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 (if it's over 100 words, the rest will be linked to the website), 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.
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 16th
Children will return to worship for the final procession of gifts.

November 30th
The First Sunday of Advent
All children and youth join in the annual Advent Wreath Making Workshop in Clark Hall.
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 20
First and Third Thursday Discussion Group

 

Nov 21

Hancock Game Night

 

Nov 22
A Joyful Noyse: The Christmas Rose

Nov 23

Boy Scout Wreath Pick Up  Dana Allen Walsh Installation

Nov 25
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

 

Nov 30

Hanging of the Greens

Dec 7
Manger Sunday
Holiday Fair

 

Dec 8

Poinsettia Order Deadline

 

Dec 16

Alex Shea Will ECC

 

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

class schedule

Pastor's Class
Sundays, 8:30am in Kathie Stuart
Pearson Room Sessions
2nd, 3rd, 4th Sundays at 11:15am
Next Session Sunday, Nov. 16: "Learning" with Alex Shea Will in Pearson.
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. 20 at 10am in Pearson.
Theology on Tap
Next meeting: 
December 15, 7:30pm
Theology on Tap (ToT) has changed it's meeting day to the 3rd Monday of every month. ToT is an "off campus" program that meets monthly at Orlean's in Davis Square. This group is aimed towards adults age 21-35.

notes 

Charlotte Ford, new address
Charlotte Ford is settling in at her new home in PA. If you would like to send her a card or a letter, please do so!

Charlotte Ford
Apt E-310
Dunwoody Village
3500 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, PA  19073-4168 
Neighbors in Need Collection
Hancock Church collected $3100 for the UCC Neighbors in Need Collection!

NiN supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry(CAIM). Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries(JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects through grants.
IN WORSHIP
Sunday morning worship | 10am

Paul Shupe preaches  

Matthew 25:31-46

Hancock Choristers sing in worship!

 

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

Confirmation class leads service
2 Corinthians 9:6-11 
Help Us Find a Second Minister
Fill out this Questionnaire!
 

The Search Committee is currently asking each member to share with us their thoughts about the qualities and abilities that you believe to be important or essential in our next Second Minister. Click Here

 

We are using your input to assemble our church's profile, which will be shared with all interested candidates. We hope to have this large and important document completed by mid-January, so please reply as quickly as possible.  

 

We will also have paper copies of the survey in the Narthex or available by request. Thank you for your input! If you have any questions, please contact Kristine Arena, arenakm@rcn.com or call the church office (781) 862-4220.

THANKSGIVING CELEBRATIONS!

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Nov. 25 at 7:30pm at Hancock

Join the Lexington Interfaith Clergy Assocation for an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service here at Hancock Church! The service will include readings from many traditions attesting to the goodness of being open to others, stories of shared sacred work that has occurred over the decades, and celebration of ongoing efforts, such as the Interfaith Garden and Lift Up Lexington. Reception in Clark hall to follow the service.

Help Wanted for the Reception
We need about 15 Volunteers to bring food to the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Reception! You can either sign up for a specific item, or bring "anything"!

SIGN UP HERE or call Carol Puschak

Contact Carol Puschak if you have any questions, cpuschak@msn.com or (781) 863-8635.
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.
145th Manger Sunday!
Sunday, Dec. 7th
Come lift your spirits and embrace the Advent season by participating in a beloved Hancock tradition: Manger Sunday. During morning worship on 12/07/2014, we will process to the manger with gifts for those less fortunate.

Hancock, along with 40 other churches and groups in the Greater-Boston area, delivers the gifts to City Mission Society's (CMS) distribution center in Winchester. Gift suggestions and volunteer opportunities will be available in the upcoming issue of The Weekly and on flyers around church. Please contact Gretchen Tolson (gtolson14@gmail.com) for information, or if you can drive gifts to Winchester on 12/7 after 1pm.  

MUSIC AT HANCOCK 

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.  

EDUCATION AND FELLOWSHIP 

Hancock Game Night, Nov 21st!
hancock game night

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 the CE Commons (the open area in the Children's Education Wing).

 

Contact Scott Griffith at isb.scooter @ gmail.com for more information.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Lexington Food Pantry
Food of the Month: Canned Corn
If you have any questions, please contact Scott Griffith, isb.scooter@gmail.com or (509) 710-5371.
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!
Concord Prison Outreach Holiday Gift Bags
Please bring donations by Dec 7th

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.
bar of deodorant soap (4-5 oz.)  
tube toothpaste (5.8 - 6 oz.)
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")
pair white CREW socks 
     (no tube socks, knee highs or "tennis" socks)
     preferably 5 inches of ribbing or less

bottle (plastic) shampoo (12 -15 oz.)

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. Contact louise4292@earthlink.net with any questions. 

HOLIDAY SHOP 

Last Sunday for 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!

Poinsettia Dedications!
Order Deadline: Dec. 8th
Dedicate a poinsettia to a loved one in your family by submitting a form no later than Monday, December 8th. Order online or use a paper form available in the narthex.


Checks made out to Hancock Church/memo "poinsettias" can be mailed, delivered in the church office, or left in the collection basket. The suggested donation for each plant is $10.

 

These poinsettias will be delivered to church members who are in the hospital or must stay at home. Please let us know if you would like to volunteer to make a delivery. If you have questions please contact us at 781.862.4220 or office@hancockchurch.org

2014 Holiday Fair
December 7 at 11am in Clark Hall
Hancock's annual Holiday Fair is coming in two weeks on Manger Sunday, December 7, 11am-1pm. Here is a different way to share the Christmas spirit with gifts that benefit local, national and international charities. Distinctive handcrafts from Aruna Design, A Thread of Life, Weavers of Varanasi, Bead for Life and many others will inspire thoughtful and unique giving.
Holiday Fair Volunteers Needed!
December 7, 11am - 1pm

Are you looking for an opportunity to get involved at Hancock but perhaps can't make a long-term commitment at this time? Then consider volunteering to help with the annual Hancock Holiday Fair (formerly known as the Alternative Christmas Fair), which this year will be on Sunday, December 7th, from 11:00am to 1:00pm.

 

Learn more about how this annual event comes together by volunteering to help staff a table, greet visitors, direct foot traffic, or help with setup and cleanup. For more information, contact CeCe Potter at 781-862-4765 or see her at the Christmas Cookie Sale table at coffee hour.

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.

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, Sally Wyman, or Linda Kilner Olivier.
Cookie Sale Bakers!
We welcome more bakers for our fun Hancock community Christmas Cookie Benefit to support monthly birthday celebrations and small gifts for homeless women clients of the Women's Lunch Place in Boston.  If you would like to bake, please email Lisa Sandeen at sandeen.lisa@gmail.com. 

Bakers should plan on making four dozen cookies and delivering them to the church on Saturday, December 6th for our festive cookie plate assembly party. We will keep you posted from there. Lisa Sandeen, Sally Wyman, Linda Kilner Olivier, Amy Swanson,  and CeCe Potter

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Alex Shea Will's Ecclesiastical Council
On Tuesday afternoon, our Acting Minister of Congregational Care, Alex Shea Will, was unanimously approved for his Ecclesiastical Council by the Committee on Ministry. The "EC" is the final step before Alex can seek an ordainable call within the United Church of Church.

Alex's "EC" will be held at Hope Central Church, in Jamaica Plain, MA on December 16 at 7:30 PM. Everyone is invited to attend to support Alex as he shares his theology paper with other local churches in the United Church of Christ. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Alex.  
Construction Update 
from the Building Committee

 

Over the past month we have seen several elements of the construction project completed: the first and second floor bathrooms, the second floor handicapped bathroom (next to the Pearson Room), and the Pearson Room kitchenette...

 


 

(Photo by Paul Topalian of the Operating Panel of our elevator)

With Gratitude to all who participated in Faith Sunday

The work continues! Pledge cards can be dropped off, mailed to the church office, or placed in the plate during Sunday's offering time.

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. A Memorial Service is scheduled for November 29th. 
HANCOCK UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | 1912 MASS AVE | LEXINGTON, MA 02421
(781) 862-4220 | hancockchurch.org