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

Hancock
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In This Issue
Save the Dates
Notes/Reminders
Concerts
This Sunday
Small Groups and Events
Announcements
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! 
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.

February 2nd
All Age Event in Clark Hall
An Epiphany of Love
Sharing messages of love and peace kids are invited to create valentine cards and care packages for friends and family and our church community.

Feb 9, 16, 23rd
Children will continue their storytelling of Jesus' teachings through parables. Come join the circle!

Junior Youth Organization
Every Sunday at 10:20 a.m.

February 2nd
JYO Sandwich Making for the Outdoor Church & Communion

Feb 9, 15, 23rd
Youth will continue their discussion on the gifts we bring to our community of faith and explore the practice of mindfulness. 
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  

Feb 6
First Thursday Discussion Group

Feb 8
Volunteer at the Food Pantry

Feb 9
Reception of New Members
Lexington Interfaith Choral Festival

Feb 14-24
HYG in Kentucky

Mar 6
First Thu. Discussion Group

Mar 30

HYG Auction in Clark Hall after morning worship

 

Apr 3

First Thu. Discussion Group 

Apr 5-11
Louisville, KY Build

May 16
Women's Retreat

Jun 19-27
Fort Wayne, IN Build
To see all weekly activities and locations, please view our online calendar.
(We recommend the "agenda" view.)

NOTES/REMINDERS  

Help Wanted for Flower Deliveries
Brighten someone's day with a flower delivery! Contact Alex Shea Will if you'd like to make a delivery after morning worship.
In Case You Missed It...
After completing five years of service to Hancock, our Senior Minister Paul Shupe will be taking a sabbatical leave to rest and to prepare for the next period of his ministry with us. Read here to learn more about his plans, and ministry at Hancock while he is away.
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 
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.
IN WORSHIP
Morning Worship | Sundays at 10am
This week in morning worship: Reception of New Members and Climate Sunday. The choir will sing Haydn's thrilling chorus "The Heavens Are Telling" from The Creation.

Dana Allen Walsh preaches on Matthew 5:13-20. "Jesus tells us that we are the 'salt of the earth' and the 'light of the world.' From that proclamation, our mandate is both personal and communal..."  Read more.

Worship @the Well | Sundays at 6:15pm
This week's Worship @the Well:
The full River Rock Band returns for a night of joyous and stirring music about our place in creation.

The song of the week: Watch the construction video and hear "We Are Climbing" and "Bound for the Promise Land" by the River Rock Band!

CONCERTS

9th Annual Lexington Interfaith Choral Festival
Feb 9th, 3pm
Meet the Sacred Heart Choir! They are one of ten Christian and Jewish congregations that will sing in the 9th Annual Lexington Choral Festival! This year it will take place at St. Brigid Catholic Church at 2001 Mass. Ave. in Lexington. For more information on participating choirs, go to the facebook invite!

THIS SUNDAY 

Reception of New Members this Sunday!
 
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.
Bonnie Meek Memorial Service Video
For those of you who were unable to attend Bonnie Meek's Memorial Service, we will show a video of it after morning worship on February 9th in the Kathie Stuart at 11:30 a.m. 
Hancock Choristers Still Welcoming
New Kids to Join Us!
We had three new kids give our children's choir, the Hancock Choristers, a try last week and we welcome any more to join us this week! The Choristers rehearse at 11:15 in room 212 after morning worship.

This session runs until April 6th, with a break for President's Day Weekend on Feb 16th. Fun, fast paced, and a great place to sing! Open to all kids grades 1-5. 
HYG Auction Meeting
Rm 205 after morning worship

 

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.

If you would like to help but cannot attend this meeting, 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.

SMALL GROUPS AND EVENTS 

First Thursday Discussion Group
Feb 6th, 10am
Do you ever wonder if prayer holds power?  Can prayer change circumstances and situations? Read more here.

We will focus on Dr. Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki's book, In God's Presence - Theological Reflections on Prayer. The group will meet February 6, March 6, and April 3 at 10 am in the Pearson Room.
Help Wanted at the Lexington Food Pantry!
Feb 8th, 8:45am

   

This month we are helping on Saturday, February 8 at 8:45am. If you would like to distribute food at the pantry, please contact Scott Griffith at isb.scooter@gmail.com or 509-710-5371.

 

The Lexington Food Pantry could really use jars of peanut butter 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. 

Native American Flute Player to Lead Contemplative Service at Worship @the Well
Feb 23rd, 6:15pm
 The Well will celebrate a contemplative, meditative service featuring music from the Native American tradition provided by Elke Jahns. Elke plays two different types of Native American flutes. She will introduce them to us, provide music for contemplation, and accompany our singing of songs from the Taize tradition. A beautiful service of readings, candlelight, communion, and music open to all. Invite a friend!
HEAT: Solarize Your Rooftop
Feb 24th, 7 pm
Letter from Mark Sandeen: "I know that we are all concerned about what we can do to minimize our impact on the environment. One of the things that we can do is to rely more on renewable energy such as wind and solar and less on fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases..."
Meet the Solar Installer Night
Monday February 24, 7-9 PM
Cary Memorial Library, Large Meeting Room
1874 Mass. Ave.  
For more information contact Solar Coaches Fran Ludwig or Marcia Gens at: solarizelexington@gmail.com
10th Annual Forum on Family Homelessness
Mar 2nd, 3pm
"Family homelessness is a complex and difficult problem both in the Commonwealth and nationally, but it is not intractable," says Carl Miller, coordinator of the Advocacy Network to End Family Homelessness (ANEFH).

With a record number of homeless families in motels and a state-wide housing shortage, what can we do? The ANEFH is sponsoring a forum at Trinitarian Congregational in Concord with Keynote Speaker Aaron Gornstein. Sixteen homelessness prevention organizations are expected to attend...Click here for more details. 
Calling all carpenters and carpenter helpers!
April and June
 

There are two events for volunteers to make a big difference in the life of a family by building a home for them with either the Fuller Center for Housing or Habitat for Humanity. Hancock will be sending representatives to both events.  

 

Volunteers of all skill levels are welcome and no experience is required. Teens 16 years and older are welcome when accompanied by an adult. This is your chance to experience the joy of working with volunteers from around the country to address the issue of homelessness and substandard housing.

 

The first build is in Louisville, KY 4/5-11, 2014. (www.fullercenter.org/louisvillekentucky)  

The second is in Fort Wayne, IN 6/19-27, 2014.

Questions? Contact Cheryl Kraley at cheryl@kraley.com or 781-862-2209.
Women's Retreat: Save the Date
May 16-17
This year's Women's Retreat will be at the beautiful Adelynrood Retreat & Conference Center. If you are interested in attending, please contact Dana Allen Walsh.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Hancock Construction Video
The construction video that Beth Rutila so graciously directed and produced for Annual Meeting is up on Youtube for everyone to enjoy! Get the inside scoop and what the closed-off areas look like, and see how goofy the staff becomes when there are jackhammers and random power outages!
Hancock Endowment Matters...
Endowment Committee Coffee Hour coming soon!

[This is a part of a continuing series of communications about Hancock's Endowment, it's uses, and the many ways which gifts can be made to the Endowment] 

DID YOU KNOW...? The Hancock Endowment Committee will be hosting a coffee hour after morning worship in the near future (date will be announced shortly). The committee will premier a new, informative pamphlet and present a slideshow highlighting many of the existing Endowment gifts. One such gift is the Alice M. Kraley Memorial Youth Music Fund...read more here.

For more information, please contact Brad Crooke at
(781) 862-4830 or bcrookie@comcast.net.
Restructuring for Mission

Are there more efficient ways to organize ourselves to carry out the ministries of Hancock Church? Is a committee the answer to every question? At the congregational meeting last spring, we agreed to suspend term limits for our committees while we explore modifications to our committee system. 

A "Restructuring for Mission" team has been appointed and begun its work. We're drawing lessons from other churches and culling ideas from the voluminous literature on church organization. We also need your thoughts and ideas! You'll be hearing more from us in the coming weeks as we ask for your input via survey and listening sessions.

Questions or suggestions? Please contact chair Charlie Wyman (cdwyman@verizon.net) or any member of the team: Daryl Battin, Al Bukys, Carol Counihan, Scott Griffith, Verne Henderson, Brian Keeping, Bill McClements, and Dana Allen Walsh.
Construction Update
Do you recognize this room? Click here for the latest building updates and accomplishments.
HANCOCK UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | 1912 MASS AVE | LEXINGTON, MA 02421
(781) 862-4220 | hancockchurch.org