May 20, 2016   

First Edition  
Let's Journey Together!  
Sing praise to God!
Last Sunday we celebrated the birth of the church when God's Spirit poured out on the followers of Jesus at Pentecost. It was a day when people who spoke many different languages found themselves able to understand each other.
At the end of worship we had our own Pentecost moment--an outpouring of spirit--when someone in the congregation spontaneously offered a beautiful song just before the postlude. I know enough German to recognize it as a song of praise and asked her about it.

Vom Aufgang der Sonne bis zu Ihrem Untergang
sei gelobet der Name des Herrns.

It means:  "From the sun's rising until its setting shall the name of the Lord be praised." She says she learned it as a round more than 60 years ago at a World Council of Churches work camp in Mannheim, Germany. Praise God for the impromptu gifts of the spirit!
Faithfully yours,  Pastor Ginny

We celebrate our new Stephen Ministers 
This Sunday we recognize five new Stephen Ministers who we will commission during worship and honor at coffee hour afterward. They have almost completed the 25 hour training program, and will soon be ready to be paired with members of the congregation who are undergoing crisis. We celebrate...
Heather Dobbert 
Beth Matlack 
Duncan and Marian Rowles 
Doug Williams

Come see Jerron and Christi sing in The Crucible!
Based on Arthur Miller's famous play, The Crucible uses the Salem Witch Trials as an allegory for the communism "witch hunt" that took place during the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. Hartford Opera Theater is the capital city's only professional opera company and this groundbreaking production takes the original story out of the 1690s and drops it right into the 1950s. The entire set and all singers are dressed completely in black and white, just as if you were actually watching the McCarthy hearings unfold on television in 1954. When combined with professional opera singers from all over the Northeast and a full orchestra, it is an extremely gripping and suspenseful event that you won't want to miss! Friday, May 20th and Saturday, May 21st at the historic AETNA Theater located in the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford. Tickets available online at www.hartfordoperatheater.com or at the door!

Congregational Meeting - This Sunday 
The Spring meeting of First Congregational Church of Granby is called for Sunday, May 22, 2016 in the sanctuary following worship to:
  1. elect new Program Ministry coordinators, Governance members, and First Church officers in accordance with the FCC Constitution; and
  2. consider any other business which may properly come before this meeting.
Respectfully,
Doug Williams, Clerk 
Coming up in worship...
June 5 - we welcome new members
June 12 - Annual Blessing of the Animals (outdoors, weather permitting)

Habitat house underway in Granby!
Perhaps you were at the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday or the celebration afterward at Lost Acres Vineyard. Or maybe you are just itching to get your hands on a hammer and contribute your efforts to making this house on Route 20 in West Granby a reality for the family of Ralph and Jaime Wyman. Don Shaw has managed to reserve five Saturdays for work teams from Granby's two UCC congregations. Sign up on the bulletin board across from the church office.

SAVE THE DATE... JUNE 7   

 The Bike & Build team will make their annual overnight stop at First Church, this year on Tuesday, June 7. All are invited for dinner at 6pm. This is the beginning of their trip to Seattle WA. Along the way they will work on Habitat for Humanity houses and raise money for affordable housing. Greeters and Cook Hall set-up teams are needed for the afternoon.
If yo
u can help with hosting this event, please contact Bill Bentley. 
Sign Up - Bike & Build Dinner 
  
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Put it on your calendar! 
Strawberry Supper, Saturday, June 11  
Make your reservation! Sign up outside the kitchen for the 5:30 or 6:30 seatings or to volunteer.
$12 - adults; $7 - children under 12

 In the SchoolHouse, this month, we are learning about ISLAM
 We are learning Islam through the eyes of an 11 year old British girl, who made a film  called, "Islam:  My Religion, My Life" This Sunday we learn more about the rituals of  worship and of their holy month of Ramadan. 
 Faith Ed: Last night we talked about how one develops a personal spiritual practice.  Religion is a community practice.  Spirituality is a thing of the heart.  Each persona has  a unique way of recognizing their inner soul thoughts and making meaning of life, God, faith  & personhood.    
 SUNDAY NIGHT YOUTH:   This week we consider a personal story about the  journey to make peace with one's gender, sexuality and biology.  Having perspective  means being able to see the world through a different lens with compassion if not  always understanding.  
ABOUT GIVING TOWARDS THE SUMMER SERVICE TRIP TO WASHINGTON DC?  
To an individual> Not every youth has the same resources, as you might imagine, and so you may be asked by a youth to 'sponsor' part of their trip expenses. 
To the group> We have some amazing opportunities already to meet with groups like Black Lives Matter, and a Spiritual Arts community, but these groups charge  money for their time and presentation.  If you are interested in helping us by underwriting any of these opportunities, please see Ginny about making a donation.  And... Thank you!
 

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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