January 22, 2016   

First Edition  
Let's Journey Together!

Sunday at 11:30am:  Myths about Hospice
with guest speaker Taffy Wilcox
Memorial Meeting Room

What do you know about hospice care? Here are some common myths:
Myth: Hospice is a place you go when there is nothing more a doctor can do.
Myth: Hospice is only for the last days of life.
Myth: Choosing hospice means giving up all medical treatment.
Myth: Hospice care is expensive or requires a family member to care for you.

Come to the forum Sunday at 11:30 in the Memorial Meeting Room to find out if any of these are true!

Habitat for Humanity Applicant Meeting 
Saturday, January 23, 1pm - Cook Hall at First Church

Progress is being made on a Granby Habitat house! The building lot across from the West Granby Post Office has been cleared. Do you or someone you know qualify to be a Habitat homeowner? To learn more, come to the Applicant Information Meeting! For additional info, click here   

Help for Flint, MI residents 
Working in partnership, the Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut Conferences of the United Church of Christ will send aid to residents of Flint, MI both to protect their health, and to help them obtain justice. In the short term, they need safe water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. Through gifts via the United Church of Christ's Emergency USA Fund, we will support Flint residents as they install filtering systems - and then replace the filter cartridges. We will also be sending a small delegation to meet with leaders in the area, bearing our care and concern in person, and building the relationships we will need to support them through the long-term recovery. You can make a gift online here.
 
Winter Adult Study Opportunities  
Pick up a brochure!  
Read a book! 
Sign up on bulletin board in hallway! 
Click here for the full Brochure 
January 29:  Between the World and Me by Ta-Nahesi Coates at the Shaws' home, 72 Canal Road
February 12: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee at the Giles' home, 10 Cedar Drive

Women's Spirituality Groups
Resume Feb. 8 with Reluctant Pilgrim: A Moody, Somewhat Self-Indulgent Introvert's Search for Spiritual Community by Enuma Okoro. Morning group meets at the church at 10:30am. Location of evening group TBD. (Call Pastor Ginny if you'd like to host the first session.)

Pastor Ginny and Doug Williams in concert 
This Sunday, Jan. 24th, 7:30pm
St. Patrick - St. Anthony Church
285 Church Street, Hartford 
Performing with Hartt ensemble Celesti Sondato, and joined by The Riddlers of Avon Old Farms School and the Connecticut Men's Chorus, the hour-long concert will feature choral music by 20th century American composers... Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Samuel Barber and others.

ASH WEDNESDAY is Feb. 10
A midweek service at 7pm will kick off our Lenten journey through "The Dark Wood." Based on the book by the same name by Eric Elnes, we will try to see experiences such as failure, emptiness, loss, and uncertainty through new eyes. Rather than being negative, these experiences are entirely unavoidable... and seen in a certain light can reveal clues to our life path. How can the struggles of life be the seedbed of spiritual awakening to the fullness of life? Come on Feb. 10 and find out.

SNOW CANCELLATIONS
In case of poor weather, please check one of the following sources for information about delays and cancellations.
email - We'll send a message to everyone registered to receive the weekly newsletter
online - check our website
TV - check NBC Connecticut (WVIT)
radio - check CBS Radio Hartford Storm Center (AM 1080)
or call the church number 860-653-4537 and listen to the message! 
Sunday SchoolHouse this Sunday at 10am.  
Everyone gets a Schoolhouse notebook,
as we move into our Winter Theme:  
The African American religious story.  
How a people emerged from American slavery through political, economic and social challenges with a unique sense of community and faith. 
We start to learn some cool music and make a trip to an African American church!
Faith Ed...today, after school, Friday, Jan 22nd.
 We make Pizza after school and then finish up our focus on the Old Testament and move on to the New Testament and Jesus
Sunday Night Youth  - Sunday 7pm
Our theme is  P E R S P E C T I V E
We all have a perspective and that perspective becomes our viewpoint.  Our viewpoint becomes our 'reality' and our reality feels very much like TRUTH. 
And yet, it originated from our personal perspective.
This year in 2016 we will be challenging, stretching, and disturbing our perspective, in hopes that we see more of every picture, issue, circumstance and opinion we encounter. 
It's gonna be funnnnnnnnnnn! 

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   

Facebook logoLike First Church on Facebook!