Hi !
We've got another exciting week at Eliot. Come and be a part of it ! |
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Eliot Church "Vibrant Future" Forum and LUNCH
This Sunday, November 14 at 11:30am
All Eliot Members and Friends are invited to the Vibrant Future Implementation Task Force's first Congregational Forum on Sunday, November 14 at 11:30 am.
The forum will have two parts:
Brief Presentations in the Chapel by each of the seven Working Groups on the progress they are making on their action plans, immediately followed by Small Group Discussions in the Parlor over LUNCH among congregants and Working Groups representatives. Congregants will be given an opportunity to share questions, comments and suggestions, and to sign-up to help out with initiatives of particular interest.
Since last spring, the Working Groups have been undertaking research and data-gathering in seven strategic areas that focus on strengthening the vitality of the church and its financial sustainability. The strategic initiatives identified through last year's congregational discernment process are:
#1 - Development of an Expense Reduction Plan to balance the operating budget
#2 - Development of a Revenue Generation Plan to build on and develop new income streams
#3 - Evaluation of the Lay Leadership Structure to streamline and build in efficiencies
#4 - Evaluation of the Staffing Model to meet needs and draw on the strengths of the staff
#5 - Creating an inventory of the Spiritual Practices that nourish us
#6 - Exploration of Local Church Collaborations for enhancing resources and increasing visibility
#7 - Research on what is involved in Church Merger as an option for the future if needed
Please join us! We need you!
There will be two additional forums this year - on January 23rd and on March 20th. The goal is to provide a forum for congregants to deliberate on the new information being developed by the Working Groups and prepare for congregational decision-making in the Spring.
For any questions or further information, contact Susan Jeghelian, Task Force chair, sjeghelian@gmail.com or by phone at 617-529-6202 or Kevin Curtin kjcurtin@gmail.com or by phone at 508-423-0140. Or speak with Robert Young, Carolyn Clark, John Clark or Marge O'Reilly. back to top
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Thanksgiving Dinner
Next Sunday, November 21, 2010
Annual Eliot Thanksgiving Dinner, Sunday, November 21. Surround yourself with good food and good company at the Eliot annual Thanksgiving Sunday Dinner immediately after worship on Sunday, November 21. This event is open to all. If you'll have friends and relatives visiting for the holidays, please plan on bringing them along. We'd especially love to see our Eliot young people who have been away for work and school. Look for the sign-up sheets posted in the hallway (on the Parish Life bulletin board) where you can volunteer to make a turkey, side dish, bread or dessert or join in with set up, kitchen help or clean up. See you there!
At the Eliot Thanksgiving dinner next Sunday, there will be a table for Eliot members to purchase Christmas cards and gifts from Ecclesia Ministries, the group that offers worship services, clothing and other social services for the homeless in Boston on the Boston Common ('The Common Cathedral'). The gifts include silver Ecclesia crosses, and Christmas cards and artwork made by made by homeless people in the common art program of Ecclesia community. This is a great opportunity to support services for the homeless in your Christmas giving. (Stay tuned for other opportunities as well.) back to top
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Calendar for the Week of
November 14-21, 2010
Monday, November 15
7:30 PM: Finance Commission meeting in Pastor's office
Tuesday, November 16
7:30 PM: CE Commission meeting in the CE Resource Room
Wednesday, November 17
8:00 AM: Men's Breakfast in the Parlor
7:30 PM: Membership Commission meeting in the Parlor
Thursday, November 18
5:00 PM: Sacred Conversations in the Pastor's Office
7:15 PM: Chancel Choir Rehearsal in the Chapel
Sunday, November 21
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: Thanksgiving Dinner!
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Susanna Peyser will be having cancer surgery on Monday, November 15. In addition to our prayers for a speedy and complete recovery, we can also help Susanna with some meals and, after the surgery has healed (4-6 weeks) with rides to daily radiation treatments at Newton Wellesley Hospital. Please see Susan Nason during coffee hour or contact her at nasonse@aol.com or by phone at 617-965-1811 if you could provide a meal to Susanna and/or potentially provide a ride to the hospital for radiation treatments. Thank you.
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You're welcome to join us for the Sacred Conversations series. We meet on Thursdays from 5:00 to 6:30 PM in Tony's office. This is a combination of Bible Study, prayer and sharing some of the joys, hopes and struggles of our own lives.
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It's Time to Order Your Poinsettias!
It's time to order your poinsettias to decorate our Sanctuary for Sunday, December 12th, 19th and Christmas Eve, the 24th.
The deadline to place your order is Sunday, December 5.
This is a time to honor those we love during this season of Advent. Make your choice of White, Marble or Red. Each plant is $10.00. Either see the sign up sheet in the hallway to place your order or email Terri WJ with it.
We would appreciate your payment when you order. Please:
Plce it in the offering plate or
In the envelope on the sign up sheet in the hall or
Mail your check directly to the church office.
If you pay with cash, please be sure to put your name on it!
Please do not hand your check to anyone in person!
You may take your plants after the Christmas Eve service, or you may donate them to one of our not-so-out-and-about folks (we hope to have some left to deliver to them). See the signup sheet in the hallway, please make your check payable to "The Eliot Church of Newton" and write "Christmas Flowers" in the memo space. Speak to Elizabeth Woodbridge (617) 924-2048 would like to donate them or take them home sooner.
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Join the Eliot Festival Choir!
Rehearsals have begun for our Christmas Music Sunday, December 12. Featuring several of the perky carol arrangements for choir with instruments by John Rutter, the repertoire for the morning should delight both performers and listeners.
A commitment to the Festival Choir includes the Thursday evening rehearsals this month(excluding Thanksgiving Day, of course) and the first two Thursday rehearsals in December.
Festival Choir rehearsals are from 7:15 -8 p.m. To join or for information, please contact Minister of Music, Charles Raines at email address: music@eliotchurch.org.
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Gift Collection Sunday, December 12
Once again, Eliot Church will be participating in the City Mission Society's Christmas Shop, which brings the joys of giving and receiving to many people in the Greater Boston Metropolitan area annually. In 2009, over 2,000 people benefitted!
Gift Suggestions: NEW UNWRAPPED Items Only!
(listed by priority...you may also bring wrapping paper, if you like)
- Winter coats, sweaters and sweatshirts (large sizes especially)
- Hats, mittens, gloves and scarves.
- Socks and underwear
- Blankets and backpacks
- Toys, games, and books for all ages
- Gift cards from Target, Walgreen's, CVS, Kohl's or other merchants
We will collect our gifts on Sunday, December 12 and transport them to first Church in Winchester. We know you will be as generous as you have been in the past.
For more info, contact Patrick O'Reilly at patevan@aol.com or 617-964-4593 or contact CMS directly at (617) 742-6830.
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The Eliot congregation has been wonderfully generous in donating good used winter coats and other clothing for the homeless and disadvantaged over the past several years. This year, working in collaboration with Alex Kern and Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, we will collect winter clothing for clients of the Community Day Center, an service center in Waltham, (www.communitydaycenter.org) and the Haley House, a soup kitchen and service center in Boston (www.haleyhouse.org). The Haley House needs mens' clothing and shoes, as well as blankets, backpacks, toiletries, etc. The Community Day Center can use adult mens' and womens' coats, especially large and extra large. Please bring in clean clothes at any time over the next few weeks. We will have a table in the entrance to the sanctuary for your contributions. [back to top] |
Volunteer Opportunity: Delivering & Distributing Clothes to the Homeless
The couple who has been collecting coats from Eliot and several other places, transporting them to Boston, and helping distribute them to those in need for the past several years would like to pass this volunteer opportunity on to others to take over. In addition to collecting clothes from churches, rummage sales, etc, they have gone to St Paul's Cathedral near the Boston Common on two Mondays per month, where they spend about three hours sorting and distributing the clothes. This would be a great volunteer ministry opportunity for two to four (or more) people to share. If you're interested in learning more, please contact Pastor Tony, who will put you in touch with the couple to answer your questions.
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Friends of Communities Without Borders
Friends of Communities Without Borders-Eliot Church
Over the past few months, and particularly following Dick Bail's presentation, a number of folks have come forward expressing an interest in Communities without Borders and our support of the Women in the Linda Compound in Zambia. MSJ feels that there is enough interest to consider bringing folks interested in CWB together on an ongoing basis to stay more informed. Please note: this is not a commission, or task force, or interim anything. MSJ's hope is that the group will function informally, meeting a few times a year to get to know the work of CWB, the work of the New Chipego Women of Hope in the Linda Compound, and encourage and support members of Eliot who would like to go to Zambia. Most communications can be electronic. This group is open to anyone in the Eliot community interested in strengthening our relationship with CWB and the Chipego Women of Hope.
Currently, Connie Stubbs sits on CWB's Council, Fred Balfour is working with Dick Bail, helping to identify an accounting resource for the organization, and Patrick O'Reilly has been working with Brita Gill-Austern on developing a handbook for the summer travelers. Also, a several teens and one adult have indicated an interest in traveling this summer.
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