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

Sept 8: Blessing of the Animals

Sept 8: First Hymn Sing

Sept 8: Bring your house plants to worship!

Sept 21: Senior Picnic

Bagels and Bibles Update

Volunteers Needed: Interfaith Garden

RESOURCES

The Spring Herald on-line!

WORSHIP

Morning Worship at 10 a.m.

Preaching this week: Dana Allen Walsh

"Out of Chaos"

Genesis 1:20-25

You can watch past sermons on our website. WATCH 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 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 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 September 4:
9 am CE work day
1:15 pm Consort
7 pm Hancock Carillon
7:30 pm Children's CE meeting off site

Thursday September 5:

7:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal in Chapel

Friday September 6:

No events

Saturday September 7:

8 am AA Women's Step Study in the Chapel

9 am CE work day

10 am AA meeting in Dining Room

3 pm Brass Group in Kathie Stuart

Sunday September 8:

8:30 am Chancel Choir Rehearsal in Sanctuary and Chapel

9 am Bagels and Bibles Discussion Group

9:45 am FIRST Hymn Sing!

10 am Morning Worship in Sanctuary

10:20 am Church School - All Ages Event

in Clark Hall

10:20 am JYO in Upper Room

11 am Fellowship Hour in Dining Room

5 pm River Rock Rehearsal in Clark Hall

6:15 pm Worship @the Well: Blessing of the Animals! in Clark Hall

7 pm HYG in Upper Room

Monday September 9:

1 pm Dana's Starbucks Office Hours

1:30 pm Skyloom in Kathie Stuart

1:30 pm No Potter Library Meeting

7 pm Boy Scouts Committee in Kathie Stuart

7:30 pm Deacon's Meeting in Dining Room

Tuesday September 10:
10 am Staff Meeting in Bell Room
11 am Staff Worship Planning in Bell Room
3 pm Lexington Girl Scouts in Kathie Stuart
7:30 pm Endowment Committee in Rm 205
7:30 pm Adult CE off site
7:30 pm Christian Service Committee in Pearson
7:30 pm Finance Committee in Bells Room

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.

Ecclesiastical Council Meetings Sept 5 in Brookline and Sept 24 in Burlington

If you are interested in represent Hancock Church at the Ecclesiastical Meetings, please contact the Church Offices.

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.

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."

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

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!

Help us celebrate our furry, scaley, precious friends! Post a picture of your pet on facebook, with your pet's name and why you're grateful for him/her! Then tag it to "The Well at Hancock Church"! Or you can email the above information to office@hancockchurch.org, so we can post it for you!

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS

We want to borrow your house plants!

This fall, we are inviting people to add to the richness of our worship experience by sharing things from home with which we will decorate the Sanctuary. First up: your house plants. We'd like to make the Sanctuary green and lively for Sundays, September 8 and 15. If you have a vibrant house plant that you would loan us, please bring it to the Sanctuary by 9:30 am this Sunday, September 8.

Especially welcome are those in pots no larger than 6 inches in diameter. We'll have a team there to display them. If you can leave them for a week, we'd love for there to be signs of life all over the Sanctuary on Celebration Sunday on September 15. We'll water them! Then you can take them home with you after worship that day.

On the second Sunday of each month, we'll be asking people to bring items from home to share, in keeping with the theme of the month:

September/Expectation: Live plants and greens

October/Community: Comforting Quilts and Prayer Shawls

November/Gratitude: Food for the Lexington Food Pantry

December/Advent - Manger Sunday: Gifts for City Mission Society

Take part! Share generously!

Thanks,

Your Worship Staff

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

Starbucks Office Hours with Paul and Dana!

The best way to enjoy coffee is with a friend! Paul and Dana are continuing their informal Starbucks Office Hours into the fall. It's a great way to chat and catch up with them.
Dana's Starbucks Office Hours:
Monday, September 9, 1-3 p.m.
Paul's Starbucks Office Hours:
Wednesday, September 11, 1-3 p.m.
Location: 1729 Mass Ave in Lexington Center

Thank you to everyone who hosted the Hancock Grills this summer!

Here are from photos from the last Hancock Grills at the Sandeens. Go to our website for more photos and to watch a short video!

Special Thanks to:

Deb Crooke

Barbara Kay

Michele and David Cooke

The Kraleys

The Sandeens

We had such a lovely summer!

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!

Building Progress Report:
Due to construction, the balcony seating limit is 45 according to firecode. Seating will be first come, first serve.

Many walls have come down! More pictures on our website to come. 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.

Reflection on possible US intervention in Syria from Andover Newton Theological School

This article contains two resources of possible use as President Barack Obama considers a military strike on Syria. The first, written by Andover Newton Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics M.T. Davila, will be shared in some area churches this weekend, and may be of use to you in preparing a sermon or congregational activity surrounding current events. The second is a petition to the White House organized by Boston-area religious leaders, which has been signed by President Nick Carter, several faculty members and alumni/ae, and will have other signatures from across the country.

A memorial service for Horace Besecker will be held at Hancock Church on Saturday, October 12, at 2:00 pm, with a collation to follow. In the meantime, we continue our prayers of thanksgiving for his full and wonderful life of service, and for consolation and healing for his family.

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.

Climate Activist Rev. Dr. Jim Antal to speak at Wellesley Hills Congregational

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Serve at the Food Bank September 14

Hancock will be serving at the Food Bank on Saturday, September 14 from 8:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Donation containers for the Lexington Food Pantry 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