No Matter Who You Are or Where You Are on Life's Journey - 
You're Welcome Here!
CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Sunday, March 27, 2016 
EASTER SUNDAY
Worship at 7:00am and 8:30am with Communion and 11:00am
Rev. Michael, Preaching
Pericope for Preaching: Luke 24:1-12

WORSHIP NOTES:
Our annual pilgrimage through Holy Week started with our hymns of "Hosanna" and waving palm fronds; days later, the shadows lengthened with the terrible stories of terrorist attacks.  It can feel like Good Friday comes early and never leaves.

The preacher breathes a full-bodied sigh of relief when the Easter sermon finally comes to consciousness.  Weeks of research and listening for "the story" came to fruition in my bluetooth earbuds on the treadmill early Tuesday morning.  After listen with concern to the news from Brussels, another story brought tears to my eyes:  "The Moment an Israeli Solider Saw Himself Through a Palestinian Child's Eyes."  "She took my Holocaust away from me," he said; it was an Easter acclamation.  The reporter promised a story from a Palestinian in the afternoon: "A Palestinian Takes a Different Road In His Fight."  Again, resurrection from broken dreams and a sealed sepulcher; and again, I had tears.  (Both stories are worth a repeated listen; click the underlined links to hear them.)

Resurrection is rarely scientific, but neither is it magic.  It's a mystery and an act of faith.  And it involves death, wrapped in hope.  Listen to the stories; listen for your own.  Push back the shadows, cling to your hopes, claw your way through despair, hold fast to the vision of an emerging realm of Lovingkindness, declare, even if in a whisper and with tears: Alleluia!  Christ has risen!

Do note the revised event for Maundy Thursday this year.
Consider coming to the Good Friday Service as an act of wholeness.
Easter morning will conclude with an "open choir" Hallelujah Chorus--all are invited to come forward to sing it at the end of the service.

Maundy Thursday, March 24 - A Service of Service
Fellowship Hall at 7:00pm
According to John's Gospel, at the Last Supper, Jesus consecrated a holy meal and washed his disciples feet saying to them, "Do these things in remembrance of me." Maundy Thursday is a high holy day of reflection centered around this final act of grace. This year, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00pm for a community dinner and act of service. The story of the Last Supper will be read aloud and we will share in communion with one another, while enjoying delicious homemade soup and bread. After dinner, we will assemble hygiene kits for SGHFP. This service is designed to be informal and fun- all ages welcome!
Good Friday, March 25 - A Service of Tenebrae
Sanctuary at 7:00pm
During this solemn service, we will enter the "shadows" (Tenebrae) that Jesus and the disciples felt as fear, betrayal and death sought to have the last and lasting word. Through the progression of readings, hymns, and choral anthems, twelve candles will be extinguished and the Christ candle sent to a sepulcher. Participants will depart in silence to enter the hopeful waiting for Easter's dawn and the return of the Alleluias.
EASTER, SUNDAY MARCH 27
7:00am Sunrise Worship at the pond (with Communion)
8:30am Worship (with Communion)
9:00am Easter Potluck Breakfast in Fellowship Hall
10:00am Easter Egg Hunt for toddlers through 5th grade.
11:00am Worship (closing with an "open choir" Hallelujah Chorus)
EASTER BREAKFAST POTLUCK: 
Everything you Wanted to Know but Didn't Know Who to Ask!

Who?: Everyone at Central is invited -- members, visitors, friends and out-of-town guests!
When?: SUNDAY, MARCH 27, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
Where?: Fellowship Hall
What to Bring?: Something good to eat along these lines: 
Breads: (biscuits, bagels, cinnamon rolls); 
Eggs: deviled, casseroled, marbled -- whatever!;
Meats: such as sausage casseroles, sausage biscuits,ham, bacon; 
Fruit: cut-up, ready-to-easily eat.

*****Coffee and orange juice will be provided.*****

How can I help?: Sign up on poster near the sanctuary this Sunday to help clear tables, wash and put away dishes, replenish food, and put away chairs and tables when it's all over!
PLEASE label the container you bring your food in and REMEMBER to pick it up after the service to take home with you!!  
OFFICE CLOSED:
Monday, March 28
Central's Office will be closed Monday, March 28th in observance of the Easter Monday Holiday. The office will reopen Tuesday, March 29th.
Radical Hospitality for Families with Children
We are inviting persons to serve as Children & Family Greeters during 11:00 worship.  Lookout for new families with children, welcome them, give them informational packets as they leave, and ensure they connect to the many ways in which Central embraces children and their families. During worship, you are invited to accompany unattended children if they leave the sanctuary. If you would enjoy getting to know new people and our children with this act of kindness, please email Rev. Ginnie (ginnie@central-ucc.org). 
Safe Church training is required.
Camp Beech Grove
Registration Is Open: central-ucc.org
6 wks, All-Day Sessions, 5-8 years

Neighborhood Leafleters Needed
Would you be willing to walk for about an hour in a neighborhood near church? We are placing camp brochures on the outside of mailboxes in designated neighborhoods.
Please contact Sally Harrell. Thank you!

Yardsigns
We would love to have a Camp Beech Grove yard sign in your front yard wherever you live in metro-Atlanta. Please stop by the Camp Beech Grove table on Sunday mornings or contact Sally Harrell and we will bring the yard sign to you. Donations of $5 to help defray the cost of the signs are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Social Media
Like us on Facebook: Camp Beech Grove.  Or even write a review! Put information on your neighborhood listserves. Registrations are coming in. Contact Sally Harrell if you place information about the camp on a listserve. Thank you!

We are so excited to be offering Camp Beech Grove to folks around Atlanta including our friends in the Montclair Elementary School neighborhood!
Volunteers Needed for Outreach to Montclair Campers at Camp Beech Grove
Camp Beech Grove scholarships up to 72 campers through the six weeks of camp.
Each week, 12 campers from the Montclair neighborhood attend Camp Beech Grove at no cost. In addition, we give them a breakfast and a bag lunch. The campers are transported from Montclair Elementary School to Camp Beech Grove in the mornings around 8:45am and returned to Montclair Elementary School at 3:30pm where their families pick them up. It takes a number of volunteers to make this gift to the children come to life, every day Monday to Friday, May 31 to July 8. Can you help for a week or for the same day each week, so that we can make camp possible for our campers?
  • Morning church bus driver with an assistant. (8:30-9:30am)
  • Afternoon church bus driver with an assistant. (3:30-4:30pm)
  • Morningtime, adult and assistant to serve cold breakfast (8:00-9:00am)
  • Bag lunch makers to coordinate with breakfast servers
  • Morning welcome person is needed at Central UCC to welcome the children, give them their nametags and tend to any other needs. (8:30-10:00am)
If you have questions or interest, please contact Rev. Ginnie (ginnie@central-ucc.org).


On Easter Sunday, March 27 and on April 3,
Godly Play and children's singing are suspended. 
Children's programming resumes on April 10.

Childcare is available every Sunday
from 8:30 AM T0 12:15 PM (Rm 201)

Pre-School Bible Story Time
11:00 AM TO 12:00 PM (Rm 202)

Children's Sacred Program: Godly Play
5 YEARS OLD TO FIRST GRADES - GODLY PLAY
10:50 Gather in Room 202; 11:00 AM The Godly Play teachers bring the children from Room 202 to Room 207 where the Godly Play program happens! In the Godly Play program is a sacred time with our children. Its story and reflection, community sharing and prayer, feast and blessing. All the parts of Godly Play make for the whole sacred time. The room is set up so that the children can live visually, verbally and with hands-on connections in the middle of the stories of our faith. The children hear sacred stories of the Old and New Testament, Jesus' parables, stories about Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter and stories about the church. After they hear the story, the kids have a chance to wonder about the story in conversation and respond to the story using art. We wrap up our special time together with a community time of sharing, praying and blessing.

SECOND TO FIFTH GRADES - GODLY PLAY
At 9:30 in Room 208. The 2nd to 5th Grade Sunday School will be exploring the Old Testament all year. For the older children, we, too, are engaging the older children in a sacred time of story, reflection, sharing, praying and blessing. With all the "liturgy" of our hour together, we hope for the children to gain a sense of the mystery and sacredness of God's presence in their lives.

CHILDREN'S MUSIC 
Central's Children's Music Group includes children in grades 1-5.  Children attending the 11:00 worship service leave with the Music Director during the closing hymn, and meet in Room 209, dismissing at 12:30. The Children's Music Group incorporates a mixture of vocal and instrumental music (tone chimes, barred instruments, percussion). On several Sundays each year, the children participate in the 11:00 AM worship, sharing the music they have learned. 
Contact: Rev. Ginnie 
Greeters for Children and Families  
in the Education Wing

Every Sunday morning, we greet the children, the parents and all the adults who come to the Education Wing to gather in their various groups. For children and families, we hand out nametags and help people find their way to Childcare or Godly Play. For new folks, young and old, we are there to help folks find a place they'd like to be. This simple act of hospitality can make all the difference. Do you have a Sunday every month or even every two months when you could be at the welcome desk from 9:30 to 11:00? Contact Rev. Ginnie.
Text Link
Godly Play Storytellers & Door Persons Needed 
for 2016-2017
It's not too early to begin preparing for next Fall's Godly Play program. We need storytellers and door persons to keep our children thriving in our programs. We have a wonderful community of folks who lead the children with stories and wonderings but we need more. We hope for adults to share a story or participate as a door person once a month. This is a terrific program that benefits both children and adults in their questioning and connecting with the Bible stories. Please consider volunteering for next year. We want to make our plans this Spring for next Fall. We will have a Godly Play training in August. If you have questions or interest, please contact Rev. Ginnie (ginnie@central-ucc.org).
Adult Spiritual Formation

Conversations: 
Sundays, 9:30-10:45am (Room 204) 
Come join our small group at any time.  Our only dogma is "no-prep."  Our current DVD, featuring Walter Brueggemann (back by popular demand), reframes the Exodus story in surprising ways.  Brueggemann says, "It is a journey from slavery to covenant that we keep making over and over again . . . [because] Pharaoh has immense power always to draw us back into slavery." In thinking about our modern lives, how have we been drawn back into slavery?  Drop in as your schedule allows and you'll find lively conversation and a warm community.  Contact Sally Harrell.  
 
PRACTICAL THEOLOGY:
Sundays, 9:30-10:45am (Room 206)
Practical Theology: A Just Peace Covenant Community Class studies, explores and takes action on current issues.  We focus on scholarly Biblical and Progressive Theological issues of the day. 
Sunday, 03/27:  EASTER Sunday - NO class.

Sacred Journeys:
Sundays, 9:30-10:45am (Library, Fellowship Hall)
Each week this group explores how spirit guides our personal journeys, and we gain new insights by listening to each other.  It is a sacred hour +, from 9:30 to about 10:50, where the discussion might be inspired one week by a poem, another by an excerpt from a book, a film clip, or an audio tape.
Contact Peter Benoit.
Pants needed for Farmworkers
Have you outgrown your pants? Are they a little too short around the ankles and a little too tight around the waist? Rev. Lacey wants your old pants for the SGFHP! We are collecting gently used men's clothing: short sleeved shirts, long sleeved shirts, pants, shorts, hats, used sunglasses etc... This is a huge undertaking and we couldn't do it without YOU. Do you need someone to come collect donations from your house? Email Rev. Lacey. We will be collecting donations until June 1. https://www.facebook.com/SGFHP/
Young Adult Gathering 
Tuesday, March 29
Thinking Man Tavern
7:00 -9:00 pm
Join us for a night of team trivia at Thinking Man Tavern, a great local pub in Decatur. Arrive at 7:00pm, trivia starts at 7:30pm. The challenge will be to come up with a team name other than, "Central Young Adults." I have a feeling we can be more creative than that! 
Questions or concerns: Email Rev. Lacey 
Fellowship of  The Grape
Saturday, April 2, 7pm
Barbara and Joe Alfano will be hosting Fellowship Of the Grape Saturday, April 2nd at 7pm.  They have chosen Sauvignon Blanc for the white wine drinkers and Zinfandels for the red wine drinkers.  Please bring any appetizer or dessert that will compliment this wine selection.  For those not familiar with FOG, attending is one of the best ways to meet Central's members and visitors of all ages and stages of life in a casual setting.  The tastings are not formal, just informative.  You don't have to be a church member to attend and all are welcome!
 FYI:  Several people have said, "I would love to come to FOG, but I don't drink alcohol."  Several folks attend FOG who do not drink alcohol.  FOG is NOT about the alcohol it is about the FELLOWSHIP.   All are welcome!
 Event Details: April 2, 2016 at 7:00pm.  RSVP to Barbara at (404) 728-1570 or email. If you would like to be added to the mailing list for FOG, contact coordinator RobinLee Fitch.  We look forward to seeing you at FOG.
EARTH TOPICS: Thursday, April 7, 6:30pm to 8:00  (Fireplace Room)
Many of us want to share theologically and in practical ways about life on our planet. In April, we'll discuss Chap. 1, "Dirt" in Grounded: Finding God in the World by Diana Butler Bass. Reading is not required. Our last month gathering was canceled due to weather hence these are the same readings. All are welcome to our gatherings. Rev. Ginnie: ginnie@central-ucc.org
LENA'S PLACE COFFEEHOUSE: Saturday, April 9, 8:00-10:00pm
Since 1984, Lena's Place Coffeehouse is a monthly opportunity to experience an eclectic mix of acoustic artists in a coffeehouse atmosphere. Lena's is staffed by volunteers who love (and often play) music and who take pride in a professional presentation.
Doors open at 7:30 pm. Where? Central UCC's Fellowship Hall.
Choral Event with Sanctuary Choir:
Sunday, April 10, 11:00am Worship
Central's choir will be leading the congregation in worship with Ariel Ramírez' "Misa Criolla" on April 10.  "Misa Criolla" was composed in 1964, and was the first non-Latin mass composed after the Second Vatican Council permitted use of the vernacular in Catholic churches.  The mass is scored for a number of percussion instruments, playing the interlocking rhythms of Ramírez' native Argentina.
SECOND SUNDAY LUNCHEON:  April 10, Fellowship Hall
Second Sunday luncheon, April 10 will be hosted by the Plymouth Harbor Board.  Soup, drinks and bread will be provided. Donations of desserts will be appreciated.
WOMEN'S DAYTIME BOOK GROUP:  April 14, 1:30pm
The group, alternating fiction and non-fiction, is now reading The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.  The book has already been studied by a Central adult Sunday school class, and a few members participate in study/action groups outside the church.  In this unusual Presidential year, TNJC is also a startling look at American culture and politics.  This informal book group meets in the Fireplace Room every four-to-six weeks.  Great conversation always. Send an e-mail to Geneva Benoit if you would like to be on the email list: neve44@bellsouth.net.
TABLE TALK: Tuesday, April 19 (Harrison home)
Table Talk is a safe gathering around shared food (potluck) to discuss our theological musings, wonderings and questions.  No advanced reading or preparation is required, but an RSVP to the host home is helpful.
Address Change for Cecil Hess
Cecil Hess has moved. If you would like his new address, please be in touch with Vanessa McCollum in the church office.
2016 Endowment Applications
Central UCC has opened its annual call for Endowment applications.  The application can be found on our website and must be received by noon on April 29.
Thank you!
Through our Easter Lily Mission Fund we raised $355.00 to support Lost and Found, a non-profit supporting LGBTQ homeless youth. Thank you to all who donated!
Donate to our ministries today!
Central UCC wouldn't be the amazing community of faith that it is, without your on going support. Thank you for giving. Your generosity is changing lives. 
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