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

Hancock

Weekly

In This Issue

Service Opportunities

In Memorium

Morning Worship Sundays at 10 a.m.

January 12th

Dana Allen Walsh 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.

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 17, 2014
Bells Open Rehearsal

Jan 18, 2014
Bonnie Meek Memorial Service

Jan 19, 2014
NO Jr. Handbell Choir
Bob Naka Memorial Service

Jan 23, 2014
HYG Kentucky Deadline

Jan 24, 2014
Bells Open Rehearsal

Jan 25, 2014
Bay Colony Brass

Jan 27, 2014
Bells Open Rehearsal
Dana's Starbucks Hours

Feb 2, 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.)

NOTES/REMINDERS

Construction Update

as of Jan 15th

Electric

Change over kitchen panel

EBU - emergency lighting done throughout building

Lights in CE wing

Panel installed in new electrical room

New electrical service to Pearson panel

To read a complete list of accomplishments and more photos of the closed-off areas, pleaseclick here.

Elevator hoistway.

Lost & Found will be donated January 31st

Please check the lost and found before the end of January. At the end of the month, we will donate all winter items, and throw away items that are not re-usable. Thank you!

Pick Up Your 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!

Bereavement Group in Arlington

The Hospice program at the

Visiting Nurse and Community Health will be offering a winter eight week long Bereavement Support Group starting Sunday, Feb 2, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM.

The group will run for eight sessions and is open to any adult who has experienced the death of someone significant. The program will close to new participants after the second session.

There is no fee for this program and will be held at 37 Broadway, Arlington.

The Hospice team also offers a Drop in Bereavement Group that meets the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM.

For more schedule details, please contact Jane Park at (781) 862-4220 x202. For specific questions about the group sessions please contact Beth Loomis at 781.643.6090 x1344

Volunteers needed for asera care

Aseracare Hospice is seeking volunteers to provide supportive care to hospice patients and their caregivers who are facing a life-limiting illness. Following completion of the training, volunteers will be assigned to care for hospice patients and families in Lexington area and will be offered on-going training and support, as well as educational programs for specialized volunteer roles.

For further information and/or registration, please contact Alyssa Soldani-Sylvia at 781-235-0203 or alyssa.soldanisylvia
@aseracare.com.

Submit a piece for the Hancock Weekly or Sunday Bulletin

The Hancock Weekly Deadline is the Tuesday prior at 3pm.

The Sunday Bulletin Deadline is Wednesday afternoon.

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

SPOTLIGHT

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.

Hymnal Survey Results

Thanks to the forty people who met with us after church on January 12 to discuss ideas and concerns around choosing our new hymnal. We appreciate everything that was said, and will use the discussion to further inform our selection of a new hymnal. If you were not able to attend this meeting, you can access our Survey Results and the Guiding Principles which the Hymnal Committee is using to select our new hymnal HERE.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Members Join the Church Feb 9th

The church will be celebrating new membership for several families on Sunday February 9th. If this is the right time for you to join the church, or you would like more information on membership contact Rev. Paul Shupe in the church office, Membership Committee chair Al Bukys at membership@HancockChurch.org or call the office at 781-862-4220 by Monday February 1st.

Stewardship Update!

stewardship2013

Have you pledged to financially support Hancock programs and ministries in 2014?

The Stewardship team is reaching out to those families and individuals who pledged last year and have yet to submit a 2014 pledge.

We want Hancock members and friends to know they are valued members of our church family, that we appreciate their past support, and we hope they will take part in our 2014 "Delight in Giving" stewardship campaign, regardless of circumstance.

There are two easy ways to submit a pledge dollar amount: You may contact Kim Gladstone, Finance Administrator, by phone:(781) 862-4220 or financial.administrator@hancockchurch.org.

The 2014 Stewardship Team

Bess Deck, Robin DiGiammarino, Skip Irving, Manuel Navia

NOTE: Updated graphs highlighting the number of pledges and the amount pledged will be published next Sunday, January 26th.

TV Studio Needs Your Help

The television studio needs your help. Some of our watchers are reporting interruptions in service. From our observation, we are now sending out to LexMedia a "clean" program, with no video or audio issues. Our return monitor from RCN indicates a "clean" program as well. Since our signal is not the problem, it lies with our partners.

For anyone watching our broadcasts, if you are having any technical issues whatsoever, please report them to us for followup. Please include the following information:

The date and time of the broadcast
the cable provider that you use (Comcast, RCN or Verizon), or if you viewed it livestreaming on the LexMedia website
a description of the problem, as specifically as you can
your contact information for further questions and to follow progress in correcting the situation.

Please furnish this information to Sue Rockwell srrockwell@juno.com or telephone during normal business hours at 781-863-1233. Thank you for helping us make sure your viewing experience is the best it can be.

We Are Saving You a Seat!
Please Save the Date!

Support HYG by attending the Auction March 30th

Please join us for a fundraiser auction on Sunday, March 30th, immediately following the service, in Clark Hall. All are welcome. Please invite friends, family, and neighbors, too! Be sure to save the date - more details coming soon!

Be A Hero and Donate an Item!

The most important component needed for a successful auction is YOU! For more details and a full list of donation suggestions, please go to our website. Please contact Susan Navia, navia@rcn.com or Lori Bliss Tambone at Ltambone@tambone if you have an item to donate or if you have questions or suggestions.

PLEASE NOTE: The HYG Auction Committee WILL NOT be meeting on Sunday, January 19th. Our next meeting is Sunday, January 26, immediately following the church service, in Room 205. We are looking for more volunteers to make this auction a success -- please drop by Room 205 to find out about the great plans for this year's auction!

Senior Minister Sabbatical Leave

As he nears completion of his first five years of service as our Senior Minister, the dates have been set for Paul's first sabbatical leave. He will be away from April 21-August 17 for rest, study and preparation for the year to come. A full description of his plans can be found here.

Note from Yvette Kirby
Annual Meeting Moved to Sunday, Feb 2nd

The church by-laws specify that Annual Meeting is to be held on the Sunday following the 4th Tuesday of January, which this year falls on Feb. 2, not Jan. 26 as previously announced. The reason for this is to allow adequate time to finalize the budget after the Standing Committee meeting on the 3rd Tuesday, Jan. 21.

I had not read the fine print of the by-laws on this, and apologize for the oversight and the change in schedule. All members are encouraged to attend. In addition to the congregational vote on the 2014 budget, there will be detailed updates on the construction and a behind-the-construction-scenes video.

Yvette Kirby, Moderator

MUSIC

Start the New Year Singing!

Our Chancel Choir is seeking 2-3 sopranos and 2 more tenors to join our excellent group! Other parts are always welcome, of course, but we have real need of more voices in these two sections. Haven't sung since high school? No problem! Still in in high school? No problem! We have singers of many backgrounds and ability levels, but what they all share is a love of making music together. Come join us!

Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings from 7:30-9:15 in the chapel. For information, contact Mark Morgan at 781-862-4220 ext 212 or mark@hancockchurch.org.

Invitation to Join a Bell Choir

Open Rehearsals for 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.

For more details go to our website or email Marilyn Becker or Cherly Kraley at handbells@hancockchurch.org.

Choristers starts Jan 26th

Thanks to the Choristers for doing a great job on Epiphany Sunday! The First Session of the Hancock Choristers will start Jan. 26 until April 6th. Kids can join for the first session or second session, or both!

FELLOWSHIP

Sandwich Generation this Sunday

The Sandwich Generation will meet this Sunday at 7:00 PM in the Pearson room. Whether you're currently caring for someone or have in the past, this group gathers to share collective wisdom over a meal - provided by the Congregational Care Committee.

An RSVP and $5 suggested donation are appreciated, but neither are required. If you have any questions, please let me know. I look forward to fellowship time with each and every one of you.
-Alex Shea Will, Congregational Care Coordinator

Starbucks Office Hours are BACK!

Take a moment to warm up and relax with a fancy coffee at Dana's Starbucks Office Hours! And if you're running errands in Lexington Center, stop by to say hello! Dana will be there on Monday, Jan 27 from 1-3 p.m.

Hancock Game Night

On Friday, January 31, bring your favorite games, bring your family, and bring your friends, because we are having another game night at Hancock! We welcome and encourage everyone to join us. The fun starts at 6 pm in Clark Hall. Contact Scott at isb.scooter@gmail.com or (509) 710-5371 for more information.

Progressive Dinner

Progressive Dinner is fast approaching. Held on Saturday Feb 1st with a snow date of Saturday Feb 8th. We need people to open their homes to host the appetizer and main course. The guests from the church assigned to you will bring food for appetizer or main course. You choose the menu and what you would like people to bring. Also guests will bring beverages.

For dessert everyone will join together at one house for coffee, tea and dessert supplied by Parish Life Committee. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. Host offers and reservations to attend can be made with Loretta A. Porter 781-862-4408 lorettaporter@comcast.net

until Sunday January 12th. Loretta is having a knee replaced on the 14th.

After the 12th please contact Beth Schutt at Beth.Schutt@gmail.com or (781) 862-8109. Deadline for reservations is January 26th.

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

Lexington Food Pantry

January is Small Quick Canister Oats

While any non perishable foods are welcome, the Lexington Food Pantry could really use canisters of quick oats this month. 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.

IN MEMORIUM

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 on

January 18 at 2 p.m. 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

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.

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