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There's lots going on this week!
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This Sunday, February 7 Membership Sunday
9:00 Chancel Choir 9:30 Children's Choir 10:00 Worship for All 10:20 Children to Sunday School This Sunday we will be welcoming new members into the Covenant of Eliot Church and celebrate the Sacrament of Communion. Pastor Tony will be preaching on Isaiah 6:1-8 and Luke 5:1-22 in his sermon entitled, "Into the Deep." Join us for worship, and coffee fellowship afterwards!
Dialogue on Fiscal Options
At 11:30 in the Parlor. To sign up, please email our office Assistant, Megan Glock atoffice.asst@eliotchurch.org.
Youth Mission Trip Meeting
All
youth going on the mission trip will meet at 11:30 after church in the
CE Room to continue our planning for the Mission Trip.
Youth Mission Trip Stock
During coffee hour the youth will be selling stock in the Spring Mission Trip and Valentine Eliot Mugs for $10.
No Open Microphone
A reminder: We will not have an 'Open Microphone' at the Announcement Time of the service because we want to keep the Celebration of Communion as the central focus of the worship hour. If you have an announcement, please give it to on of the pastors before the service.
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Next Sunday, February 14
Adult Forum Following Worship
Join us next Sunday for another in our series of "First Sunday" Spirituality forums. This month, Carolyn and John Clark will share their spiritual journeys with us. [back to top] |
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Calendar for the Week of February 7 - 14
Tuesday
7:30 PM: Coordinating Council meeting in the Parlor
Wednesday
8:00 AM: Men's Breakfast in the Parlor
Thursday
7:15 PM: Women's Spirituality Group meeting in the Parlor
7:30 PM: Chancel Choir Rehearsal in the Chapel
Sunday
9:00 AM: Chancel Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary
9:30 AM: Children's Choir Rehearsal in the Parlor
10:00 AM: Worship for all
10:20 AM: Children dismissed for Sunday School
11:30 AM: Adult Forum: "First Sunday" Spirituality series
View the Calendar for the Whole Month
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Welcomers Needed!
Welcomers are needed for February and March - this is an important ministry that takes little time, but has a big impact. What do Welcomers do? Come to church by 9:45, greet folks as they come to the service and hand out bulletins, take up the collection, and help to ensure that newcomers in particular are made to feel welcome and comfortable. We all have been newcomers at one time or another and how we are greeted can have a big impact on how we feel about our experience. This is one of the ways that each of us at Eliot can strengthen the growth and outreach of Eliot. We try to have four Welcomers every Sunday. Sign up on the sheet posted in the hall or email Terri WJ at office@eliotchurch.org. Thank you from the Spiritual Life and Membership Commissions.
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Black Box Bible Study-Theological-Spiritual Forums
Black Box Bible Study-Theological-Spiritual Forums during February. During the Sundays of January and February, there are several Sundays available to offer 11:30 forums after worship. Tony and Karla are collecting topics/issues that you are interested in discussing and studying. All you need to do is submit your "topic" and after we have gathered a bunch of them, we will put them in a box and draw as many as we need to cover the Sundays! Please submit your ideas by January 12th by either sending an email to Pastor Tony (askill@comcast.net) or sending an email to Pastor Karla (revkarla@gmail.com) or by placing your idea in the offering plate on Sundays.
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Lent Begins February 17 - Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is February 17. We will begin the season of Lent with an Ash Wednesday worship service in the Chapel at 7:30 pm. We especially encourage youth and their parents to participate in this unique service, when we reflect on the direction and choices of our lives.
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Lenten Pot Luck Study Series
Spiritual Practices in Everyday Life
Have you ever thought of walking on the earth as a spiritual practice? Or how you live in your own body? Or saying "No!" Or hospitality? Or resting? Or recycling?
Some thoughtful and articulate Christian teachers have described how each of these "disciplines" can be profound spiritual practices for everyday Christians. Join Tony, Karla and Emilia every Wednesday evening during Lent, from February 24 through March 24, to reflect.
We begin with a Potluck Suppat at 6:30 and our program begins at 7:30. All Welcome!
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"Mission" Slogan-Statement Contest
HOW would you describe Eliot Church in ten words or less? Your membership commission is looking to you, the congregation, to submit ideas and slogans that we might use as our "mission" tag line. A mission statement should be brief, hopefully catchy, and capture who we are and why we exist. For example, one congregation's mission statement is "Becoming the Beloved Community". Another congregation's statement is "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors". Some of the "mission" statements from the UCC national campaign include, "Ancient Faith, Fresh Perspectives", "God is Still Speaking", and "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here." What words or statement do you think will capture the spirit and community of Eliot Church? Submit your ideas to Karla Miller, or Fred Balfour; or write them on the bulletin board by the church office. There is also a prize-a Kiva Micro-Loan credit that you can use to invest in small businesses/entrepreneurs in the developing world! See www.kiva.org for more information!
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Confirmation Class Project
Pet Supply Collection
We know that many Eliot folk love animals and pets - here's a chance to help some homeless dogs and cats in our community. A group of our Confirmands, Caileigh Byrne, Lizzie Reid and Jordan Underwood, will be collecting pet supplies over the next few weeks for the City of Boston Animal Shelter as their Confirmation Mission Project. The collection will go from January 31 through February 14. Please bring in supplies as listed below and place them in the boxes outside the doors to the Sanctuary.
They need:
* Clean and gently used linens (blankets, sheets, towels)
* Gift cards from Petco or Home Depot
* Dog and cat food and dog and cat treats
* Kitty litter
Thank you for your help! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Caileigh Byrne, Lizzie Reid or Jordan Underwood (or one of their Mentors, Leslie Creedy, Nancy Dick-Atkinson or Terry Hackford).
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As always, cash donations to Partners In Health, UCC Global Ministries, or other organizations are best, but if you are looking for hands on ways to help, the Community Metropolitan Ministries is partnering with a member congregation to send aid. New Covenant Church of Cambridge, a Haitian-American church in Waltham, is currently collecting items to be sent by private jet to Haiti, once the airport is open to regular flights (that might be a few weeks). These items will be distributed to local churches, and shared with those in need.
Items can be taken to New Covenant Church at 527 Main Street, Waltham-please call the church at 781-788-8843 to arrange drop off . (You can also bring items to CMM's offices in Newton and we will bring them over to the church.)
A list of suggested items to donate are: * beef jerky, dried meats, canned fish
* canned ham
* sandwich spreads that can be eaten with crackers
* canned vegetables-beans, peas, carrots * canned & dried fruit- peaches, pears, berries
* applesauce, raisins, prunes, dates * nuts - almonds, walnuts, cashews and pecans
* rice - lots of rice needed * cereals - anything fortified with minerals, bran * drinks: water, Gatorade, Powerade, boxed apple, cranberry juice that does not need refrigeration
Medicines: all kinds of bandaids, alcohol wipes, gloves, sterile gauze and sponges, adhesive tape, tweezers, soap, safety pins, plastic gloves, rubbing alcohol, etc.
Others: blankets, clothes, footwear, backpacks (helpful for people living outdoors), flashlights, batteries, candles, pens, paper, hand sharpeners, children's books, toys for children, chalk, crayons. All these items, and anything else you can share, will be delivered personally by the pastors and their members to congregations in Haiti and distributed to the people.
For more information contact Polly Hamlen at 651-208-8141, or contact CMM at 617-244-3650, or Karla Miller, 617-244-3639, revkarla@gmail.com. You can also find updates on the CMM website at www.coopmet.org
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Zambia Update
Members of Eliot responded enthusiastically to the Alternative Giving opportunity this Christmas and donated $1,800 to help rebuild the meal shelter in Zambia where our partners, the Chipego Women of Hope, feed and care for 70 AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children. Through Mission & Social Justice, Eliot covers school fees and uniforms for just under half that group. We asked what else they needed, and the women replied with a detailed budget to add walls and a cement floor to the structure where they provide meals before and after school. Board members from our local contact, Communities without Borders (CWB), delivered the check when they visited in February. Thank you to all who participated. Hooray!
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Trip to Zambia This Summer
Patrick O'Reilly is looking to see if anyone would like to join him on a trip with CWB to Zambia this summer. These visits have been described as life changing events. He would welcome the company. You can reach him at patevan@aol.com.
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Snow & Event Cancellation Policy
Since pastor Tony can walk to church, we have never cancelled a Sunday worship service, and probably won't. However, there are times when we may wish to cancel Sunday School, Chancel Choir, Children's Choir, and other planned programs.
Since most of the congregation is connected by email, we will use the Eliot Email list to "get the word out" about cancellations. For major events, an all-church email will be sent by 8:00am, as well as separate emails for special groups - e.g. the choir, church school families, etc. We will have a special message on the church telephone answering machine announcing the cancellations (also by 8:00am).
If you don't have email at home, or would prefer to get a telephone call (rather than email message) if a cancellation might affect you, please call Terri Whitney Jackson in the church office at 617-244-3639 ext. 201 or send her an email at office@eliotchurch.org and asked to be put on the phone contact list. [back to top] | |
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