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

Hancock

Weekly

Morning Worship Sundays at 10 a.m.

January 5th
Music starts at 9:45 a.m.

Cantata Sunday

Communion

Paul Shupe preaches

Watch Sermons Online

or Order DVD

To watch past sermons on our website, click here. You can also order a DVD of any of our services or handbells concerts by filling out a DVD REQUEST FORM (PDF). Enjoy watching!

Worship @the Well Sundays 6:15 p.m.

in Clark Hall.

January 5th
Jazz Epiphany

Hancock Children and Youth Blog

Read the latest news about our Children and Youth programs on our BLOG.

Children's Program
Every Sunday at 10:20 a.m.

Sunday, January 5th

Cantata Sunday and All Ages Epiphany Event in Clark Hall celebrating the arrival of the three kings.

January 12, 19, & 26th

Children explore Jesus, the Storyteller exploring Jesus' teachings through the parables from the Gospel of Matthew.

Junior Youth Organization

Every Sunday at 10:20 a.m.

January 5th

JYO Sandwich Making for the Outdoor Church in the Kathie Stuart Room

January 12, 19, & 26th

Youth will encounter the Season of Epiphany and celebrate the gifts we each bring to our ministry at Hancock.

Hancock Youth Group

Every Sunday at 7 p.m.

Youth in grade 9 also have the option of taking

confirmation class at 5 pm on Sundays. For youth in grades 7-8, we also offer an

Our Whole Lives sexual health class which meets at 7 pm on Sundays.

Save the dates

Jan 5, 2014
Cantata Sunday
UNhanging of the greens
HYG Auction 2014 Planning Meeting
Epiphany Jazz Worship (Worship @the Well)

Jan 12, 2014
20/30/40-somethings Brunch

Jan 25, 2014
Bay Colony Brass

Jan 26, 2014
Annual Meeting

Feb 1, 2014

Progressive Dinner
Parish Life Committee

Mar 30, 2014

HYG Auction in Clark Hall after morning worship

To see all weekly activities and locations, please view our online calendar.
(We recommend the "agenda" view.)

Progressive Dinner

Progressive Dinner on February 1st--with a snow date of February 8th, 2014.

We need hosts for the appetizer and main dish portion of the dinner. If you'd like to host 8-10 guests in your home, please contact Loretta Porter at (781) 862-4408 or email lorettaporter@comcast.net.

Submit a piece for the Hancock Weekly

Submissions should include: Title, Copy text, Contact information, Image as an attachment. Please send them to Jane Park at office@hancockchurch.org.

Letter from Paul and Dana

Dear Friends,

Bonnie Meek, beloved church member and wife of former Senior Minister Peter Meek died in her sleep as the new year was beginning. Her passing was peaceful. She will long be remembered for her bright spirit, kind ways, and great courage in the face of lingering illness. A memorial service will be held at Hancock at a date and time to be announced. In the meantime, please join Dana and me in remembering Peter and their daughter Amy in your prayers.

Grace and Peace,

Paul and Dana

If you would like to to send a letter to Peter or Amy, you may mail it here: 31 Potter Pond, Lexington, MA 02421-8233

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cantata Sunday and Jazz Epiphany!
Music for Cantata Sunday starts at 9:45 am

Close out the Christmas Season with us on January 5th for special Epiphany events! At 10:00 a.m., our annual Christmas Cantata Sunday will take place during morning worship. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by harp, oboe, and flute, will sing original carols and traditional carol settings by composer Stephen Paulus (stephenpaulus.com).

Then at 6:15 p.m. evening service, we celebrate the end of the Christmas season with a special Jazz Epiphany worship! The River Rock Band will translate our favorite carols into jazz settings with special guest musicians.

Jan 12th: 20/30/40-somethings brunch

Come enjoy some french toast and scrambled eggs on January 12th! After church, we'll head to Vinebrook Tavern in Lexington Center for some brunch and conversation. Bring your kids - there will be a kids table with paid adult supervision. If you are in your 20s, 30s, or 40s, this is a great opportunity to laugh, talk, and get to know one another. All are welcome. RSVP to Dana (dana@hancockchurch.org) if you plan to come.

Invitation to Join a Bell Choir

The handbell choirs are beginning new music for Lent, Palm Sunday, and Bell Sunday in June. If you saw the bells at Christmas and wished that you were able to ring, come to a rehearsal and try ringing a bell. It is a great way to make friends and music at the same time! You don't have to play in performance if that is too scary. Just come to enjoy the experience. Questions- handbells@hancockchurch.org for Marilyn Becker or Cheryl Kraley

Open Rehearsals for Sundays, January 12 and 26th, 9 a.m.

Junior Handbell Choir is for 3rd and 4th grade ringers and older ringers who don't read music yet.

Marting to Glory is for 5th grade ringers, who ready music, up to and including adults.

Open Rehearsals for Fridays, January 17 and 24th, 9:30 a.m.

Morning Glory Ringers is for adults of all abilities.

Bay Colony Brass
Saturday, Jan 25th at 7:30 p.m.

The Bay Colony Brass ensemble with new music director Channing Yu present a program of brass music including arrangements of Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Haydn and Gershwin's An American in Paris.

For more information visit www.baycolonybrass.org Free.

Hancock is Giving with Delight!

stewardship2013

Join us in celebration as we bear witness to our congregation's commitment to do God's work here at Hancock Church. We are delighted to report that as of December 15th, $688,366 has been pledged to support church ministries in 2014. The average pledge amount is $4,102 and we thank the 168 individuals and families who have stepped forward to support Worship, Education, Fellowship and Outreach next year.

To view the latest graphs of total giving to date, please visit our website.

Merry Christmas,

The Stewardship Team

Bess Deck, Robin DiGiammarino, Skip Irving, Manuel Navia

Pledge Envelopes for 2014

The 2014 pledge envelopes are available for pick-up in the Narthex. There is also a sign-up sheet for anyone who would like envelopes but did not request them. If there are any questions, please contact Kim Gladstone, Financial Administrator at kim@hancockchurch.org. Thank you!

We extend our sympathy to the family and friends of longtime Hancock member Bob Naka, who died just before Christmas. A memorial service will be held at Hancock on Sunday, January 19th, 2:00 pm.

Fred Shaw, also a longtime Hancock member, passed away on January 1st. Three generations of his family are active here, including two grandchildren in the Confirmation class. We pray for them and especially for Fred's wife Bonnie. Paul will lead a memorial service at 11:00 am on Tuesday, January 7, at the Douglass Funeral Home, 51 Worthen Road, in Lexington.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Give a Sign of God's

(and Hancock's) Love in 2014

Every Sunday, the beautiful flowers that adorn the chancel, pulpit and lectern are given in memory of a person loved by a member of our congregation.

After we are blessed with their beauty, one person volunteers to make a few small bouquets for delivery to our members who could use a small sign of love. No special skills or words are required, just an open heart and a small amount of your time.

If you'd like to volunteer, please head over to

this spreadsheet (google doc)

and pick an open date. Alex will be in contact the week prior to your visit to confirm your availability. If your plans change, that's okay too! Feel free to take a chance and sign up. If you have any questions, please let Congregational Care Coordinator Alex Shea Will know. Thank you!

In Hope,

Alex Shea Will

HANCOCK UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | 1912 MASS AVE | LEXINGTON, MA 02421
(781) 862-4220 | hancockchurch.org