THE UNITED CHURCH of CLINTON March Newsletter 2018

Transcription

1 THE UNITED CHURCH of CLINTON March Newsletter 2018

2 THE UNITED CHURCH OF CLINTON United Church of Christ & United Methodist Church March 2018 How to Find the Blessing in Transitions All Women Invited 20th Anniversary Celebration of CCoL s Annual Women s Retreat March 23-25, 2018 (Come for the day, one overnight or two---your choice) Lee Atherton, Leading Grotonwood Retreat Center Groton Massachusetts Have you Lost a loved one? Recently moved to a new area? Become an empty nester? Changed your job? Experienced any kind of transition in your life? It s pretty certain we ll all experience transitions in our lives small and easy as well as huge and impactful. Some we eagerly look forward to and others leave us wanting to hide under a blanket. No matter how much a transition changes our day to day life it can be hard to find the blessings in the midst of all the change. Join us for a time of fellowship, group conversation, discovery, games, crafts and more as we explore the many ways we experience change and transformation along our life journeys. We will examine ways to deal with various stages of life new parenthood; sending young children off to school; becoming empty-nesters; divorce; job changes; retirement; losses due to illness or death; moving to a new home with plenty of opportunity for small group discussion. This retreat is organized by women of the Congregational Church of Littleton where Lee was a member before coming to United Church. CCoL women are celebrating the 20 th year of holding this retreat that is open to all women of the wider UCC church and their women friends and family. The cost for the retreat is between $70 (for all day Saturday) to $145 (for Friday evening through Sunday morning) and options in between. We ll be back in time for worship on Sunday morning. See Lee or call the office for more information and details. THE UNITED CHURCH of CLINTON Rev. Lee Atherton Pastor lee@coachrev.com Gloria Parkinson Music Director gloriap@parkinsongroup.com Bob Lidstone Council Moderator Lidstones@comcast.net Heather McNamara Youth Council Chrissy Dobeck cddobeck@comcast.net Jennifer Wile Jacobs Admin Assistant cu@clintonunitedchurch.org THE UNITED CHURCH of CLINTON Worship begins at 10:00 am OFFICE HOURS Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

3 Grade Who are you? Where can I find you? Updating our directory is an important step in knowing who we are as a faith community. Whether you are a member, a friend, or an occasional visitor, we d love to know who you are. Please take a moment to complete the Members and Friends card. You are invited to include a photo as well either by text ( ), or snail-mail. The United Church of Clinton Members & Friends 2018 List information for all family members who are part of our church community. Please include children and other family and relatives noting whether or not they are members. On the back let us know your hobbies, interests and any special events you or your children are involved in (musicals, sports teams, school clubs, etc.) Please PRINT clearly and return to the Church Office. Family Name: Wedding Anniversary: Mailing Address: Home Phone: ( ) - City: Zip: Name (First, Middle, Last, if different) Member (Y/N) Birthday M/D/Year Address Cell Phone #

4 COFFEE OFFICE HOURS With Pastor Lee Drop in Mondays from 10:00-2:00 at Coffeelands on High Street in downtown Clinton CONFERENCE NEWS Did you know that the United Church of Christ Conferences of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island have been in conversation to come together as one? In a joint meeting in June of last year, the three conferences experienced powerful engagement and conversation to kick off a year of exploration and conversation supporting a resolution to bring to the 2018 Annual Meeting a proposal to form a new Conference of the United Church of Christ. In a recent letter to clergy in the conferences a vision/mission/purpose statement was shared with us. It is included in this newsletter. They also invite every congregation to engage in conversation around this statement. If you are interested in learning more about what this means for us here in Clinton and for our sister churches in Southern New England, let the office know. SUPER SATURDAY It s not too late to register for Super Saturday! Gather with other UCC folks from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island for a Spirit Filled day of fellowship, learning, and worship!! Keynote speaker is The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis. It has been said that her 1,000 member congregation in New York City has diversity that looks like the subway, but its legendary love feels like home. Jews, Buddhists, atheists, and Christians pack its sanctuary to standing-room-only capacity. Millenials and boomers, trans and gay, singles and families all call Middle their own. Middle Collegiate Church is an example of Christ s revolutionary love. Morning and afternoon workshops are offered for just about every aspect of church life, growth and management. There s even a children s program which I hear is LOTS of fun! Ask Lee or the office for more information and register soon. Pass it On!! Part of becoming a vital church is having an engaging newsletter for visitors to pick up when they come to church. It s a fantastic way for folks to get to know who we are and what we do. Let us know what your group or committee is up to. Have you seen one of our members in the news? Pass it on! Share your photos. Do you have a favorite prayer, meditation, poem or devotion? Pass it On! The next deadline for submitting articles is March 22 nd ; and the newsletter will be mailed on the 29 th. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter electronically, drop a note to the church office. It will be sent via on the same day it goes out in snail-mail. Interested in becoming a member of United Church? A service of welcome and joining will be part of worship on Sunday April 8 th. Please let Pastor Lee or the church office know if you d like more information.

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6 Our Social Justice Efforts FEED MY SHEEP Our Lenten Spare Change Collection: Abby s House As we ve done in previous years, we ll be supporting the work of Abby s House in Worcester that provides both emergency shelter and affordable housing for women and their children. Learn more about Abby s House at Look for the Spare Change jars in the Sanctuary from Sunday February 18 through March 25 (Palm Sunday). Our Lenten Quarter Calendar: 25 cents a day! This collection will go to Heifer International ( that helps end poverty and gives families the opportunity to support themselves and their communities. WHEAT Community Café (ongoing) We deliver a meal of pizza, salad, and ice cream on the fourth Monday of each month. Reminder that we have a place setting in the Sanctuary on Communion Sunday, the first Sunday of each month, for donations toward the cost of our Café meal, which averages $ each month. Special Offerings: We take a number of special offerings during the year. Keep a lookout for the envelopes in your Sunday bulletin. Here s the list with this month s offering highlighted. March 11, 2018: One Great Hour of Sharing) May 27, 2018: Peace with Justice September 9, 2018: Church World Service October 7, 2018: World Wide Communion Sunday/ Neighbors in Need January 13, 2019: Christmas Fund Offering/Vets of Cross Peace and blessings, Gloria Parkinson On behalf of your Social Justice Committee members: Chrissy Dobeck, Heather McNamara, Madeline McTague, Gloria Parkinson, Gloria Popp, and Pastor Lee (ex officio) Servants in Faith will meet on Sunday, March 18 after worship

7 DEACONS UPDATE March, 2018 Hello everyone! Well I guess that old groundhog was wrong this year! Spring is certainly in the air! Some fun spring facts: Holidays that occur in spring include Easter, Passover, April Fool s Day, Earth Day, Arbor Day, Mother s Day, Father Day, Cinco De Mayo and Holi (the festival of colors in India.) The first spring flowers are typically lilacs, irises, lilies, tulips, daffodils, and dandelions. The myth that it is possible to balance an egg on its end on the spring equinox is just that: a myth. Trying to balance an oval-shaped object on its end is no easier on the spring equinox than on any other day. While some people prefer not to feed birds in spring and summer, during the spring migration, a feeder might be a useful source of food for traveling birds. On Tuesday, February 13 th the Sunday school put on a wonderful pancake supper complete with live and electronic entertainment! Many thanks to all who made this possible, it was a wonderful way to start our Lenten journey! Pastor Lee held a very moving Ash Wednesday service on the 14 th. The service was very meaningful and well attended. Keep in mind that Easter is early this year April 1 st. We will have a Palm Sunday Service on March 25 th at 10 AM. Maundy Thursday with a simple supper on March 29 th at 6 PM Good Friday is still to be determined. Sunrise service will be on April 1st at 6:00 am on Coulter s Ledge, followed by a pot luck breakfast in Marquardt Hall. There will be a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for breakfast items. The Regular Easter service at 10:00 am with the blooming cross. Don t forget to bring in cut spring flowers to decorate the cross. Keep an eye out for the spring flower order form in your bulletin the cost will be $8.00 per plant and the choices will be lilies, tulips, daffodils or hyacinths. Respectfully Submitted for the Deacons by Pam Dobeck LAY LEADER RESPONSIBILITIES Please be there by 9:45 to pass out bulletins & greet Read as specified Arrange for yourself or someone else to take the offering Stand at the door with the Pastor as everyone is leaving If you have volunteered to be a Deacon at the Door/ Lay Reader and can t make it please call or the Church Office or try to get a replacement. Thank you, hopefully this will work and give everyone a chance to participate in the life of our church.

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9 MARCH BIRTHDAYS 01 - Aaron Littlefield 06 - Laura Allen Newton 06 - Robert Ryan 07 - Gabrielle Turcotte 12 - Sam Chetwynd 15 - Jake Poulin 17 - Richard Braconnier 20 - Dudley Moses 22 - Tiffany Sontag 24 - Mike Sawyer 26 - Madeline McTague 27 - Alicia Casey 29 - Arthur Lamy 30 - Sharon Diaz 30 - James Kane 31 - Meghan Noonan MARCH ACTIVITIES 02 - World Day of Prayer 11 - Youth Council Bake Sale /after worship 11 - One Great Hour of Sharing Collection 12 - Deacons/ 7:00 pm 14 - Council/7:30 pm 17 - SUPER SATURDAY 18 - Servants in Faith/ after worship 25 - Worship Planning/ 8:00 am 25 - Youth Council/ 9:15 am 25 - PALM SUNDAY 29 - MAUNDY THURSDAY 30 - GOOD FRIDAY 31 - HOLY SATURDAY CHURCH FAMILY PRAYER LIST > The Turcotte family as they journey with grief. > Teressa Sontag, anticipating chemotherapy and radiation treatment. > Those who are suffering with addiction, and their loved ones. > Sara and Scott Parker who lost their second child to drug overdose. > Laura Garceau who lost a friend to overdose. > Di Titus husband suffered a stroke. > Bill Vuilleumier, Donna s husband, who is undergoing tests > Bill Cummings, undergoing cancer treatment. > Ryan Ingui, who has been hospitalized to undergo tests > Dolly Duca, who is undergoing surgery and radiation for breast cancer > Larry Gilman Jr, who is undergoing tests at Leominster Hospital > Gloria Nillson, who has restarted chemo & is having other health issues {We are updating our prayer list and hoping that Pastor Lee can reach out to those listed here. If you have asked the following folks to be included, please see Pastor Lee} Kate Krafsky Bill Meehan Jim Porcella Billie Jean Dotson Barbara Brigham and Family Jayme Wiggington Carol Buteau Amanda Howe Rachel, Bobby, Kim, and Nycole Chad Kay ALSO, REMEMBER OUR HOME WORSHIPPERS Mary Bisson, Marge Sheridan, Corinne Dobeck, Eunice Salmon, Gloria Nillson & Corinne Gebhardt AND, THOSE IN THE MILITARY Mike Clark (Mary & Joe s son) S/SGT Frank R. Heron (Marge Sheridan s grandson) Captains Aubrey& Tiffany Sontag Pvt. Alex Apell All who are deployed

10 March 25 - April 1 Worship at 10:00 am with Children participating. Join us as we celebrate Jesus triumphal entrance to Jerusalem and mark the start of Holy Week, the final days of Jesus earthly ministry. We will gather for a simple supper at 6:00 pm commemorating the last supper Jesus shared with his disciples. We ll share communion and worship at 6:30 pm. An ecumenical worship service will be held at The Church of the Good Shepherd at noon. Join us as we remember Jesus crucifixion and death at Calvary. Join Pastor Lee on line for a devotion and reflection of this day Jesus spent in the tomb. A devotion and questions will be posted on our web-site and our church s Facebook page with information for joining a zoom-room for group conversation later in the day. Easter Sunrise Worship at 6:00 am at Coulter s Ledge. We pray for a beautiful sunrise as we gather for worship celebrating Christ s Resurrection Communion will be served, and everyone is invited back to the church for a pot luck breakfast. Easter Celebration Worship Service with Blooming Cross at 10:00 am at the Church. Easter Flower Order Form If you are interested in placing flowers on the altar on Easter Sunday in memory or in honor of a Loved One, please fill out this form and return it to the Church Office or Pam Dobeck by Sunday, March 25th with payment. Each plant is $8.00 and checks should be made out to Lancaster Gardens. Given by: In Memory of In Honor of Lily Tulips Daffodils Hyacinth x $ 8.00 TOTAL $

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12 COFFEE HOUR DONATIONS The kitchen ladies are still looking for donations of baked goods for Sunday Coffee Hour. (Please, if you are purchasing ready made baked goods, be sure to check the expiration dates.) ALTAR FLOWERS May be purchased for the altar in celebration, honor or memory of Loved Ones or an occasion by using the sign up sheet on the bulletin board in Marquardt Hall. The full selection---two side pieces, center and bulletins is $50, center is $15, two sides are $30 and bulletins are $5. The arrangements are being made by Country Garden Florists. For additional information and payment contact the Church Office. CHURCH & PHONE LIST If you have recently changed addresses, telephone or cell phone numbers or are new to our Church Family and haven t completed a member information form, please do so as soon as possible and return it to the office. The Church Family and phone list is an important part of our contact network for announcements and updates. WEBSITE The Newsletter section is updated every month...the next updates are scheduled for the beginning of March you can find us at We now also post the weekly bulletins and information on upcoming and ongoing events. APRIL NEWSLETTER DEADLINE Any articles, photos, announcements, calendar events, etc. that need to be in the April Newsletter must be in the Church Office by no later that Thursday, March 22 at 9:00 am. THE UNITED CHURCH OF CLINTON 109 Haskell Avenue Clinton Massachusetts Contact Information: Pastor Lee Atherton Church Office Hours....Mon -Thu 9:00-12:30 (Closed on Fridays) Office Telephone cu@clintonunitedchurch.org Website... Committee Chairs: Council Moderator.Bob Lidstone ( ) Deacons...Pam Dobeck ( ) Missions&SocialJustice..Gloria Parkinson( ) Worship Planning Team Gloria Parkinson ( ) MusicMinistryCoordinator GloriaParkinson( ) Youth Council Sunday School.Christine Dobeck ( ) Heather McNamara ( ) Year I Confirmation...Bob Lidstone ( ) Youth Council Heather McNamara( ) Chrissy Dobeck ( ) Property...Fred Sontag ( ) Servants in Faith... Mary Ellen Matthew ( UPCOMING EASTER SUNDAY April 1 Don t forget to bring a dish to share for the Potluck Breakfast after the Sunrise Service at 6:00 and cut flowers for the Blooming Cross at the Easter Celebration Service at 10:00 ANNUAL MEETING April 29