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

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CONTENTS

In This Issue
This Sunday...
JYO $C4C$
Nov 23 Indoor Work Day
Concord Prison Outreach
Fuller Center Trip in April
Stewardship 2014
Support Women's Lunch Place
Nov 24 Hanging of the Greens
Hymnal Committee Survey
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Game Night
Dec 8 Manger Sunday
Dec 8 Holiday Fair
Order Poinsettias
New Soprano Section Leader
RESOURCES

WORSHIP

  Morning Worship at 10 a.m.
Preaching this week: Dana Allen Walsh
Pledge Sunday
Hanging of the Greens

Special Music by Hancock Carillon

Colossians 1:11-20


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

  

6:15 p.m. in Clark Hall
Preaching this week: Pam Cochrane
Like us on Facebook  
 

 CHILDREN 

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

November 10, 17, 24th
Children will explore the theme of gratitude, as we share the story of Zacchaeus' encounter from the Gospel of Luke. Come join the circle. 
 
Children in grades PreK-5th will head to the Kathie Stuart Room for Chapel Time, then to classroom activities. 

 

JUNIOR YOUTH ORGANIZATION  

JYO Class Schedule
JYO is a Youth Group for middle school aged kids. They meet every Sunday at 10:20 a.m.

November 24 
JYO will join in worship 

December 1
JYO makes sandwiches for Outdoor Church

December 8
JYO stays in worship for Manger Sunday

December 15
JYO meets in Upper Room for Advent activities and next steps on the Change for Charlie project 
Junior Youth Group collects  
Change for Charlie ($C4C$) 
 
Our Junior Youth Organizers were out in full-force on Sunday, Nov. 17, to kick off our "Change for Charlie" fundraising drive! Thank you to all who contributed!

 

What is "Change for Charlie" ?? JYO will be bringing more on that message to our church community in the weeks ahead. If you know a JYOer, please ask him/her about it!

 

JYOers: Be thinking about how you would explain the WHAT, WHY and HOW of Change for Charlie to our larger church family. We'll be collecting ideas and planning next steps to share the message when we meet on Dec.15th.

HANCOCK YOUTH GROUP  

HYG at Grotonwood
 

 CALENDAR   

Wednesday November 20:
1:15 pm Consort in Kathie Stuart
7 pm Hancock Carillon in Bell Room

Thursday November 21:
6 pm Boy Scouts in Clark Hall
7:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal in Chapel
7:30 pm HEAT in Pearson

Friday November 22:
9:30 am Morning Glory Ringers in Sanctuary

Saturday November 23:
8 am AA Women's Step Study in Chapel
9 am Prudential Committee Indoor Work Day
10 am AA Meeting in Clark Hall
3 pm Plaster Brass Group in Kathie Stuart

Sunday November 24:
8:30 am Pastor's Class in Pearson
8:30 am Chancel Choir Rehearsal in Sanctuary and Chapel
10 am Morning Worship-Pledge Sunday in Sanctuary
10:20 am Children's Chapel
10:20 am JYO will stay in worship
11 am Fellowship Hour in Clark Hall
11 am Newcomer's Mini Coffee Hour in Pearson
11:15 am Hancock Choristers in Rm 212
11:30 am Hanging of the Greens

12:30 pm A Joyful Noyse Rehearsal in Chapel
5 pm River Rock Rehearsal in Clark Hall
5 pm Confirmation Class in Upper Room
6:15 pm Worship @the Well in Clark Hall
7 pm HYG in Upper Room

Monday November 25:
9:30 am Projects with Purpose in Bell Room
1:30 pm Skyloom in Kathie Stuart
7pm Boy Scouts OA Chapter Meeting in Rm 205
7pm Hancock Carillon in Bell Room
7:30 pm Cub Scouts Committee in Kathie Stuart
7:30 pm Parish Life in Library

Tuesday November 26:
10 am Staff Meeting in Bell Room
11 am Staff Worship Planning in Bell Room
7:30 pm Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
at St. Nicholas

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

Schedule is subject to change.  Link HERE to our calendar on-line! 
Administrative Offices Closed Nov 28-29
The Administrative Offices will be closed November 28-29 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Please keep in mind, any submissions for the December 1st Bulletin will need to be submitted by Monday morning, November 25th. Please email them directly to our Administrative Assistant Tamara Potselueva at office.assistant@hancockchurch.org.

The Weekly deadline will remain the same (Tuesday by 3pm). Thank you! 
 
Save the Dates
There's always a lot going on during the Holidays, so be sure to put these dates on your calendar!

Saturday, November 16, 2013
Harvest Potluck Supper, from 6-8 pm in Clark Hall
Parish Life Committee

Saturday, November 23, 2013
Indoor Work Day, 9 am-1 pm
Prudential Committee

Sunday, November 24, 2013
Commitment Sunday
Stewardship Committee

Hanging of the Greens
Music & Arts Committee

Sunday, December 8, 2013
Manger Sunday and Holiday Fair

Sunday, December 15, 2013
Christmas Caroling and Pizza Party
Music & Arts Committee

Saturday, February 1, 2014
Progressive Dinner
Parish Life Committee

Sunday, March 30th, 2014

HYG Auction in Clark Hall after morning worship
Submit a piece for the Hancock Weekly 
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
   Contact information
   Image as an attachment

Please send them to Jane Park: office@hancockchurch.org.
 

 SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES   

Nov 22nd Indoor Work Day
Help the Prudential Committee Prepare the Building for the Holiday Season 

Indoor Work Day, Saturday, November 23rd from 9am-1pm. Join members from the Prudential Committee for a pre-holiday work day. 

Come help us with indoor projects including preparing the building for the holiday season. No special skills required! Many hands make light work. Come and work for as long as your schedule allows.  

Refreshments provided. Meet in the Kathie Stuart Room. Contact Prudential Committee member Susan McClements with any questions: skmcclements@gmail.com, or 781-676-1979.
Donate Regular Household Items to the Concord Prison Outreach by Dec 8th

The annual collection of items for the holiday gift bags given to inmates of the Concord Reformatory and Northeastern Correctional Center is now underway.

Collection boxes are in the Narthex and near Clark Hall. Donations of any or all of the items listed below will be welcomed and items in multiple amounts particularly so. The contents of the filled boxes will be turned over to Concord Prison Outreach where volunteers will fill gift bags for the inmates at the two prisons in Concord.

While the list seems sparse these may be the only holiday remembrances that some men will receive.
Each gift bag will contain the following items DETERMINED BY THE DEPT. OF CORRECTION:

*1 bar of deodorant soap (4-5 oz.) 
*1 tube toothpaste (5.8 - 6 oz.)
*1 pad WHITE paper (6" x 9" or 5" x 8", 100 pages, no wire) 
* White envelopes #6 3/4 (6 1/2" x 3 5/8") 
*1 pair white CREW socks (no tube socks, knee highs or "tennis" socks, preferably
5 inches of ribbing or less) 
* 1 bottle (plastic) shampoo (12 -15 oz.) 
* 1 stick deodorant (no roll-ons, 2.75 oz. or larger) 
* A handmade holiday greeting card would be a welcome addition. Cards may be on paper or card stock, no larger than 8./5. They may be colorful however no stickers, sequins , pins, natural fibers, or potato prints can be used. A card should be signed with the sender's first name only and may include a personal "non-religious" message. Hand drawn cards from children are very welcome.

Dec 1st is First Registration Date

Fuller Center For Housing
Annual Legacy Build 2014
 

This year the Fuller Center for Housing will host its annual Legacy Build in memory of Millard Fuller in Louisville, KY April 6-11, 2014. The goal is to renovate 10 houses in the Shawnee neighborhood of Louisville, once a lovely family neighborhood that has sunk into disrepair over the last half century. The Fuller Center Covenant Partner in Louisville is a very proactive organization with support from the city, business organizations, and the religious community. Incorporated just four years ago, they have been vigorously revitalizing this area of abandoned and substandard housing.

 

Hancock is planning to send a delegation. All skill levels are needed. Training will be provided. Registration of $200 ($225 after Dec 1, $250 after Mar 1) covers lunches, snacks, and dinners. Transportation will be determined by the participants: rental van, sharing driving and costs, or flying are the most likely options. Housing is available at Hotel Louisville, a training program for needy individuals, at $25 per night double occupancy or there is a local Holiday Inn Express for $75 per night.

 

This is an opportunity to make a big difference in the life of a family, doing God's work, working side by side with home owners and volunteers from Hancock and around the country.

 

If you are interested in learning more or for questions, contact Cheryl Kraley at cheryl@kraley.com or 781-862-2209. (Cheryl and Mike Kraley attended a build at this site in March 2011.) Additional information is available at. If you plan to attend, you can register online now to get the early bird rate. To be included on future e-mails, send an e-mail to cheryl@kraley.com. An organizational meeting for all those on the e-mail list will be scheduled for January to arrange transportation, housing, etc.

Volunteer for Rosie's Place
Please join in and volunteer to cook a casserole for Rosie's Place, a shelter for homeless women in Boston. Ten Hancock congregation members cook a casserole in their home for the second Sunday in each month, and we drive them down to Rosie's Place. If you would like to cook once or twice this year, please email Linda Kilner Olivier at LAKilner@aol.com or contact Meg Weston or Marcia Gens.
Hancock Weekly

 SPOTLIGHT

$2400 raised so far in Typhoon Relief!
We will continue to accept donations until Sunday.

 
We're so excited to have raised $2400 for Typhoon Relief! Let's continue our giving streak. We'll continue tracking Hancock donations until Sunday (November 24th).

Please follow this LINK to donate online, or visit our WEBSITE. Or if you prefer, write a check to Hancock Church with memo line "Typhoon." Thank you so much for responding so quickly!

Hancock Church is joining with United Church of Christ congregations around the country with a goal of raising $250,000 to aid sisters and brothers affected by the recent typhoon in the Philippines. The UCC has mission partners in the Philippines, and our gifts will help them respond directly and immediately. Read more about the greater UCC's response to Typhoon Relief efforts.

UPCOMING EVENTS 

Commitment Sunday is Nov 24th!
Stewardship 2014

stewardship2013

Like seeds on the wind, pledge packets went out into the world and have taken root! THANK YOU to all who have already pledged to support Hancock's mission in 2014!

 

Whether you have sent in your pledge or plan to do so at the joyful event this weekend, please join us at Commitment Sunday on Nov. 24. We will come together with praise and song to celebrate all that God has given us and all the ways we can give back to God. All gifts, of any size, are welcome. Please bring your pledge card to either morning or evening worship. Don't worry: if you forget, we will have plenty of blank cards at church!

 

Still have questions about stewardship in the Congregational tradition and why giving is an important spiritual practice for each of us? Please visit our Giving page.

 

Ready to make your 2014 pledge now? Click here.

 

 

Any questions, comments, concerns or suggestions for Stewardship at Hancock? Send us an email!

 

We can't wait to see everyone for the Commitment Sunday celebration on Nov. 24!  

 

Your 2014 Stewardship Team: Bess Deck, Robin DiGiammarino, Skip Irving, Manuel Navia


Support Women's Lunch Place, the only shelter in MA that celebrates birthdays!
Buy a Cookie Plate this Sunday!

The stimulus package Obama put in place in 2009 is expiring. Over the next 11 months, Massachusetts alone will see a $95 million reduction in nutrition assistance, including federal food stamps. It makes the work Hancock does at the Lexington Food pantry, Rosie's Place, the Interfaith Garden, and the Women's Lunch Place all the more urgent.

 

The Christmas cookie sale, which we are taking orders for during coffee hour, benefits the Women's Lunch Place in Boston. They serve between 150-200 women and children daily.  They provide breakfast and lunch, a napping room (for those up all night on the streets), laundry and shower facilities, a legal assistance program, and free health care.

 

Each $10 you give for a plate of homemade Christmas cookies goes to fund The Women's Lunch Place's Birthday Program.They are the only shelter in Massachusetts that celebrates birthdays. On the last Friday of every month they have a cake for all women having birthdays. They give a small special gift like cologne, or a personalized backpack. The Director told us that one woman had tears in her eyes she was so happy to receive the backpack.

"I am so tired of walking around carrying plastic bags!" The Director added, "Many of these women have indentations on their shoulders and backs from carrying their belongings day after day." She continued, "Thank Hancock so much. It means a lot to the women that people in the area are concerned about them. It's the little things like birthday celebrations that make the difference between us being a shelter versus a community for these women."

 

People in our congregation have bought a plate as a hostess gift when invited for dinner, a holiday gift for a neighbor, or a person they want to especially remember during the season, to take to work to share, as a Yankee Swap or grab bag gift. If you prefer, Hancock will take a plate of cookies in your name when members sing carols at homes of folks who can't make it to church. And we won't stop you if you just want to donate money to Women's Lunch Place and forgo the cookies. See us Sunday at coffee hour and the Holiday Fair on December 8th after Manger Sunday. Or contact Amy Swanson, CeCe Potter or Linda Kilner Olivier.

Thank you Boy Scouts for the Greens!
Hanging of the Greens this Sunday at 11:30

Please thank the Boy Scouts for donating the wreaths for this year's Hanging of the Greens! 

You can join the Music and Arts Committee for the Annual Volunteer Wreath and Garland Hanging Sunday, November 24th after morning worship. We need your help  attaching ribbons to the 14 beautiful wreaths to be hung around the church, and hanging garlands across the balcony and along the walls of the altar.Hope to see you there!  

There will be music, refreshments and holiday camaraderie as we prepare the church for Advent and Christmas!
Nov 24th Remember to Pick-up Your Wreaths
In Rm 205 after morning worship


If you ordered a wreath from the Boy Scouts, please remember to pick them up this Sunday after morning worship! Thank you for supporting our local troop 119! 

 

Hymnal Committee Survey

The Hymnal Committee is asking for your help.  As we explore options for selecting our new hymnal, we would like to hear from you!  We have prepared a survey which you can use to let us know your thoughts about hymns.

 

The easiest way to complete the survey is by going to the following link:

 

Just fill out the survey on the computer, and your anonymous answers will be entered into our data base for our review.  Or, even easier, come to coffee hour on November 17 or 24 and look for the friendly person with the computer who can help you access the link so that you can fill the survey out right there!

 

If you prefer to use a paper survey, there will be some available after church on November 17 and November 24 at coffee hour. We would like you to complete the survey electronically if it is at all possible, but if you are not able to do that, you may use a paper survey.

 

Thank you for your help!
Nov 26th Lexington Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship Service

Please join sisters and brothers of many faith traditions at the annual Lexington Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship service, on Tuesday, November 26 at 7:30 pm at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 17 Meriam Street. Participants will include clergy and laity from Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and the Unitarian/Universalist tradition. Greek Orthodox seminarians will be chanting the psalms beginning at 7:20. Refreshments will follow the service. See you there!

 

Dec 3rd Theology on Tap at Orlean's
In a place apart from the layers of meaning in our churches, all are welcome to commune in theological discussion at Orlean's in Davis Sq. There might not be a cross on any of the walls or an organ in the corner, but God still manages to show up!

Theology on Tap meets the last Tuesday of every month (usually). Send a message to BostonTot@groups.facebook.com to join our facebook group! Keep up with discussion topics and other events.

 

Dec 6th Church Game Night!
 
 When we are not meeting at The Orlean's, the members of Theology on Tap occasionally meet to play board games. We always have a great time and we are interested in inviting the rest of the church to join in!

On December 6th, bring your favorite games, bring your family and bring your friends because we are having a game night at Hancock! This is a truly inter-generational event, we welcome, and encourage everyone to join us. You have not played a board game until you have played a game with a certain former-Hancock-seminarian yelling at you to trade a blue bean for a chili bean. 

Game Night on December 6, 7 pm in Clark Hall
For Ages 12-99, Snacks will be provided
For more info: Scott Griffith (isb.scooter@gmail.com or (509) 710-5371) Letting Scott know you are coming is not a bad idea...
A Joyful Noyse Concert
Celebrating the Season with Music from the Time of Louis XIV

 

 

It's the time of year when the "music of the season" bombards our ears at every turn. We hear endless loops of Rudolph, Jingle Bells, and White Christmas in every store and in every commercial.

On Saturday, Dec. 7th at 7:30pm, A Joyful Noyse, an early music ensemble in residence at Hancock Church in Lexington, brings us a reprieve from all that with music from 18th century France. Mass for 8 voices, 8 strings and flutes (H.3) by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1634-1702) is a work for double choir and period instruments that captures the spirit of the season through Charpentier's mastery of tuneful, vigorous, and beautiful writing.

 

The voices for this program will be divided into two choirs, with each calling back and forth to each other and coming together to form a grand chorus. The instrumental forces for this program will include baroque violins, various sizes of viols, baroque flutes, voice flutes, soprano recorders and harpsichord.  The instruments will be divided into two orchestras, each supporting one of the two choirs, and positioned to bring out the echoing, or antiphonal, nature of the mass.

Dec 8th is Manger Sunday
Gifts for Manger Sunday; Volunteers Needed

 

Come lift your spirits and embrace the Advent season by participating in a beloved Hancock tradition: Manger Sunday.

 

During morning worship on December 8, we will process to the manger with gifts for those less fortunate. Hancock, along with 40 other churches and groups in the greater-Boston area, delivers the gifts to City Mission Society's Christmas Shop distribution center in Winchester. CMS requests the following new, unwrapped items for families in need:

  • Winter coats, sweaters and sweatshirts (large sizes especially)
  • Hats, mittens, gloves and scarves
  • Socks and underwear
  • Blankets and backpacks
  • Toys, games, and books for all ages
  • Gift cards from Target, Marshalls, Walgreens, CVS, Kohls, Walmart, Stop and Shop, Shaw's and other merchants

Volunteers are needed to help deliver the gifts to Winchester after the service on Sunday, December 8 from 12:30pm-1:30pm, and to help sort items at the Christmas Shop on 

 

December 8, 3-5pm

December 14, 10am-12pm

 

Please contact April Julich Perez (aprilpomme@yahoo.com) for information or if you would like to help.  

Dec 8th is the 2013 Hancock Holiday Fair

The Holiday Fair is Sunday, Dec 8 from 11-1 in Clark Hall

Hancock's Holiday Fair is coming up in two weeks on Sunday, December 8! You can purchase "gifts that help others" and make your friends and family happy at the same time.  

 

Along with old favorites Heifer International and Rosies' - you can also shop for special hand-crafted items from A Thread of Hope, Sharing Foundation, Weavers of Varanasi, Heifer, Apabii Patchwork, Barefoot Books, Maasai Beadwork, Aruna Designs, Basic Needs, BeadFor Life,Women's Lunch Placeand others. Do your creative holiday shopping while supporting local, national and international charities.  

 

Enjoy HYG refreshments, sold to raise funds for their Kentucky mission trip, while you shop on Sunday, December 8, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Bring a friend!


It's time to order Poinsettias
Order Online! Delivery volunteers needed
Every year the sanctuary is filled with beautiful poinsettias in memory or honor of those loved by members of the congregation at Hancock. These poinsettias will be delivered to church members who are in the hospital or must stay at home.

Please let us know if you'd like to make a delivery. We'd love for everyone volunteer, and maybe, meet a church a member you wouldn't normally get to meet!

If you would like to dedicate a poinsettia to a loved one, submit a FORM (online) no later than Monday, December 9th.

There are also order forms available in the narthex that can be placed in the collection baskets. Checks made out to Hancock Church, memo "Poinsettias," can be left in the church office. The suggested donation for each plant is $10.

If you have any questions, please contact Alex Shea Will, Congregational Care Coordinator. Or look for him at Coffee Hour!
Wine Raffle to benefit Sustainable Harvest
Visit Charlotte Dougherty during coffee hour to purchase raffle tickets to benefit Sustainable Harvest. Four winners will receive six bottles of wine - a retail value of $150! Tickets are $10 each or $25 for three. The wines are all donated, and all proceeds will go to restore the rainforests and end hunger in Piedras Negras, Honduras. We've been working with Piedras Negras for 5 years now! For more information contact Charlotte Dougherty at charlottepdougherty@gmail.com or (781) 863-8018.
Save the Date
for Christmas Caroling Dec 15th
On December 15th, Hancock will form several groups for Caroling at 3:30 pm. Carolers will visit other Church Members who have to stay at home, sing songs, and then go back to the Dining Hall for a delicious Pizza Dinner! Contact Steve Cooper if you'd like to sing at cooper.landlord@gmail.com.
Remembrances

Longtime member Sally Moore passed away Monday evening. Please pray for her family during this time of grief.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Please Welcome Our
New Soprano Section Leader!
 
We are pleased to have Emily Thorner join us as our new soprano section leader. This is a position that has been vacant since Anna left us three years ago. 

From  New Hamphire, Emily is an emerging talent in the Boston music scene. She recently made her Boston and New York operatic debut as Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia for Opera Brittenica. She completed her Master's degree in Vocal Performance at Florida State University in December 2012.Her past roles have included Eurydice in Orphée aux enfers, Mrs. Nordstrom in A Little Night Music, Silverpeal in The Impresario, Amy in Little Women and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel.For more information, please visit

We are still looking for more sopranos to sing with us--especially for the holidays! You can sing for Sunday mornings, Christmas Eve, or our Cantata on January 5th. For more information, contact Mark Morgan at mark@hancockchurch.org or 781-862-4220 ext 212

 EDUCATION & SMALL GROUPS 

Join First Thursday Discussion Group for their last session of the year!
 

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 

   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. Contact: Lois Smith Martin smithmartin224@verizon.net, (781) 270-0304.

 

There is a lot of buzz about this new book.

Like or dislike; agree or disagree, come and join the conversation!  Here are some quotes from the book we'll be discussing:

 

"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"

"Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence."

"We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change."

 

It is a book that both men and women can share in a conversation of how to better communicate in the workplace. Even if you are out of the workplace at the present moment, your experiences can add to the discussion. We hope you will join us in discussing this much talked about book.  
Hancock United Church of Christ | 1912 Massachusetts Ave. | Lexington, MA 02421
781.862.4220 | hancockchurch.org