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
Submission Guide
Grotonwood Registration
Neuroscience
First and Third
Pearson Room Sessions
Pastor's Class
VOLUNTEER/SERVICE
Junior Handbells
Seeking Singers
IN MEMORIAM
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.

Children PreK-5th Grade are invited to our "Come Join the Circle" program on Sunday Mornings in the newly renovated education wing. Children begin in worship with their families at 10am, after the "children's message" they proceed to the Education Wing for Chapel Time and activity centers. Childcare is provided from 9am-11am in the Infant Toddler Room with Eliza Duncan and teens helpers.

October 5th
All Age Event for children in Clark Hall. A World Wide Open Table: children will explore the communion themes of remembering celebrating and giving thanks for God's love in the world.

October 12, 19, 26
Welcome Children to Chapel Time & Classroom Activities

Theme: Praying with Jesus

"Discovering the elements of the Lord's prayer and exploring the practice of prayer in our lives!"
Junior Youth Organization
Every Sunday at 10:20 a.m.

October 5th
Sandwich making for the Outdoor Church, and all youth return to worship for communion.

October 12, 19, 26

Hancock's Junior Youth Organization (JYO) offers discussion, fellowship, and mission projects for middleschool youth.  JYO youth also begin in worship at 10:00am and then head to the Upper Room for dialogue and activities 'til 11:00am

 

Upcoming Themes for the Fall

The Big C's-Covenant, Communion and Community

Hancock Youth Group (HYG)
Every Sunday at 7 p.m.
 
HYG is planning for their fall retreat at Grotonwood. To register or for more information contact Student Minister, Andrew Harris at Andrew.harris@hancockchurch.org. 

  

Confirmation Class is offered to Youth in 9th grade, 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. 

 For more information contact Pamela Cochrane, Acting Minister of Faith Formation, pam@hancockchurch.org.

Save the dates  

Oct 8
Junior Handbell Choir

Oct 11
Lift Up Lexington Snack Drive

Oct 12
Eleanor Redick Johnson memorial service

Oct 16
First and Third Thursday Discussion Group

Oct 18
Interfaith Garden

Oct 18-19
HYG Grotonwood Retreat

Oct 25
Interfaith Garden

Oct 29
Neuroscience Talk

Nov 2
Heifer 70th Anniversary Event
To see all weekly activities and locations, please view our online calendar.
(We recommend the "agenda" view.)

Notes/Reminders  

A Tool Kit for Parents of Children with Special Needs

In these four workshops for parents, caregivers, and professionals working with children with special needs, Dr. Susan Brefach will present information from her new book, No Parent Left Behind: Navigating the Special Education Universe. She will give parents a Roadmap for recognizing areas of difficulty from preschool through high school; getting the best evaluations; and working with professionals to advocate for the right services to help their children succeed in school.
Wednesdays, Oct. 8 and 22; Nov. 5 and 19 from 7:30-9 pm
Sign-in and refreshments at 7:15 pm
Follen Community Church
755 Mass Ave in Lexington
Community Center (enter church through door facing Waldorf School.)
Free
Submit a piece for the Hancock Weekly
or Sunday Bulletin 
 The Hancock Weekly is distributed every Wednesday, around noon. The submission deadline is that same Wednesday at 9am. Please send them to Jane Park, jane@hancockchurch.org.

Submissions for the Sunday Bulletin are due the Wednesday prior, as well. Submissions to the Sunday Bulletin should be sent to Krystal Neale, krystal@hancockchurch.org.

Please include: Title, Copy text, Contact information, and Image as an attachment. 
IN WORSHIP
Sunday morning worship | 10am

Adam Hearlson preaches

Special music by A Joyful Noyse 

 

Evening Worship @the Well | 6:15pm

Alex Shea Will preaches 

 Join us before worship around 6PM for light refreshments, fellowship, and music from the band! 

EDUCATION AND FELLOWSHIP 

Grotonwood Retreat Oct 18-19

 

There are still spaces left in this year's Grotonwood Retreat! If you'd like to go, please call Jane Park today or tomorrow to let her know you're interested! The bus for Grotonwood is scheduled to leave from Hancock at 9am on Oct. 18th. Then it will leave from Grotonwood (to return to Hancock) at 1:30pm on Oct 19th.

 

Our Safe Church policy requires 2 forms:

Grotonwood Permission Form 2014

HYG Registration 2014-15

 

The fee for this trip is $125. Checks can be made to Hancock Church, memo "Grotonwood." For scholarships, please contact Andrew Harris.

 

If you have any further questions, please call Jane at (781) 862-4220 x202 or church.administrator@hancockchurch.org, Mon-Thu, 9am-4pm.

Meditation & Centering Prayer
 
Beginning Wednesday Oct. 29, 7PM in Clark Hall  

Talk & new series of workshops 

Stan Goldin PhD., Harvard Medical School/Cognitive Rhythms Collaborative

 

 Give it a try, learn about what brain research is saying about its benefits.

 

There is growing interest in appreciating and directly experiencing the benefits of regular meditation. The Christian contemplative tradition adds another dimension of benefit to those of secular mindfulness meditation-the chance to experience and deepen our relationship with a Divine Presence that we call God.  An introduction to the principles and concepts behind Centering Prayer, and hands-on experience of the method, are both part of this new fall series.   

 

Stan is a neuroscientist who has had the chance to benefit from ongoing dialogue with a noted Christian Contemplative authority, Fr. Thomas Keating. We will share these dialogues on the benefits of Centering Prayer; what neuroscience is revealing of those benefits; and also, Fr. Keating's mind-stretching perspective on broader philosophical questions of human evolution and destiny.
First and Third Thursday Discussion Group

The next meeting of the First and Third Thursday Discussion Group will be Oct. 16th at 10am in the Pearson room. The book we're discussing is God Is Not One:  The Eight Rival Religions That Run The World by Stephen Prothero. READ MORE HERE.  

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

 

New Pearson Room Sessions 
2nd, 3rd, 4th Sundays at 11:15am

 

The next Pearson Room session is October 12th: "Listen" with the Search Committee. READ MORE HERE.
Pastor's Class
Sundays, 8:30am in Pearson

 

Hi Everybody! The Fall section of the Pastor's Class has begun and is in full swing! Paul will lead us every Sunday morning before church from 8:30-9:30am in the Pearson Room. Usually we have an extended discussion of the scripture section chosen for that Sunday's sermon, its historical and theological background, our own questions and modern understanding. All are welcome -- all sections are stand-aone events, so even if you missed one, you can jump in the next time! No homework, no tests, and no grades! We hope to see you next Sunday.

-The Adult Christian Education  Committee 

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Lunch Box Snack Drive

Lift Up Lexington is having a LunchBox Snack Drive at 23 Suzanne Rd in Lexington. Please bring donations of healthy, nut-free lunchbox snacks and juice boxes this Saturday, October 11, anytime between 1:30-5pm. For questions, please contact liftuplexington@gmail.com.

Lift Up Lexington is a volunteer organization that helps families in transition in Lexington.
Wine Raffle
The Wine Raffle to benefit Sustainable Harvest International will run between Oct 5-Nov 8th. Four winners will receive 6 bottles each! Tickets are available at coffee hour and are $10 each or three for $25.

The wines are donated and proceeds will fund Hancock's sponsorship of Sustainable Harvest International's work to restore forests and end hunger in Piedras Negras, Honduras. Please contact Charlotte Dougherty, charlottedougherty@gmail.com or (781) 863-8010; or Brian Keeping, BKeeping@martignetti.com or (781) 863-5483.
New Way to Volunteer at Rosie's Place
Rosie's Place

 We are looking for volunteers to cater a meal at Rosie's Place in October and November! Volunteers will have the opportunity to go to Rosie's Place to prepare and serve a nutritious meal to approximately 150 women in need.  

 

If you are interested in volunteering, please email LaurenBShifflett@gmail.com. You will be asked to respond to an easy poll to help us select the dates we serve at Rosie's. 

Lexington Food Pantry

While we appreciate all of the support we get, we could always use more help on the Saturdays we serve. If you have any questions, please contact Scott Griffith at isb.scooter@gmail.com or (509) 710-5371.

In addition to monthly work at the pantry, we are in great need of people to deliver food from the church on a roughly weekly basis. We are looking for people who are available Fridays in the early afternoon. If we get enough people, the commitment would only be once a month or every other month.
Interfaith Garden Sets Growing Record

Last Saturday, Interfaith Garden volunteers reached a milestone. More than 1,925 lbs of fresh herbs, fruit, and vegetables have been delivered to Lexington's Food Pantry in a single-year's growing season. Harvest-and-delivery output is expected to cross the 1-ton mark before the garden closes at the end of October!

 

Sat      10/18/14         8:30 to 10am

Sat      10/25/14         8:30 to 10am

 

For more information contact Laurel Cooley at cooley.laurel1@gmail.com. 

MUSIC

Junior Handbell Choir
Wednesdays at 4:30pm

Junior Handbells will rehearse today at 4:30PM in the bell room. Children in 3rd grade and above are welcome to join. This group is open to the community at no charge, so feel free to invite a friend. No musical experience necessary. If you have any questions, please email Marilyn at marilyn.becker@hancockchurch.org. 

Seeking Sopranos and Altos!
 
The Chancel Choir is in need of 3-4 sopranos and 2 or 3 altos to fill out our group! Why sing in choir?
  • Great health benefits (we're not kidding! It is well documented that singing in choir is great mind/body exercise)
  • There's nothing like making great music with other people (just ask a choir member)
  • An excellent way to "take a break" in your week and do something for yourself that is also completely communal
  • A great way to participate in the life of the church

You do NOT need to:

  • audition
  • be an experienced choral singer
  • have a great voice
  • know a lot about music
  • have to commit to singing each and every week all year. We can accommodate a variety of life/work schedules

So come join us! We meet on Thursday evening from 7:30-9:15 in the Chapel, and sing most Sundays starting at 8:45. Questions? Contact Mark Morgan at mark@hancockchurch.org or at 781-862-4220.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Heifer International 70th Anniversary Event!
November 2, 2-4pm in Clark Hall

In recognition of this milestone anniversary, Heifer International is choosing to demonstrate support for family farmers around the world with the "Beyond Hunger: Communities of Change" public event series held across the U.S. in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston (Actually here at Hancock! -jp), Sacramento, Dallas, Houston and Atlanta, among other cities.
Senior Picnic
 
 Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's Senior Picnic! About 80 people attended. Organizing the senior picnic involves reserving the Depot, sending invitations, coordinating the food, giving people rides, and more! We're so glad you all came!

senior picnic 2014 senior picnic 2014 senior picnic 2014

IN MEMORIAM 

Remembrances We extend our sympathy to the friends and family of those who have passed away recently.

Eleanor Redick Johnson passed away July 18, 2014 in Nashua, NH. A memorial service will be held at Hancock Church on October 12, 2014 at 2pm. 
HANCOCK UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | 1912 MASS AVE | LEXINGTON, MA 02421
(781) 862-4220 | hancockchurch.org