April 24, 2015

First Edition  
Let's Journey Together! 
CONGREGATIONAL DISCERNMENT MEETING

April 26, 10 a.m.

 

COME STRAIGHT TO COOK HALL SUNDAY MORNING! Our worship time will be devoted to reflecting together on where we've been and where we're going. Your thoughtful participation is needed!

 

Breakfast will be served (as it is every week) beginning at 8:30 a.m. The meeting/worship will begin at 10 a.m., and will be followed by lunch. Discerning how God is calling us, both individually and as a gathered congregation, is an act of praise and faithfulness! Let us worship God together!

Pastor Ginny 

SUNDAY SCHOOL youth go directly to the Big Room in the Basement this Sunday and all following Sundays in May.  We will sing, and explore our Spring theme "Life is Full of Resurrection".  May is full of Sunday Field Trips! Gather in the basement and leave for the following:

May 3rd - The Wilhelm Farm

May 10th - Sweet Pea Farm

May 17th - Our Community Garden

May 24th - Marian Rowles' Garden

** please let  Rebecca know if you can help us with transportation on any of these Sundays!

 

G-CREW has elected student officers:  Trevor Smith - President, Jessica Askew - V President, Megan Azzola- Kitchen Host, Colin McManus- Room Tech. 

Our Summer Mission Trip is with the Appalachian Service Project in West Virginia.  We expect to take 20 youth and 8 adults, and will need to rent four vans.  The four vans are required by ASP, and so transportation is costly. We are so grateful for the funds raised during the Dessert Auction but are still short $1,000 for the trip.  We will be selling CREW-STOCK in $10 units after church through the month of May.  Every little bit helps us reach our goal.  Remember, investing in young people is one of the best investments you can make.  Mission Trips change lives.  

 

Building a little bit of heaven in Hartford

Don Shaw wrote recently in "CT Viewpoints":

"They are courageous.

When Lare and Batana Bougonou arrived in the United States to build a new life, never did they think they would become pioneers helping to rebuild a neighborhood.Their success has been hard earned.... [click to continue reading] 


GRANBY OAK
 Recently the Granby Land Trust offered pieces of the Granby Oak that were damaged in the October 2011 snowstorm to those who offered a reasonable proposal. Vicki has obtained a large piece for us and Peg G is requesting more to have a table fashioned for the Community Entrance. Do you have other ideas for what we should carve from it? Talk to Vicki or Peg!

Korean Partnership
Pastor Ginny and Doug Williams will be in South Korea April 23-30. They will bring greetings from the Connecticut Conference and sign an extension of our partnership agreement with the Kyung-Ki Presbytery. Pastor Ginny will preach Sunday at Han Mok Church (the newest partner congregation) on Sunday and Doug will sing "One More Circle" at the Presbytery meeting. They will take part in dedicating the peace pole which was delivered to Suwon Presbyterian Church by three of our high school youth last summer. Pastor Ginny will present a brief history of the United Church of Christ at the Annual Meeting of the Kyung-Ki Presbytery, and they will take part in a peaceful protest at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul with a few of the remaining survivors of the "comfort stations" for Japanese soldiers during World War II.

New Members Welcome!

Have you or your family been participating in worship and wondered about
the next steps in participation? We will welcome new members in worship on Sunday, May 3. If interested in investigating full membership, talk to Pastor Ginny or one of the deacons for more information.  

Women's Retreat, May 29-31, Mercy Center, Madison CT 

Women of all ages from First Church are joining together for a weekend to "relax and renew." They will headed to Mercy Center in Madison, CT. There will be group time as well as a craft project, labyrinth, reiki, yoga, worship, beach and garden to wander, and free-time. Spots available! If interested, contact Linda Smyth at 860-653-5885 or email lmsmyth@cox.net Deadline is May 3 to join.


Come for breakfast - Stay for lunch!
Breakfast is served Sunday mornings from 8:30am to 10am in Cook Hall.  Lunch is served hot or to-go following worship. Often there is a gluten-free offering available - if interested, ask the cooks!

Lunch Containers
Please bring back your to-go lunch containers so they can be recycled.

Hats Off at Trinity! An Interfaith Day of Creative Caring and Prayer
Saturday, May 2, 10am-3pm
Trinity Episcopal Church, 55 River Rd, Collinsville

Join us as we crochet, knit and sew hats for preemies through adults. Please bring supplies and a finger food to share. Patterns will be available. We will have a yarn and fabric swap. All completed hats will be donated to: St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center NICU, St. Francis and Mt. Sinai Regional Cancer Center, and CCMC Cancer Center. RSVP by April 25 to 860-693-8172 or Ann

Countdown to Applefest: 147 days

Contacts 

Sue Miltenberger (Office Manager)
Rev. Ginny McDaniel (Senior Minister)

Rebecca Brown (Leader, Children & Youth Ministry 

Jerron Jorgensen (Music Director)

Church Office Phone: 860-653-4537   

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