Mary s Cathedral, Fall River, MA Maundy Thursday Service Thursday, April 13 at 6 pm at Olde White Church Good Friday Service Friday, April 14 at 5 pm, 5:20 pm, 5:40 pm & 6 pm at The Olde White Church Easter Sunrise Service Sunday, April 16 at 6:15 am at Pierce Beach,Somerset Easter Worship Service Sunday, April 16 at 10:00 am at Olde White Church Finance Meeting Thursday, April 20 at 6:15 pm at Dunkin Care Team Meeting Saturday, April 22 at 9 am at Chris Roy s home Executive Council Meeting Thursday, April 27 at 6:30 at Church