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

Hancock
Weekly
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Submission Guidelines

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. 
Watch From Home

Thanks to our TV Ministry, you can watch our morning services at home, purchase a DVD, or watch all of our sermons on Youtube!
Children's Program
Every Sunday at 10:20 a.m.

November 2nd
All Age Event in Clark Hall

Celebrating Heifer International the kids will decorate animals shaped cookies, share in activities and host coffee hour. Parents are invited to bring a baked good to share.

Reminder: from 2-4 on the 2nd, Heifer invites the community to celebrate with a living market, animals, music and birthday cake. Open to all!

November 9th, 16th, 23rd
We welcome the kids to Chapel Time and activities exploring the
story of Abraham and Sarah seeking God. (Genesis 12:1-4)

November 30th
The First Sunday of Advent
All children and youth join in the annual Advent Wreath Making Workshop in Clark Hall.
Junior Youth Organization (JYO) 
Every Sunday at 10:20 a.m.

November 2nd
Sandwich Making for the Outdoor Church & Communion

November 9th, 16th, 23rd
JYO Youth will continue dialogue on Covenant, Community and Communion in the Upper Room. 
Hancock Youth Group (HYG)
Every Sunday at 7 p.m.

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  

Nov 5
Meditation and Centering Prayer

Nov 6
First and Third Thursday Discussion Group

Nov 8
Harvest Potluck Supper

Nov 9
Reception of New Members
The Great War at 100

Nov 10
Kay Barney Concert

Nov 16
Butterfly Human Rights Choir

Nov 22
A Joyful Noyse: The Christmas Rose

Nov 25
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
To see all weekly activities and locations, please view our online calendar. (We recommend the "agenda" view.)

notes 

Free Voice Lesson!
Have you been interested in singing in the choir, for our cantatas, or for the Well but just aren't sure about your voice? Our Director of Music, Mark Morgan, is offering a free 30 minute voice lesson to anyone interested.

We'll go over some basics, give you a few exercises to do do on your own, and talk about opportunities in our programs for you. No strings, no expectations! Just a chance for you to get to know your voice a little better.

Mark has a long history teaching voice and has served in the past on the voice faculties of both Boston College and Eastern Nazarene College. He can be reached at (781) 862-4220 or by e-mail at mark@hancockchurch.org. Open to anyone grade 9-adult.
IN WORSHIP
Sunday morning worship | 10am

Alex Shea Will preaches  

Matthew 25:1-13

Reception of New Members 

 

Evening Worship @the Well | 6:15pm
 Join us before worship around 6PM for light refreshments, fellowship, and music from the band!

Paul Shupe preaches

SUNDAY EVENTS

Three Steps to Stewardship

 "As each has received a gift,

use it to serve one another,

as good stewards of God's varied grace."  

I Peter 4:10-11 (ESV Bible)

  

 

The countdown is ON to Commitment Sunday on Nov. 16! Be sure to hit the Stewardship TOP 3 this week:

 

TODAY: Send in your completed pledge card in the pre-addressed stamped envelope that came in your packet. Didn't get a packet? Lost your pledge card? Please contact Jane Park or any member of the Stewardship Team (Bess Deck, Robin Digiammarino, Skip Irving or Manuel Navia).

 

THIS WEEK. Celebrate faith, community and generosity in some way this week. The next time you sit down for a meal, take a walk, or have a moment to reflect, say a quick prayer of thanks for all the ways you are able to give. Step Two: Reach out to a friend and thank him or her for a gift of time, talent or treasure that enriched the world.

ON SUNDAY, 11/9: Trace your hand at coffee hour. Look for the Stewardship table where all Hancock community members are invited to trace their hands to symbolize how all our hands come together in the great work and mission of our church home. We will be using the tracings in an upcoming art project...

MUSIC AT HANCOCK 

Hancock Concert Series:
"The Great War at 100" This Sunday!
Sunday, November 9, 2pm
The Hancock Concert Series opens new season this Sunday at 2:00pm with a chamber music concert featuring Mark Morgan...

 

Celestial Spaces

Labyrinth Choir

Saturday, November 15, 7:30 pm

 

Songs of the heavens, night and stars featuring pieces by Handel, Lauridsen, Esenvalds. Conducted by former Hancock Music Director Anita Kupriss. Tickets: $20 General/$15 Seniors & Students/Kids under 12 free. More information: labyrinthchoir.org or labyrinthchoir@gmail.com. 

 

 A Joyful Noyse

The Christmas Rose

Saturday, November 22, 7:30pm

 

Seasonal music for voices and instruments from medieval to contemporary, with a focus on floral imagery and legends.  The centerpiece of the concert will be Caldara's delightful Christmas cantata Amarilli vezzosa. Directed by Martins Aldins.  

Read more here.  

Butterfly Human Rights Choir at
Evening Worship @the Well, Nov 16th
Hancock Church and Evening Worship @the Well are proud to host the newly formed Butterfly Human Rights Choir during worship on November 16th. The 18-29 year old women's choir will perform the 10-minute piece "Malala's Song to the Taliban," based on the story of Malala Yousafzai, a 17-year-old human rights activist. For more information, click here. All are welcome and encouraged to attend!
Kay Barney World-Premier THIS MONDAY!

The first public performance of the Quartet in A Minor, "Reflections," recently composed by Kay Barney, long a Hancock member, will be performed by the Wayside Quartet in a concert on Monday, November 10, 7:15pm in the auditorium of Carleton-Willard Village.

EDUCATION AND FELLOWSHIP 

Meditation & Centering Prayer
Tonight! Nov. 5, 7PM in the CE Commons 
  

New Location: Tonight's workshop will take place in the Children's Education Wing. Signs are posted with directions! 

 

Talk & new series of workshops with Stan Goldin PhD., Harvard Medical School/Cognitive Rhythms Collaborative.  

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.

First and Third Thursday
Discussion Group

Delving into the different problems and solutions that Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Confucianism, Yoruba Religion, Daoism and Atheism strive to combat, God is Not One is an indispensable guide to the questions human beings have asked for millennia-and to the disparate paths we are taking to answer them today.

Next session is Nov. 6 at 10am in Pearson.
Harvest Potluck Supper SATURDAY!
Saturday, November 8, from 6-8pm in Clark Hall
Come and celebrate the season with our Harvest Pot Luck Supper. This is a wonderful way to meet new friends and connect with old friends.

Please bring dishes ready to serve, including the serving utensils. We will have some plugs available for any dishes served from a crock pot. Contact Carol Puschak, cpuschak@msn.com, or (781) 863-8635. Please sign up for the dish you would like to bring.
Wine Raffle Drawing is Nov. 8th!
The Wine Raffle drawing will take place at the Harvest Potluck on Saturday!
Pastor's Class
Sundays, 8:30am in Kathie Stuart
Pearson Room Sessions
2nd, 3rd, 4th Sundays at 11:15am
Next Session Sunday, Nov. 9: "LIstening" with Andrew Harris in Pearson.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Lexington Food Pantry
Food of the Month: Canned Corn
Help serve food on November 8th! If you have any questions, please contact Scott Griffith, isb.scooter@gmail.com or (509) 710-5371.
Concord Prison Outreach Holiday Gift Bags
Concord Prison Outreach is an organization of citizens from Concord and surrounding communities who work with the inmates of Concord Reformatory and the Northeastern Correctional Center.

The items must be those described in the list below which is determined by the prison authorities. No deviation is allowed.
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, 2.5 oz. or larger)    

Please place them in one of the boxes that will be left in the narthex and near Clark Hall by Dec. 7th. Contact louise4292@earthlink.net with any questions. 

Work Day, Nov. 15
Join members of the Prudential Committee on Saturday, November 15th from 9am to 1pm for an indoor/outdoor work day. Contact Susan McClements, skmcclements@gmail.com.
Help Cook at Rosie's Place!
Help to cook and serve a meal at Rosie's Place in November! Contact LaurenBShifflett@gmail.com to help choose a date that will fit your schedule!

HOLIDAY SHOP 

Boy Scouts Wreath Sale
 

The Boy Scouts of Troop 119 will be taking orders for holiday wreaths during coffee hour on Sundays on November 9th, 16th and 23rd immediately following the morning service.

The wreaths are full, 20" to 22" in diameter, and are decorated with a red velvet bow. This is the Troop's only fundraiser of the year, providing funds to purchase equipment, help defray the cost of trips, and fund activities. The wreaths are $15 and may be picked up on Sunday, November 23th in classroom 205. Thank you for your support of Scouting!

Women's Lunch Place Christmas Cookies
Back by popular demand! The Christmas Cookie Sale, for which we are taking advance orders during coffee hour, benefits The Women's Lunch Place in Boston, one of the organizations that Hancock supports to address hunger and homelessness.

Each $10 you give for a plate of homemade Christmas cookies goes to fund the Birthday Program. Read more here.

Look for our table Sunday at coffee hour to order and pay for your cookies and then pick up your cookies at the Holiday Fair on December 7th. For more information, contact Amy Swanson, CeCe Potter, Lisa Sandeen, or Linda Kilner Olivier.
Heifer Thank You!
Save the Date for the Holiday Fair
December 7, 11:15am


Thank you to everyone for making the Heifer Anniversary a great Celebration! Remember you can still purchase gifts from the living market at the Holiday Fair, on Sunday, December 7 at 11:15am in Clark Hall.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Installation Service for
Rev. Dana Allen Walsh
Nov. 23 at 3pm

The Installation Service for Rev. Dana Allen Walsh is Sunday, November 23 at 3pm at South Church in Andover, 41 Central St. Reception to follow service.
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Nov. 25 at 7:30pm on the green

All are invited to join the Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association (LICA) in our annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship Service to be held Tuesday, November 25th, at 7:30 pm at Hancock United Church of Christ, on the Green.  Refreshments and conversation will follow the service.  "Our Interfaith Service is a tradition of several decades," said Rabbi Jill Perlman of Temple Isaiah and a Co-President of LICA.  "It is always inspiring to see Christians and Jews, Unitarians and Muslims, Hindus and members of other faith traditions giving thanks for the blessings of life."

IN MEMORIAM 

We extend our sympathy to the friends and family of those who have passed away recently.
Remembrances
Our Hancock family was made deeply sad this week by the death of Adam Dobbs, who was an active and beloved member of our Hancock Youth Group until his graduation two years ago. Adam took his own life this week at college. Our prayers go out to his father and mother, Richard and Jennifer, and his younger brother Justin, who went with our HYG to Neon, Kentucky last spring. We pray also for our dozens of young people currently in our HYG, and who have "graduated" from it, as they experience this loss together.  
 
Though the family's needs are currently met, there may be needs that we can meet in days to come.  If you are willing to help, offer your name to Pam Cochrane, who will coordinator our efforts. We hope that you will join us in prayer for the Dobbs family, for all connected with the HYG, and for all who loved this fine young man. A Memorial Service is scheduled for November 29th. More details to come. 
HANCOCK UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | 1912 MASS AVE | LEXINGTON, MA 02421
(781) 862-4220 | hancockchurch.org