THE AGAWAM ARROW Volume 31 Issue 11 November 2018 AGAWAM CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH United Church of Christ, 745 Main Street, Agawam, MA 01001 A church where the Holy Spirit is alive, uniting people with Christ through: Transforming ministries, vibrant worship, diligent study and warm fellowship. A place to call home A people to call family. 10 am Worship Service with a blending of traditional and contemporary Christian music. Family Communion is celebrated the 1 st Sunday of each month. Join us for coffee/fellowship hour after church every Sunday! Pastor: Rev Dr. Greg Dawson revgregdawson@hotmail.com Cell (413)250-0279 Rev. Office hours: Tues, Wed, Thurs. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Director of Children & Family Ministries: Janet Brown janetbrown@agawamcong.com Organist/ Choir Director: Tracy Nawskon Administrative Assistant: Melissa Torres-Newman Sexton: Dave Christian Deacon of the Month: Caroline Bassett LIKEus on Facebook: Agawam Congregational Church UCC Check us out on the web: www.agawamcongregationalchurch.com Office hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30 am- 1:30 pm Office # 413-786-7111
The month of November has arrived and with it the frost on the morning ground and the need to rake the fallen leaves. There are summer clothes that need to be put away and winter clothes need to be placed in their rightful place. The day of Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and family plans need to be set before that day arrives. Will you be staying at home this year or will you need to pack up the family and travel? We have now entered the holiday season and our calendars are becoming over filled with activities, appointments and places to be. But before you begin to run off on your frantic journey through this holiday season can I ask to STOP! Yes I said STOP! You need to STOP and take a moment to GIVE THANKS. You need to step back from the hectic pace to reflect upon all the blessings in your life for which you should GIVE THANKS. The warmth of summer and the coolness of the fall. The chance to step away from work for vacation and the fact that you have work to return to. For family and friends. For conversations and for times of silence. Our lives are chucked full with blessings through out every day we have been given to live. It s time we took time to look and see all that has been given us freely by our heavenly father. It s time we stopped to give Him THANKS. May you this year experience a Great Thanksgiving! Pastor Greg Giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20
ACC Children & Family Ministries Dear Friends, 2018 is winding down, as our lives seem to be winding up! Thank you for your support of our Trunk or Treat event, we had a great time and hope you did too! This month we have some exciting news to share! After much discussion, prayer and consideration, Family Ministries at Agawam Congregational Church is beginning a new worship experience. This month, New Wine Ministries will hold our first gathering on November 18 th at 4:00 pm in Bryan Hall. This is a time for your whole family to worship together, and EVERYONE is invited! While this will be somewhat different from our traditional service on Sunday morning, I know that God will come to meet with us as we gather to give thanks. After a brief, interactive worship time, we will gather in fellowship to share a meal. I hope you will come join us as we see what God has in store next for us! A few dates to remember: Nov 4 th - Family Service with Communion. Kid Kits will be ready, so be sure to pick them up in the narthex! Nov 11 th, 18 th & 25 th PRAYground is OPEN! Be sure to come down and experience our new format for Sunday School! We are all loving the family prayer station at the end of each time together. Nov 17 th Pictures with SANTA at our Holiday Bazaar! (Donation of any amount requested.) Start your holiday season off right, getting a great pic of the whole family with Santa! Nov 18 th Interactive Worship at 4 pm (dinner to follow) Nov 1 st, 8 th, 15 th and 29 th AGAWAM FAMILY PLAYGROUP begins at 9:30 am, so come play and learn with us! This is open to the public, so tell your friends and family about this free activity. Free play, literacy activities, crafts and snack are all a part of this special time and we host two age groups to ensure that everyone has fun. This group is open to all children birth through age 5 with their caregivers. As we look toward the busy calendars of the holiday season, may you find ways to seek peace and give thanks in all things! If you can t join us in church, be sure to stay connected on Facebook, on our website at www.agawamcongregationalchurch.com or on our new app, Smart Church. I look forward to celebrating with you! Blessings, Janet Janet Brown, Director of Children & Family Ministries janetbrown@agawamcong.com P. S. As you do your online holiday shopping, please consider using Smile.Amazon.com and selecting ACC to receive a percentage of your purchase price. Amazon is giving back, let s support our church!
Parish Cupboard Item for the month: Stuffing, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce Thank you to Matt Blackak for bringing our donated goods to the Parish Cupboard every month! MEN S FELLOWSHIP Will meet on November 10, 7:30 am at Bobbie J z! All men are welcome to attend. PROPERTY COMMITTEE All concerns should be addressed to the Property Committee first please, not the church Council. Dick Bassett is our Property Committee chair and is available to speak with anyone. Thank you. Thank you to all who continue to make purchases through Amazon Smiles and earn ACC free $!! For more information go to: www.amazonsmiles.com This quarter we earned $14.93. Don t forget to pick up your copy of the UpperRoom & Daily Bread booklets in the Narthex & Bryan Hall! Allow the Lord to refresh your soul as you read the word of God on a daily basis. CHURCH LIGHTING This is a wonderful way to honor a loved one, a birthday, an anniversary or any event in your life. Your generous contribution is used to light the lower spot lights in the front of the church. Suggested Donations: One week: -$20.00 & One Month: -$75.00 PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY Anyone interested in knitting or crocheting prayer shawls please join us every Monday morning at 9 a.m. 10:30 a.m. in the Friendship Room. All are welcome! -Charlene Trombley JUNK FOR JESUS We are now collecting scrap metal to raise funds for the church. Please see Dick Bassett to donate your items! Lending Cupboard Ministry: We have medical equipment for those in need; please call the office for more info. We are accepting donations to this ministry as well. Thank you in advance for your generosity. LOAVES & FISHES Volunteers are also needed to help serve! Please see Pat Mesick for questions. We meet every 3 rd Monday of the month at 4:00 p.m. Sauce and macaroni are always appreciated! Thank you! NEWSLETTER ARTICLES ARE DUE on the SECOND SUNDAY of each month. Please let Missy know if there are any meeting date, time or location changes to ensure accurate information in Newsletter and Bulletin. If you or a family member is hospitalized, please call the church office to let Pastor Greg know. The hospitals, by law, cannot let us know you are there. Please have a family member or a friend call us at 786-7111. For after office hour phone calls, we have voice mail please leave us a message or call Pastor Greg directly. Home/789-0141 or cell/250-0279 in an emergency. THE BAZAAR IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER Ladies, thank you for the lovely jewelry you have donated to the Bazaar. It has all been cleaned and is ready to be sold. One thing I could use is larger boxes to hold 2 and 3 piece sets (necklace and earrings, bracelet and necklace, etc). Just leave these in the office. But most of all, please do come and see all that will be available for Christmas gifts. ~Ann Tapply
Deaths: ACC would like to express our heartfelt condolences to Ruth Blanch s family on her passing on October 2, 2018. Psalms 95: 2--Let us come before his presence with Thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. As we near the day of Thanksgiving let us think about all the GOOD things we have. It is so easy to be "half empty people" instead of looking at all the things we have to be THANKFUL for. We live in a country where we are able to travel with ease, work at a job of choice, have many friendships and worship where and when we want too. I am so thankful for my health every day! I look around and see many people in my age group struggling with one disease or the other. THANK YOU GOD! As a congregation with hard decisions ahead of us let us read what Jesus told Timothy in Timothy 4:4, For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving: For it is satisfied by the word of God, and prayer. God's Blessings to you and yours. Caroline Bassett, Deacon of the Month As of this January I am discontinuing the Shut-In Ministry that involves sending monthly cards to our shut -ins as well as sympathy and get well cards. Please let the office or myself know if you want to take this over. Thank you. Marilyn Alexander In memory of Beatrice Crosby ~Peter & Carol Clark ~Nancy Mitchell ~Dale Melanson ~David & Diane Deluca ~Karen Forni Austin & Alfred Austin Jr. ~Eleanor Forni ~Alexandra & Ray Orr ~Joseph & Carol Bright ~Tom & Diane Andruszkiewicz ~Anne Dout ~John & Joan Hauser ~Cathie Strniste ~Tom & Gail Mathes ~Patty & Vinnie Dimauro ~Judy & Michael St. Jean ~Wes & Linda Merrill ~Kathy Santangelo ~Stephanie Vanttatten ~Lauren Stack ~Patricia Gaspar In memory of Walter Hollinger ~Nancy Mitchell ~Dale Melanson ~Warren & Ann Tapply ~John & Joan Hauser November Flowers 11/4-OPEN SUNDAY 11/11-Memory of Richard Brindle & all Veterans. (2)-Red Rose in memory ALL VETERANS. 11/18-OPEN PANTRY FOOD-Flower Comm. 11/25-Memory of Eva & Fred Sanford. December 16 th Christmas Cantata December 23rd Christmas Caroling & Bell Choir A special thank you to Ann Tapply for proofing the weekly Bulletin & Newsletter before it goes to print. November Ushers and Lay Readers 11/4-Ed Nawskon/Janet Brown 11/11-Ann Tapply/Pat Mesick 11/18-Al Runshaw/Charlene Trombley 11/25-Todd Bousquet/Roberta Page Stewardship Sunday is November 11, 2018. Look for your letters and pledging cards in the mail. Thank you.
Hi folks, Shelby again - It was a really nice day a couple of weeks ago and I decided to take out my bike. After I told Mom I was leaving, I just rode around the neighborhood. Then I saw the park on Main Street. You know the one with the giant stones. The sign said Veterans Green and I spent quite a lot of time just looking at those really big stones that are there. Someone even wrote names in them. It was so peaceful, and the flowers were so pretty, it s like a garden. That place is right near the school, and a kid that was standing near there, told me he was in the second grade. I don t know what a grade is. But he was in it. Some kids were even riding on a yellow bus. There were a lot of yellow busses there. I asked one of the kids why he didn t ride on the yellow bus and he said he just lived across the street, and then he said they call it a school bus, dummy, not a yellow bus. Well, OK, I ll call it a school bus from now on. Life is a learning experience, isn t it? After the kids got off of the bus and walked into the school, the busses were leaving, but I just wanted to go on one for a minute. I crawled up the stairs, but the driving man said go into the school little boy. Take off that bear costume it s too early for Halloween. OK - I got out. That guy was really grumpy and he scared me. So when I walked over to my bike I told myself to be a big bear that s what dad says, so I thought I d go down the street that goes to the bike path. The lady with the yellow jacket asked me if she could help me was I lost? Just then I saw a man with a cup of coffee I think it was coffee, so I went by those other places. Dad said the front of the store tells you what they sell inside. One place said VAPE, and then there was HAIR, and NAILS and UTOPIA. I don t even know what a VAPE is, or a UTOPIA and I didn t see one that said coffee. Now I m getting scared cause this is a weird area, so I went back to the yellow jacket lady and I told her my street, so she told me how to get there and I headed home. WOW, what an ordeal. Mom was making an apple pie my favorite so I told her my story. She could tell I was almost crying. She told me what the costume was and about all the real fun at Halloween, and then she said would you like to have a Halloween costume, Shelby? Then she thought a minute. Maybe you could be a mummy. It would be easy. She said she could just wrap me round and round in toilet paper. BROTHER, is she nuts? So we decided on the mummy suit and I even have a Geisslers bag for the candy everyone is giving me. If I come to your house you might know it s me if you see someone wrapped in toilet paper. I ll tell you a secret - I really love CHOCOLATE! That would be a good treat for me. Bye Once again the holidays are just around the corner and for the Missionary Committee-that means helping those less fortunate. A donation of $5.00 will buy a Blanket of Love to be given to someone in need and help them stay warmer during the coming winter. This happens through Church World Service and its worldwide. We will be taking donations before and after church on November 4, 11, 18 & 25 with the dedication on November 25 th. Please look for Matt & Gail near the big Blanket of Love for your chance to help Sandi Forni, Missions Chair
A special thank you to Joan Cushing who for years has mailed out bulletins on a weekly basis to our Shut-ins. Joan is stepping back from this ministry and we want to honor her years of service to the Shut-ins! Thank you! Words can t express how blessed I feel with all the outpouring of concern & support after the passing of my mother. It s truly overwhelming. God Bless you. Thanks for all the love, Sandi Forni We wish to give our Veterans a heartfelt thank you for your service and sacrifice. ~Friendship Committee Gift Card fundraiser to benefit the general fund will be on sale November 17 th at the Holiday Bazaar, see Janet. It may the last year for this fundraiser due to little reward for a lot of work! Last day to order is December 2nd!!!!! New Member: Welcome Bernard Crosby! We are thrilled and happy you decided to become a church member to this amazing family. We look forward to sharing our church lives and community with you! Let Us Gather meets every Wednesday, 7 pm in the choir room. Come join us for a time of Christian fellowship and group discussions. Want to earn Free $$ for the church?? Bring your used INK CARTRIDGES to the church and we recycle them for money! Leave ink cartridges by the office door. In the past few months we have earned 50.00 in free $$! This has helped pay for color ink. Thanks to Dave Bertagnolli for heading this project up. Cemetery Boxes on sale at the Holiday Bazaar on Sat, November 17, 9am-2pm for $20.00. Please see Dale. Cindy Taylor is asking for men to assist crafters prior to and after the Christmas Bazaar. Times are Friday, November 16th, 1-4pm and 7-9pm, and again on Sat. Nov. 17th from 7-9 am and from 2-3 pm to get merchandise up and down stairs. Some are bringing their own table and will need help with that as well. Please see Cindy Taylor for more information. Thank you! The Property Committee would like to thank Betty Fogg on research and finding fireproof draperies. The Congregation voted to replace drapes at no cost to church budget. All money was donated from the church and $500.00 from Junk for Jesus. The drapes will be up as soon as they are received. Thank you to all who contributed to the cost. Dick Bassett, Property Chair ACC would like to thank Marilyn Alexander for serving our Congregation by ministering to those who are shut -in, sick or in mourning by sending cards. We thank you for your kindness over the years for remembering others. God Bless you. She is stepping away from this ministry; we are looking for someone to take over. Please see Marilyn for more information.
New Wine Ministry Invites you to gather with us as we give thanks on Sunday, November 18, 4 pm in Bryan Hall for Thanksgiving Worship. Everyone is welcome; bring a dish to share in fellowship. Sign-up sheet in Bryan Hall.
Give to Caesar what is Caesar s, and to God what is Gods. Jesus - Mark 12:7 In 2019 our church will celebrate its 200 th anniversary. In our time here on Main Street our members have heeded the multiple calls to war, endured health and financial crises and funded the times our church needed to expand its facility and staff. There have been seasons of growth and of decline. As described in Ecclesiastes chapter three To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. But the one thing that has never changed is that throughout all the seasons of life our God has journeyed with us through it all while revealing to each generation their divine purpose for their moment in the sun. As God has been with the members of this congregation in the past so will He remain with us as we prepare to enter our 200 th year. Knowing that God is with us and for us let us therefore boldly walk together into the future that God has been preparing for us. Come let us commit ourselves to support our church through our participation, our labor and our resources. The Caesars of this world expect a lot from us. They expect our allegiance, our taxes, our obedience and our civic duty. But it is our Heavenly Father who gave us everything through his son Jesus Christ. And it is Jesus who told us to give to Caesar what is Caesar s and to God what belongs to God. Jesus gave his life so that we might receive eternal life - life that is overflowing, unending, redeeming, forgiving etc. A life that was bought by Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. In other words, our life belongs to God. So then, what does it mean to you to give to God what belongs to God? Blessings, The Stewardship Committee Agawam Congregational Church