ROCKY HILL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Established 1727 ~ An Open and Affirming Community

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1 ROCKY HILL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Established 1727 ~ An Open and Affirming Community May 14, 2017 ~ 10:00 a.m. Fifth Sunday of Easter

2 ~ORDER OF WORSHIP~ We welcome all and extend a special greeting to our guests; our service is enriched by your presence! Please join us in Chapin Hall for fellowship time after worship. The Welcome Table in Chapin Hall offers information about the church and members who can answer your questions. Hearing devices are available for worship ask an usher. Nursery care is available downstairs in Room 4. WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Please include your full address and phone number as you sign our friendship registration pads, and please wear your nametags. All announcements should be written down and given to the ushers or pastor prior to worship. If you have a prayer request you would like read aloud for today s prayers, please fill out one of the prayer cards found in the friendship registration pads (your name is optional) and be prepared to pass it to the center aisle at the time of the offering, when the cards will be collected. PRELUDE Songs My Mother Taught Me Anton Dvorak Dave Hall, cello CALL TO WORSHIP Marge Murk Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People: Jesus said, I go and prepare a place for you, and I will come again. We gather in this place to know your presence and your love, now and always. Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth, and the light. If you know me, you know God. We pray to know you more deeply, that we may know God more intimately, now and always. Jesus said, Ask me for anything, and I will do it. Help us to ask for the right things, Lord Jesus Christ, that we may fulfill your will, now and always. Jesus said, Believe in me, and Follow me. Help us to worship you fully, believing and following, now and always! *Please rise in body or in spirit. Bold type denotes collective response

3 *HYMN God Is Here! As We Your People Meet NC (black) 70 *INVOCATION AND THE LORD S PRAYER Ever-gracious God, we celebrate the gifts of your Spirit. You have not fed us a diet of shame or shrinking, but with the milk of your truth you have made us strong and faithful servants of Christ. You call us to take up the mantle of justice and to follow wherever faith leads us. You fill us with strength and hope, and you invite us to share in the cost and joys of discipleship. You promise us splendor and beauty in this life and in the world to come. Meet us here, we pray, that your word will be fulfilled in our hearing and that your Spirit will fill us with courage. We pray this in Jesus name, who taught us to pray, saying, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. *SUNG RESPONSE NCH 765

4 MESSAGE FOR ALL AGES Recognition of Great Grandmothers CHILDREN S RECESSIONAL (Children are invited to depart for S.P.I.R.I.T. Church School) We Will Keep a Place For You by John Corrado SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM ANTHEM As the Deer arr. Karen Thompson The Bell Choir SCRIPTURE 1 Peter 2:1-10 NT Pew Bible p233 SERMON Be The Church: God s Own People Rev. Craig L. Cowing *HYMN Draw Us in the Spirit s Tether NC (black) 337 OFFERING OF GIFTS Following the receiving of offerings by the ushers, Rev. Craig will come down the center aisle to collect the prayer request cards. Invitation to the Offering For those who have already given their offering, Giving Cards are available in your pew so that all may participate in the act of the offering. Offertory Anthem The Earth Adorned Waldemar Ahlen The Choir

5 *Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God for all that love has done; Creator, Christ, and Spirit, One. Amen *Prayer of Dedication PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Joys & Concerns Sung Call to Prayer O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee (verse 1) NCH 418 O Master, let me walk with thee In lowly paths of service free; Tell me thy secret, help me bear The strain of toil, The fret of care. A-men. Pastoral Prayer

6 *HYMN Thank Our God for Sisters, Brothers NC (black)397 BENEDICTION *POSTLUDE Trumpet Voluntary John Stanley LITURGIST GREETERS USHERS HOSPITALITY Marge Murk Bobbie and Dave Hawkins Kim Burghoff, Lois Griswold, and Betty Schako InReach Today s altar flowers have been given by Marge Murk in memory of Virginia Pittsinger, Elizabeth Pittsinger and Minna Murk RECOGNITION OF OUR GREAT-GRANDMOTHERS Carol Baran Janet Hansen Sue Starr Ruby Bennett Midge Harvey Sylvia Steucek Mary-Edith Bowman Anne King Midge Sword Barbara Burgess Gladys Kitchens Joan Tennyson Grace Cole Janet Kunzelman Joyce Toft Jeannette Doane Betty Mooney Dot Wenzel Lois Griswold Irene Moore Jean Hamilton Emily Rosenthal HAPPY MOTHER S DAY! In honor of Mother's Day today, InReach is sponsoring a special coffee hour following worship with Strawberry Shortcake for all.

7 Proposed merger of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island Conferences The three conferences are offering five opportunities to attend online webinars to learn more about the proposed merger. The webinar schedule is as follows: Tuesday, May 16, 7:00 PM with Kent Siladi (Connecticut Conference Minister), Jim Antal (Massachusetts Conference Minister), and Barbara Libby (Interim Rhode Island Conference Minister) Sunday, May 21, 4:00 PM with Kent Siladi (Connecticut Conference Minister), Jim Antal (Massachusetts Conference Minister & President) Wednesday, June 7, 7:00 PM with Kent Siladi (Connecticut Conference Minister), Vard Johnson (Massachusetts Conference Board member), and Barbara Libby (Interim Rhode Island Conference Minister) Thursday, June 8, 1:00 PM with Jocelyn Gardner Spencer (Connecticut Conference Board member), Corey Sanderson (Massachusetts Conference Board member), and George Peters (Rhode Island Conference President) Thursday, June 8, at 7:00 PM with Kent Siladi (Connecticut Conference Minister), Corey Sanderson (Massachusetts Conference Board member), and Barbara Libby (Interim Rhode Island Conference Minister) To register for one of these webinars, visit the Connecticut Conference website at and click on the icon for the Tri-Conference Annual Meeting. You will find links to register, as well as more information.

8 Frank Roswell Fuller Scholarship This scholarship requires that you be a member of the UCC/Congregational Church. Applications are available in the church office. The deadline for submitting your application and other documents is May 15 th. Submission deadline for the June issue of The Church Mouse is Monday, May 15 and the mailing date will be Tuesday, May 30. We want to hear from you! Send your articles and photos to: office@rhccucc.org Reminder to all Council Members and Board and Committee Chairs. Annual Reports are due May 17 th. Please submit your report to the church office at office@rhccucc.org The Annual Report will be distributed on June 4 th. The Annual Meeting will take place after worship on June 11 th. Sunday, May 21 Faith Formation Youth Groups Feet on the Street Walking Tour We will visit the homeless as we take a tour of the streets of Hartford (presented by the Faces of Homelessness Speakers Bureau). Along the way, speakers will point our different challenges homeless folk face throughout the day. Please consider: Little Scholar s Preschool needs to have representatives from our membership sit on their board. Dave is the only one who will be serving next year. I believe there are just a few meetings a year. If you are interested in being on the board, contact Steph Heneghan or Bill Hoffman. Thank you.

9 Save the date!!! We are delighted that on Saturday, June 17, we will host the Shoreline Ringers, a community handbell choir from southeastern Connecticut. Please plan to join us at 7:00 p.m. to hear this delightful handbell concert. Reception to follow. Your Music Committee TriCon Annual Meeting Hartford June Help Wanted: Greeters, Ushers, and Smilers Bob Inderbitzen is seeking volunteers from churches throughout the region to help welcome delegates and visitors to Hartford for the historic joint Annual Meeting of the Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island Conferences of the United Church of Christ. The Annual Meeting will be held at the Connecticut Convention Center. Bob has agreed to help chair the Hospitality Team, and is eager to find volunteers to help welcome over 1,000 people to Hartford! What do I have to do to volunteer? (1) Contact Bob Inderbitzen, or rinderbitzen@cox.net with your interest to volunteer on Friday and/or Saturday. (2) Complete an online registration to attend the Annual Meeting: The registration fee is $85 and includes entry to the event on both days, and access to all the exhibits, worship events, presentations and keynote speaker, and lunch on Saturday. You ll want to enjoy the event too! It will be amazing and inspiring!

10 THIS WEEK AT RHCC M a y 1 4 S u n d a y 10:00am Worship Sanctuary 9:30am Childcare Room 4 10:00am Church School Rms 24,25,26 11:00am Mother s Day Shortcake Chapin Hall M a y 1 5 M o n d a y Newsletter Articles Due Noon Bonsai Workshop Chapin Hall 7:00pm Bonsai Mtg Chapin Hall 7:00pm Women s AA Fiorilli 7:30pm Bell Choir Sanctuary M a y 1 6 T u e s d a y 9:30am School Field Trip Visit Sanctuary 10:30am Retired Clergy Parlor 7:00pm LSP Board Fiorilli 7:00pm Hearing Voices Room 23 M a y 1 7 Annual Reports Due 6:00pm Pilates 7:30pm Choir W e d n e s d a y Chapin Hall Sanctuary M a y 1 8 T h u r s d a y 9:30am Music Together Room 22 7:00pm Fair/Events Fiorilli 7:30pm Men s AA Chapin Hall M a y 1 9 7:00pm Tibetan Bowls F r i d a y Chapel 14 Steve Smith 14 Paul Burnham 14 Randy Pulling 14 Christine Kainamura 14 Bob Furman 15 Jay Jensen 15 Mark Pawlich 16 Jean Hamilton 16 Hilaire Leavitt 20 Judy Milles May 19 - Sound Healing Meditation with Tibetan Singing Bowls. The healing vibrations of the singing bowls can uplift the spirit, relax the body and quiet the mind. Come and see what it can do for you, and bring a friend! Free will food offerings support the Rocky Hill Food Pantry. M a y 2 0 S a t u r d a y Rocky Hill Memorial Day Parade 9:30 a.m. All are invited to watch the parade from the church grounds. Plan to arrive from 8:30am 9:00am.

11 SCRIP-SURE What is it? Scrip-sure is a fundraising program for our church, which allows the regular shopping we do at a variety of retailers to generate income for the church. How? Participating retailers sell gift certificates or gift cards to our church at a discount. Church members buy the certificates for full face value and redeem them for full face value, and our church keeps the difference as revenue. Everybody wins! The retailers get our business, and our church gets a regular source of revenue that involves nothing other than what we would all be doing anyway shopping/spending at grocery stores, drugstores, restaurants, gas stations, and many other businesses, including online retailers We have most of the usual cards in inventory for immediate purchase this morning. Here is a partial list of cards typically available: Coffee: Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks Fast food: Boston Market, Chipotle, McDonalds, Panera, Subway, Wendy s Gas: Exxon/Mobil, Shell, Sunoco Grocery: Big Y, Stop & Shop, Trader Joe's, Westside Marketplace, Whole Foods Pharmacy: CVS, Walgreens Restaurants: Bertucci's, Bonefish Grill, Buffalo Wild Wings, Denny's, Olive Garden, On the Border, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster Shopping: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Kohl's, itunes, L.L. Bean, Lowes, Michaels, Target, Toys R Us, Walmart The next ordering deadline for cards not kept in inventory will be on Sunday, June 11th (delivery on June 18). Did you know that you can donate to the Rocky Hill Food Pantry and "Covenant-to-Care for Children" through our scrip program? Your cash/check donations are used to buy gift cards to local groceries (food pantry) or other retail stores (CC). For these donations, we do not retain any profit, so a $1.00 donation effectively buys about $1.07 in groceries or clothing. You may donate at the scrip table in Chapin Hall. Stop by the scrip table in Chapin Hall this morning for a complete listing of available cards, or to have all of your questions answered. Think SCRIP

12 Rocky Hill Congregational Church, United Church of Christ 805 Old Main Street Rocky Hill, CT Church Office: / Church Website: rhccucc.org Visit us on Facebook at: O f f i c e H o u r s Monday Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Friday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Open and Affirming Statement Because we believe that all people are created in God s image and thus are blessed and loved equally by God, and because love is a unifying and strengthening force within our Christian Faith, We, the members of the Rocky Hill Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, hereby declare ourselves an Open and Affirming Christian community, actively expressing Jesus inclusive embrace of all people. We welcome all who seek to follow Jesus, including persons of every age, gender, race, national origin, faith background, marital status and family structure, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, mental and physical ability, economic and social status, and educational background, to share in the life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, sacraments, responsibilities, blessings and joys of our church family. Jesus teaches us to welcome all God s children into God s covenantal community. As we grow together in faith and love, we will strive to celebrate the diversity in which God has created us. Approved by congregational vote June 2009 Ministry Team Ministers: All the members of the church Pastor: The Rev. Craig L. Cowing ccowing@rhccucc.org Minister for Children and Youth: Georgette L. Huie ghuie@rhccucc.org Minister of Music: Mary DeLibero mary@rhccucc.org Office Manager: Theresa E. Cleary office@rhccucc.org Webmaster: Dave Hall webmaster@rhccucc.org Child Care Provider: Liz Pulling lrpulling@icloud.com