From One Who Wants More, come and join me. Pastor Doug

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? Yes, Lord, she told him, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world. John 11:25, 26 Dear Members and Friends, April, 2018 Lately, I have found myself being overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord. The more time that I spend with the Lord in prayer, meditation, reading, fellowship and worship, the more I am amazed at how much He loves you and me and how much He desires for us to get to know Him in a more personal and intimate way. Christianity is not about religion, rituals and traditions; it s all about relationships, first with God through Jesus Christ and then with the Body of Christ. It s the greatest love story ever told, ever experienced and ever ongoing. I recently was talking with a young man who was at a crossroads in his life regarding his relationship with his fiancée. In talking about marriage being a lifelong commitment, he was stuck on the thought that after so many years with the same partner, it must get boring and become more of a chore and duty out of obligation than a relationship that is alive and exciting. I asked how he came to this conclusion. He responded that so many of the relationships that he was aware of seemed to have lost their first love and just exist. What a shame. That, which God intended to be good as well as symbolic of His love relationship with us, was merely existing, but not living. Also, how true this is of many of us in our relationship with God. So often we are caught up with doing that we forget it s all about being. I began to think about what makes a good, healthy and an alive relationship, whether with God or with our spouses. Three specific things come to mind, though I am sure there are many more. One is time. Time is taken and given between the parties involved to talk, to listen, to hold, to discuss, to struggle and grapple with issues, to learn and to love. Without time, people in relationships drift apart and lose their connectedness. Two is openness and trust. Being open to and putting one s trust in another person makes us vulnerable and we, as human beings tend to have a hard time with this. Whether from past hurts at the hands of religious people or partners, we have become guarded and have built walls of safety that very few people are able to penetrate. Unfortunately, this has prevented us from experiencing the fullness of relationships and we have robbed God, our spouses and ourselves from all potential goodness and enjoyment that comes with healthy relationships. Three, is perseverance. Good relationships just don t happen. It takes a commitment; a pushing forward, a desire to experience more no matter what it takes, knowing that it can only get better. By better, I m talking about it being deeper, more intimate, more personal, more connected, more, more, more As much as God desires for all earthly relationships to grow, this pales in comparison with how much God desires to be in relationship with you and me. You and I have only begun to know and experience what God has in store for his children who would choose to love, serve and walk with Him. Did you notice that I used the word choose. God does not make us do anything that we don t want to do. He has offered and made available every spiritual blessing in the heavens (Ephesians 1:3), but, you and I must make a choice. We could settle for second best and get by with a ho-hum relationship, which all too often is reflected in our earthly relationships, or we could press on, seeking all that God has made available to us here on earth. My prayer for all of us is found in Ephesians 3:17a-19, And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Don t short change yourself and miss out on what God has waiting for you. Take a step of faith, put your trust in him and let God meet you in a very special way. He s waiting and wanting to do a new thing in your life regarding your relationship with Him and others. From One Who Wants More, come and join me. Pastor Doug

For Your Information On Thursday, March 15 th, 2018 repairs were made to the motor for the organ blower to the tune of $1,500.00. Through 2 - $750.00 gifts given anonymously, the bill has been paid. To the donors, thank you. On Sunday, March 1 st, 2018 five individuals became official members of our congregation. They are: Nick and Eileen DiBatista, Pat and Ken Whitney, and Dennis McMullen. On Sunday, March 18 th, 2018, a reception was held to honor and thank Rev. David and Christina Thorngate for their years of service with us. During the morning worship service, we had a time of prayer over them. A love offering was received which was presented to them during the reception. The offering came to $1,675.00. A special note of thanks goes to all who gave so generously as well as a thank you to all who helped put on the reception. As you know, an anonymous person gifted to the church an AED to be used should there ever be a need. Those individuals who are listed above have received training and should there ever be a need and they are in church, they will know how to respond. However, should they not be around and there is an emergency, the AED is located outside the Secretary s office on the wall. Open it, remove the AED and there are simple instructions on how to use it. LOOKING AHEAD April 7 th from 9:00 11:00 a.m. Cleaning the attic above the Sanctuary We need a number of able bodies to help us remove all the clutter that has collected over the years in the attic. The stuff that is being removed will either go into the tag sale, the fund raiser for the youth group, or the town dump. If you are able to give us 1-2 hours to help us, we would greatly appreciate it. April 28 th from 9:00 Noon: Spring Cleaning Day. We as a church have been truly blessed with Rich Trommer who keeps our church looking spotless and presentable all the time. However, just like in our homes, there is that need for special cleaning projects to be done that we have not been able to get at for a few years. We have asked different boards to oversee and be responsible for special areas. Deacons: Sanctuary Christian Education: Library Books Finance Property: Closets Executive Board: Kitchen Staff Parish: Fellowship Hall and Fire Side Room Missions: Choir room and offices Supplies Needed: pails, rags or sponges The church will supply the actual cleaning supplies like Lysol, murphy s oil, etc. Come join with the family as we make our church shine to the glory of God. MAUNDAY THURSDAY SERVICE March 29 th at 7:00 p.m. THEME What Would You Say to Those You Love If You Knew It Was the Last Time Maundy Thursday is the time when we remember that Jesus is spending his last moments with His disciples before He is betrayed, tried, and crucified. The words found in scriptures give us a glimpse of some of the things that Jesus spoke to them regarding what was about to happen to Him personally, and to give them words of encouragement for the future. Come join with us as we reflect of these words. We will take some time to search our own hearts about how the words that Jesus spoke to His disciples in the upper room apply to us in our everyday life and then what we might say to our loved ones if we knew the end was near and eminent. The life of Christ up to the point of His betrayal and crucifixion is really an example of how we should be living our lives in terms of how to love our family, neighbors and even our enemies, how to treat each other with respect, and how to develop a relationship with God that is pleasing to Him.

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE March 30 th at 7:00 p.m. Join us for the Good Friday service at 7:00 p.m. as we look at the Christian story from beginning to end. EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE April 1 st at 6:15 a.m. FRISBEE LANDING Gather with others in celebration of the resurrection of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! The Christian Clergy Council of Cromwell once again hosts our annual Easter Sunrise service at 6:15 a.m. The guest speaker will be Rev. Michael Guibord from Grace Communion International. Coffee and pastries will be served following the service. Remember, this is the only Easter Sunrise Tailgate celebration that I know of. Don t miss this special time together. EASTER SUNDAY SERVICE April 1 st at 9:30 a.m. Gather with us and our choir Easter morning at 9:30 a.m. service to celebrate the resurrection of the King of Kings, He Has Risen! Pastor Doug will share with us the scripture lesson Luke 24:1-12 and his sermon titled, If He is Risen There can be only Two Responses. Thank you to our congregation who donated the beautiful Easter flowers.

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS March roared in like a lion and the lion continued to roar as we all prayed for spring! The Sunday school was very busy preparing for Easter and the celebration of the Resurrection. We invited the congregation to help us complete our Sunday school bulletin board by writing postcards to Jesus. The board looked beautiful and the messages to Jesus were very special and moving. We thank all who contributed postcards! The preschool through grade 1 class has been busy talking about Jesus best friends, the 12 Disciples. The children learned how Jesus performed miracles to heal people who were sick, blind, or lame. They also learned how Jesus fed thousands with just a small offering of bread and fish from a young boy, walked on water, and calmed a stormy sea. We ended the month with a discussion about Palm Sunday. The children in grades 2 4 continue to read the book, Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt, by Anne Rice. The children are learning what it was like in Egypt and Israel when Jesus was a young boy. This historical fiction book has helped them to make a connection to Jesus on their level and has assisted them in understanding some of the teachings and laws from the Old Testament. The children in grades 5 7 continue to work through the Old Testament stories. They have wonderful discussions about the lessons learned in these stories and they are making connections to their own lives and the world today. April showers are the inspiration for studying Noah this month. Hopefully, we won t have cause to build an ark! The Pre-Confirmation class has been doing an in-depth study of the books of the Bible. They are learning who wrote the books, how the books are organized, what the main messages are in each book, and how the books relate to their lives. They have had great discussions and their knowledge base is growing rapidly! Our mission for this month continues to be Feed My Starving Children. Donation envelopes are available in the Narthex or you can request one from the office. We hope everyone can give a little something to help us meet our goal of raising $2600. It only costs $0.25 per day to feed a child. You can feed a child for a week by giving up one cup of Starbuck s! As always, we thank you for your generosity. The children performed the song, He s the King of Everything on Palm Sunday and brought smiles to everyone with their song and dance! We followed the performance with a Sunday school coffee hour and served the congregation cupcakes, fruit, bagels, popcorn, pretzels, chips, rice crispy treats, cheese and crackers, cookies, coffee, tea, and juice. A good time was had by all. I thank all the families for the wonderful treats, the children for their service, Nancy Clayton and Tammy Steele for all the kitchen help, and the many others who helped with clean up! Happy Easter to all! In His Service, Pam Jones

Thoughts of Spring: As I write this, it is a few days after the March 7 th snowstorm, most of the heavy wet snow is still on the ground, along with several large tree limbs, brought down by the weight of the snow. The first crocuses which had poked up their heads now lie flattened beneath a snow bank. Some days we may feel like that broken tree or crushed flower: laden with burdens that are hard to bear or push us to the breaking point. When that happens, try taking a few moments to lift your concerns up to the Lord in prayer. You might just be surprised at how much better you feel. Even on this late winter day, there are signs of spring: more birds are visiting the birdfeeder and the crocuses in a more sheltered spot are beginning to sprout. The hours of daylight are longer: No longer do we go to work and come home in the dark. On Easter, Jesus triumph over death became real, and with joy we welcome the promise and hope that his resurrection brings us. For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land Song of Solomon 2:11 12. Elaine Jones, for the Deacon Board Dear friends, Thank you! Thank you all for the phone calls, gifts of food, visits and prayers, following my recent surgery. Hoping to be back soon, though it seems progress is slow. Sincerely, Donna Dudash

MILITARY WHIST (Card Party) First Congregational Church 355 Main St. (Rte. 99) Cromwell, CT Thursday, May 3, 2018 Doors open @ 5:30 p.m. - $7/person Free refreshments 1 st hand starts promptly @ 6:30 p.m. (game instruction by Kevin Welch) NO EXPERIENCE OR RESERVATION REQUIRED (EASY TO LEARN SETBACK HELPFUL) All welcome have fun with family, friends, and neighbors Raffle prizes Door Prizes (donations support community projects) Contacts: J. Norman (860) 635-9434 Church Office: (860) 635-4806 Parking Main Street Come play, easy to learn! Bring a friend or a team of 4! Make new friends!

Missions Board For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. - Song of Solomon 2:11-12 Greetings, March has been a rough month for us all, with all this snow and bad weather. Spring and the sunshine are upon us! The missions board will be having the Crums for a visit on Sunday April 8 th, 2018. Please join us after coffee hour to attend a lunch (dutch treat) with the Crums at Ruby s Tuesday. We will also be having the Walter Hoving Home for a visit on April 22, 2018. After the service, please join us for a Potluck Luncheon, and if you could, please bring your favorite dish to share. Please join us on these dates to meet and share fellowship. For April we have an update from Adreanna Sjaan Waller; I have been struggling along with many others here in Texas with flu. This is the 3rd week and various symptoms continue even using medications which have not exactly cleared up the coughing and breathing issues. Thankfully my partner Vic Kondo in Colombia and Angel the Guayabero Indian translator reviewed the whole Summary of the Old Testament which I sent them to read through and edit. It returned and I have been able to work through the edits. Hopefully this will be the first volume and version to go to a printer in Colombia. In the meantime the books of Genesis and Exodus with straight scripture (chapters and verses in Guayabero) are being put into a second volume since they are all consultant checked and I will be reading and editing through that volume soon. The final and 3rd volume will be the portions of all the rest of the books of the Old Testament. These two volumes will also be sent over email as.pdf files to a printer in Bogota where digital copies will be printed. These 3 volumes make the Old Testament available to the Guayaberos for the first time. Hopefully the Colombian missionaries working with New Tribes will be using this scripture in their teaching and preaching ministry among the Guayaberos. Other copies will be given to those who can read. I have hopes that a recording can be made of Genesis perhaps by the mission agency "Faith Comes by Hearing" located in Arizona you can look into their work on the web. They distribute players called "proclaimers" and small mini ones with which the people can listen to the scriptures in small groups or in the home. My family has not found a good solution for the 16 year old twin and hopefully he may be able to attend a school in August. Thank you for praying for Kristian Waller and his needs. This was in my letter in January. Greetings to all the folks there at Cromwell. Adreana Sjaan Waller Photo of Colombian missionaries (Left to right Matthew 16, His parents Gus and Rosiris Ricardo, single woman, Luz America Ocoro who live among the Guayaberos teaching and ministering to them). Your Missions Board, Jean Dunning, John Savvides, Marie Tong

MILITARY WHIST Card Party May 3, 2018 Mark your calendar and save the date for a fun night out with family, friends, and neighbors. Join in on another set and make new friends. No experience required, each game coordinated by Kevin Welch. Proceeds benefit the Church General Fund. Requirements for a successful event: Co-chair Raffle gifts (Gift cards or certificates from your local business, eatery, salon, shop,, gas station or market) Raffle items or prepared baskets Items to make a basket Door prizes needed Volunteers to provide light refreshments Volunteers to set up refreshments at 4:30 Volunteers to sell tickets (admission, raffles, 50/50) at 5:30 p.m. Volunteers to help with drawings/raffles at end of games. A church letter and a flyer with game details is available. Please take a flyer to display at your local market, shop or restaurant. Completed baskets, items for raffles and/or door prizes may be left in the closet by the fellowship hall. Please mark for the Whist. (See me after church if you have gift cards.) Questions? See me after church or call (860) 635-9434. Deacons: 4/01 Lorrie Huffaker 4/08 Elaine Jones 4/15 John Tomasulo 4/22 Lorrie Huffaker 4/29 Elaine Jones April Schedule Coffee Hour: 4/01 No Coffee Hour 4/08 Missions Board 4/15 Tom and Nancy Clayton 4/22 Potluck Lunch 4/29 Volunteer Needed Flowers: 4/01 Easter Flowers 4/08 The Foberg family 4/15 Cindy and Marshall Dunbar 4/22 Vickey Warner and Lisa Paradis 4/29 Betty Williams Ushers: 4/01 Carolyn and Gary Decko, John Tomasulo RoseMary Frederick and Nancy Clayton 4/08 Phyllis and Scott Baecker 4/15 Tammy and Jim Steele 4/22 Brenda Pines and Joe Cap 4/29 Karla and Scott McClain Sound: 4/01 Rick Dansereau 4/08 John Savvides 4/15 Jimmy Steele 4/22 Rick Dansereau 4/29 Jim Steele Joyce Norman Event Chair

The Frank & Florence Pierson Scholarship Fund The Frank & Florence Pierson Scholarship Fund was created by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Daley in loving memory of Mrs. Daley s parents. The fund awards an annual scholarship to be announced the first Sunday in June to a deserving student selected by the Scholarship Committee of the First Congregational Church of Cromwell, CT. The Scholarship Committee for this fund will consist of: one Property & Finance Board member, one Christian Education member, one Deacon Board member, and Margaret Daley or a successor designated by the Howard/Daley family in the event Mrs. Daley is unable to vote. The Pastor will be an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the committee. In case of a tie vote, the Daley family will make the final decision. The decision of the Scholarship Committee is final. In the event the committee does not find a suitable applicant, the scholarship will not be awarded that year, but added to the principal. The amount of the award will be the interest accumulated during the previous year, less 15%, which will be added back to the principal. The scholarship will be awarded to a student who demonstrates an overall commitment in the following areas of academics, arts, athletics, church activities, community involvement, leadership, etc. Guidelines and instructions for applying for the Frank and Florence Pierson Scholarship Fund are as follows: 1. Either the applicant or applicant s parents must be members of the First Congregational Church. 2. Applications may be filed by any student pursuing post High School education whether it is college, trade school, graduate school, or seminary. 3. Completed applications must be filed on or before May 1 st. Applications are available in the church office. 4. The scholarship will be awarded the first Sunday in June.

FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE DID YOU KNOW? 1. The church phone # is 860-635-4806. 2. The church fax # is 860-635-4246. 3. The Church E-mail address is fcchurch01@snet.net 4. The Pastor s E-mail address is douglasvanv@gmail.com 5. The Pastor s cell phone # is 860-638- 8014. 6. The Pastor s day off is Wednesday. 7. Church website is www.fcccromwell.org 8. The Church Secretary s hours are: Mon. Thurs. 9 3 p.m. She is off on Friday. 9. The church address: 355 Main St. P.O. Box 156, Cromwell, CT 06416 10. Facebook, find us listed at First Congregational Church Cromwell Executive Board The Executive Board will meet on Thursday, April 19 th at 7:00 p.m. to hear reports from the different boards, review the church budget, and discuss any new business of the church. The Board members are either the Chairman or alternate of each board, Church Treasurer, Church Clerk and two Members at Large. The Members at Large are to represent the church as a whole and are available to you, the congregation, to talk with about any concerns that you feel need to be addressed within the church, to express your opinion about any issues, or to share with them how you feel things are within the church, both the positive and negative. Your representatives are James Steele (860) 632-8624 and Phyllis Baecker (860) 635-4380. Please feel free to call them or see them at church and talk with them. Men s Breakfast At Mitchell s on Main April 14 th at 8:00 a.m. Common Threads Our Prayer Shawl ministry will meet Monday, April 9, 2018 at 6:30 pm in the Fireside Room. If you like to knit or crochet and are looking for a meaningful service opportunity, please come and join us. We meet the second Monday from September through May (excluding December). We would love to have you all join us. Thank you, Dana Greco Financials As we discussed at the Annual Meeting in January, we will keep everyone up to date on a monthly basis as to how the church finances are doing. Period Ending: February 28, 2018 Income: $30,092.03 Expense: $34,112.16 Income (Under) Expenses: ($4,020.13) Ladies Daytime Fellowship The Ladies Daytime Fellowship Potluck Luncheon will be on Wednesday, April 4 th at noon. Judy Trepanier and Donna Dudash will be hostesses. All ladies are welcome; just bring your favorite dish. Coffee and dessert are provided.

Youth Group Happy Spring, well at least according to the calendar The Youth Group has been a little laid back during the month of March. We cleaned out the Youth Group Room and reorganized supplies. We are prepping for our overnight Lock-In to be held on Good Friday following the service. Please look for a gift from the Youth Group as you leave church on Easter Sunday. Last week we watched Veggie Tales The Wizard of Has, a combination of the Wizard of OZ and The Prodigal Son. Who doesn t love Veggie Tales, no matter how old you are. On March 25 th we went to see I Can Only Imagine, the movie about MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard s life. We continue to collect clothes for our Savers Clothing Drive until Friday, April 13 th. Thank you to all who have donated, we greatly appreciate it. Beginning April 1 st, we will be having a Yankee Candle fundraiser. Look for Dana or any of the Youth Group during coffee hour to order until Sunday, April 22 nd. Our Schedule for April is as follow: Sunday, April 1 Easter Sunday no Youth Group Sunday, April 8 In-house meeting 4:00 5:30 pm Saturday, April 14 9:00 am meet at church to load and deliver clothing to Savers. Sunday, April 15 No Youth Group Sunday, April 22 in-house meeting 4:00 5:30 pm (Yankee Candle orders due) Sunday, April 29 in-house meeting 4:00 5:30 pm Saturday, May 5 Chris Tomlin s Night of Worship at the XL Center concert more info later. Thank you all for your support of the Youth Group. Dana Greco and Scott Conquest

April 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 6:15 AM Sunrise Service at Frisbee Landing 9:15 AM Praise and Worship 9:30 AM Easter Morning Worship Service 10:45 AM Coffee Hour 8 9:15 AM Praise and Worship 9:30 AM Worship Service - Crum's visiting 10:45 AM Coffee Hour 11:30 AM Lunch with Crum s 4:00 PM Youth Group Meeting 2 3 7:00 PM Deacon 7:00 PM Choir Board Meeting 9 6:30 PM Common Threads 10 7:00 PM Choir 4 5 12:00 PM Ladies 6:00 PM Dennis Daytime McMullen - Fellowship Award Dinner Potluck Luncheon 11 12 13 *Last Day to collect for clothing drive! 6 7 8:00 AM Al - Anon Training 9:00AM cleaning attic 14 8:00 AM Men's Breakfast at Mitchell's on Main 9:00 AM Youth Group go to Savers with clothes from clothing drive 15 9:15 AM Praise and Worship 9:30 AM Worship Service 10:45 AM Coffee Hour 10:45 AM Finance and Property Board Meeting 16 17 7:00 PM Choir 18 19 7:00 PM Executive Board Meeting 20 21 22 9:15 AM Praise and Worship 9:30 AM Worship Service -- Walter Hoving Home Visit 10:45 AM POT LUCK LUNCH 4:00 PM Youth Group Meeting 29 9:15 AM Praise and Worship 9:30 AM Worship Service 10:45 AM Coffee Hour 4:00 PM Anna Doering Concert 4:00 PM Youth Group Meeting 23 5:00 PM Historical Society Potluck in Fellowship Hall 24 7:00 PM Choir 30 1 7:00 PM Choir 25 26 27 28 9:00 AM Spring Cleaning of FCC 2 3 Military Whist 6:30pm 4 5 Youth Group Chris Tomlin s Night of Worship