Hancock United Church of Christ, Congregational
1912 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington MA 02421 | www.hancockchurch.org

CONTENTS

In This Issue

This Sunday...

Special Program for Children Sept 8th

Today! Peace Parade

Today! Paul's Starbucks Hours

Today! Last Hancock Grills of the Summer

Letter from Paul and MaryAnn

Sept 3: Bells Pizza Party!

Sept 8: Blessing of the Animals

Sept 8: First Hymn Sing

Sept 21: Senior Picnic

Volunteers Needed: Interfaith Garden

RESOURCES

The Spring Herald on-line!

WORSHIP

Morning Worship at 10 a.m.

Preaching this week: Paul Shupe

"Expectation: The New Year Dawns"

Mark 1:14-15

You can watch past sermons on our website. WATCH Dana Allen Walsh preaching "Standing Up Straight." You can also order a DVD of any of our services or handbells concerts by filling out a DVD Request Form.

Worship @ the Well

Opening Night for Worship @the Well
will be September 8th.
Join us for a special
Blessing of the Animals service!

CHILDREN

Stay up-to-date! Click HERE for Hancock's blog for Children and Youth Programs

Sunday, September 1st

Children and Youth will be making Sandwiches for the Outdoor Church.

Sunday, September 8th

Special Children's Program:

Celebrating All God's Creatures
Great and Small

Bring your favorite stuffed animal or animal photo to church Sunday Morning. Children begin in morning worship, then head to Clark Hall for a special program in celebration of all God's Creatures.
Reminder: Families are invited to bring their living pets (great and small) to the Blessing of the Animals service at the opening night of Worship @the Well, held in Clark Hall at 6:15 p.m. stuffed animals

Sunday, September 15th

Celebration Sunday!

All Programs for Children and Youth Being. Children in grades PreK-5th will head to the Kathie Stuart Room for Chapel Time, then to classroom activities.

JUNIOR YOUTH ORGANIZATION

Sunday September 1st

Children and Youth will be making Sandwiches for the Outdoor Church.

Sunday, September 15th

Celebration Sunday!

All Programs for Children and Youth Begin. The Junior Youth Organization for middle school youth will meet in the Upper Room classroom. Follow the BLOG for program notes.

HANCOCK YOUTH GROUP

Sunday, September 8th

Hancock Youth Group First Meeting!
7-8:30 p.m. in the Upper Room

Sunday, September 15th
Celebration Sunday!

Thursday, September 19th
Deadline for Grotonwood Permission Form

Saturday-Sunday, September 28-29

Fall Retreat at the Grotonwood Retreat Center

CALENDAR

Wednesday August 28:
1 pm Paul's Starbucks Office Hours
1:15 pm No Consort today
6:30 pm Hancock Grills at the Sandeen's

Thursday August 29:

No events

Friday August 30:

No events

Saturday August 31:

8 am AA Women's Step Study in the Chapel

10 am AA meeting in Dining Room

3 pm Brass Group in Kathie Stuart

Sunday September 1:

9 am No Bagels and Bibles this week

10 am Morning Worship - Communion Sunday

in the Sanctuary

10:20 am Children's Program: Sandwich Making for the Outdoor Church

11 am Fellowship Hour in Dining Room

Monday September 2:

1:30 pm Skyloom in Kathie Stuart

Tuesday September 3:
10 am Staff Meeting in Bell Room
11 am Staff Worship Planning in Bell Room
7:30 pm Bells Cleaning Party! All Are Invited!

Please click the link below to visit our calendar on-line.

Schedule is subject to change. Link HERE to our calendar on-line!

Hancock Weekly Submission Guide

The Hancock Weekly is distributed every Wednesday morning. All submissions are due the Tuesday prior at 3 p.m. Submissions should include: Title, Copy text, Images, and contact information. Please send them to

office@hancockchurch.org.

Fall Hancock Herald

Have you received your Herald in the mail, yet? If not, we'll have a few more copies at the Church, and it will be available on our website later today! We have a lot of exciting new programs this year, like The Blessing of the Animals, Learning in the Living Room, and Hymn Sings! We have so much to look forward to this year!

Adult Christian Education Committee Meeting is Sept 7th

The Adult Christian Education Committee will meet Tuesday, Septemeber 10 at 7:00 p.m. at Sandra Shaw's home. Her address is 51 Wachusett Drive.

Pastor's Class will start
September 15th

Pastor's Class will meet every Sunday from 8:30-10:00 a.m. in the Pearson Room.

Regarding Committee Meetings at Hancock Church

We hope to reduce any frustration regarding the reduced number of meeting spaces we have. Space is limited and construction can make building use inconvenient. If your committee/organization is in need of a room, please check in with the Church Offices ahead of time, or plan to meet in someone's home.

Furnish your home with a
Hancock Pew

We have two old pews to give to pew giveaway

anyone at Hancock! If you're interested in picking them up please contact the Church Offices. Donations accepted.

Hancock Weekly

SPOTLIGHT

Join Pam for the Peace Parade today!
Come for just part of it, or all of it!

Next Wednesday, August 28th is the Memorial March for Peace, co-sponsored by the City Mission Society. The day begins with a prayer vigil at 1 p.m. in Boston. Then at 2 p.m., people will march from Downtown Boston to Newton Centre. The day ends with an Interfaith Gathering at First Baptist Church in Newton Centre at 7 p.m. with special guest speakers. Pam Cochrane will be at the prayer vigil and plans to take part in the full day, so if you'd like to join her for all or part of it, please email her: pam.cochrane@hancockchurch.org. This event is free and open to the public!

Chat with Paul during his
Starbucks Office Hours!

Paul is having office hours today! Starbucks Office Hours are a great informal way of meeting with the ministers in the summer time. If you are out for a leisurely stroll or running errands through Lexington Center, please stop by and keep him company. Update him on any recent life events, and let him treat you to a fancy coffee!

Paul's Starbucks Office Hours:
Today, August 28, 1-3pm
Location: 1729 Mass Ave in Lexington Center

Hancock Grills tonight at the Sandeen's House!

Come enjoy a fun night of bbq and fellowship at the Sandeen's House.

10 Brent Road in Lexington

Click the link to the see the rest of the
Hancock Grills Schedule on our website.
If you have any questions please contact the Church Office (781) 862-4220.

Letter from Paul and MaryAnn Shupe

Dear Hancock Friends,

Thank you so much for your continued prayerful support of our family as our son Nate endures chemotherapy for his testicular cancer. He has now completed two rounds of chemo, out of a minimum of four that he will have to face. As so many of you know from your own experience, this is a grueling, difficult grind, as he deals not only with the aftermath of the chemo drugs, but also with the side effects of medications taken to ease his struggles. It is not always easy to know which problem is caused by which medication; he is learning to live with chemotherapy.

His spirits remain good, and his courage and determination are carrying him far. Friends are organizing a benefit concert for him, set for September 28. This news has lifted his spirits, as you might imagine.

We are daily sustained by your love and your prayers. Thank you so much for understanding that we don't always need or want to talk about it. Somehow even in your silence, your support shines through to us.

Grace and Peace,

Paul and MaryAnn

ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS

Family Pizza and Bell Cleaning Party

All are invited! Tuesday, Sept 3 from 6-9 pm, the bell program will celebrate the beginning of the new church year with a family pizza dinner at 6 in the bell room followed by an evening of cleaning the bells.

Past and future ringers and their families welcome. Come for part of the evening or the whole time. Jobs for all ages and abilities. It's a great chance to chat and make new friends while saving the church lots of money cleaning and polishing the bells. Please RSVP to Cheryl Kraley at handbells@hancockchurch.org

Opening Night for Worship @the Well

Hancock's First
Blessing of the Animals

Together, we will celebrate the importance of animals in our lives and give thanks for the wonder of God's creation.

Bring your pet and your family to a special service of prayer, blessing, and readings. All animals are welcome! Pet treats and human treats will be provided! September 8th at 6:15 pm in Clark Hall.

Lift YOUR Voice!
Hymn Sing on September 8th

As we begin the process of finding a new hymnal to use in worship, we will be having a hymn sing on the second Sunday of each month before worship. There will be time to sing your old favorites and to learn some of the new ones that are out there. We'll start on Sunday September 8th at 9:45. Come early for worship and start off the year in song!
--Your Hymnal Committee

Regarding Pastoral Care During Construction

With regards to Pastoral Care and individual visits during construction, Paul and Dana would love to see you! Unfortunately, we foresee the construction project making drop-in visits difficult. Building accessibility and open entrances are changing daily. We are a little worried about people getting frustrated by these changes, and the lack of comfortable waiting areas. Please consider making an appointment, or calling ahead, to meet Paul or Dana either outside of the office, i.e., Starbucks or the Cary Memorial Library, or in your home. Thank you for your understanding!

Handbell Open House September 15th

Are you looking for something different in your life this fall? The handbell community at Hancock offers you friendship and support, a way to express yourself musically and spiritually, and upper body aerobics and humor therapy, all at the same time! No matter what your situation in life, if you are looking for an activity that is both meaningful and fun for you or your child, there is a bell choir for you. No bell or musical experience necessary, though very welcome.

Come to the Open House in the Bell Room Sunday, September 15 at 11am to talk to ringers of all ages and see why bell rehearsal is their favorite time of the week! Can't get to the Open House, call Cheryl Kraley at 781-862-2209 or e-mail at handbells@hancock.org. or Marilyn Becker at marilyn.becker@hancockchurch.org.

Senior Picnic Date Change to Sept 21st

The 30th Annual Senior Picnic will be Saturday, September 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Historical Society Depot Building in Lexington.

The Depot is fully accessible, and the Deacons and others will be on-site to help with anyone who needs assistance. Please let us know if you need a ride or can offer a ride to others. Paid parking is available at meters and in the town lot.

RSVP with the Church Offices, or call with any questions! (781) 862-4220 or email office@hancockchurch.org

Building Progress Report:
The Walls are Down!

Many walls have come down! Visit our website tomorrow for a mini-tour of some of the demolition work that has already happened! Here's a preview:

Can you guess what room this used to be? Yes, that wall on the right is completely gone!

Entrances: Please use the Sanctuary Doors for morning worship. During the week, we ask that you please use the rear entrance. The lower front entrance is completely blocked off.

We will do our best to keep you updated through the Hancock Weekly and on our website: www.hancockchurch.org. Please look out for signs, as building access could change on a daily basis. If you have any concerns about building access during the week, please call the Church Offices at (781) 862-4220.

EDUCATION & SMALL GROUPS

New Series on the Sacraments starting September 8th

Bagels and Bibles Discussion Group
Sundays at 9 am in Rm 205

The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred." The seven sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant, and important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence. But where do these traditions come from? If you learn more about the sacraments, you can celebrate them more fully. Please join us as we investigate the scriptural basis of the seven sacraments. Feel free to join for the entire eight week series or stop in for one lesson.

The Bagels and Bibles class will not meet on September 1st. We will resumes classes on September 8th when we start our new series on the sacraments. Please follow us on our blog
BagelsAndBibles.wordpress.com or contact Kerra Fletcher at bagelsandbibles@outlook.com if you have any questions.

First Thursdays Discussion Group

Please note this was printed incorrectly in the Herald

The First Thursday Discussion Group will continue this fall. Rev. Dana Allen Walsh will be leading the group. The group meets October 3, November 7 and December 5 at 10 am in the Pearson room. We will be discussing Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. All are welcome to join the group for a lively conversation of thinking outside of the box.

"In Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandbergshares her personal stories, uses research to shine a light on gender differences, and offers practical advice to help women achieve their goals. The book challenges us to change the conversation from what women can't do to what we can do, and serves as a rallying cry for us to work together to create a more equal world. The Facebook COO's feminist manifesto may be aimed at female readers, but what's remarkable is how much it has to offer men."

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Lexington Food Pantry

Donation containers are located all around the church. Hancock has a long history of supporting the Pantry with food donations, monetary assistance and the most important: volunteers.

If you would like to distribute food at the pantry, please contact Scott Griffith at isb.scooter@gmail.com or 509-710-5371.

Volunteers Needed for Interfaith Garden

Lexington's Interfaith Garden, a ministry of 14 area faith communities, is now looking for individuals, families and friends to join the remaining 2013 season.

Hancock volunteers are needed to help maintain the garden and harvest produce in September and October. Scheduled dates include:

Tuesday, Sept. 10, 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Saturday, Sept 28, 8 - 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday, Oct 15, 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct 29, 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Last year, garden volunteers raised more than 1,550 pounds of fresh produce, all contributed to Lexington's food panty. As of August 3rd, the garden remained ahead of the 2012 yield.

If you would like to get involved or if you need more information, please contact Laurel Cooley at cooley.laurel1@gmail.com. Information will also be available at Hancock's Activities Fair, September 15, 2013.

Hancock United Church of Christ | 1912 Massachusetts Ave. | Lexington, MA 02421
781.862.4220 | hancockchurch.org