Hancock Weekly 
The Official Newsletter of Hancock Church
Worship With Us
Sunday, October 4, 2015

Morning Worship, 10am
Communion Sunday
Barbara Callaghan preaches on The Call of Moses, Exodus 3:1-14. 

Special Music by Harvard Collegium 
 
Evening Worship @the Well
6:15pm in Clark Hall
Blessing of the Animals Service!

Please come a little early at 5:30pm to join us for light soup supper in the Dining Room before the Well.
IN THIS ISSUE...
What's New? Blessing of the Animals, Monday Book Group, New Sacred Blog, Neighbors In Need offering.
If you are new to Hancock, please read our welcome message and general information HERE.

The Hancock Weekly is a newsletter distributed every Wednesday afternoon. The submission deadline is that same Wednesday at 9am. Read submission guidelines HERE.
Blessing of the Animals, Oct. 4th

On Oct. 4 at 6:15pm, Hancock Church in Lexington will hold its Third Annual Blessing of the Animals evening service in Clark Hall! We'll celebrate the importance of animals in our lives and give thanks for the wonder and diversity of God's creation. All animals and their human caretakers are welcome. Pet treats and human treats will be provided.

Our worship space is informal and you are invited to come as you are.  We sing and enjoy music with the River Rock Band and a wide variety of guest musicians.  We think together about what it means to live a life of faith in the here and now.  We make time to share our joys and concerns.  We share the meal that Jesus shared with his friends, and we share it with one another. Come! Refresh your spirit in community with others on the journey! 
Monday Book Group, Oct. 5th

Monday, October 5th starts our Adult CE book group. We will meet at 10 am in Pearson the first and third Monday of each month. Our book for this month is Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor. You are welcome whether you have read the entire book already, or if you haven't even picked up a copy yet. We hope to see you at 10 on Monday! -Barbara  
Senior Picnic Thank you!!!

Last Saturday more than 60 gathered for the 32nd Annual Senior Picnic. The joy of our seniors, gathering, catching up with one another was palpable. They had the opportunity to meet Barbara.  Also, as many had not yet seen our beautiful building since the construction was finished, tours were provided to any part of the building they wished to see. There were many oohs and ahhs as they inspected the kitchen, the Mass Ave. foyer, the grand staircase and elevator, and the TV studio. Many thanks to all those who helped make this cherished event a success! 
 
Fall Worship!
October 4, Blessing of the Animals
Come and bring your pet, stuffed animals, or picture of your pet to Evening Worship @the Well at 6:15pm in Clark Hall. More information above.

October 18, Celebration of Student Ministers and Congregational Care
Neighbor In Needs Offering, Baptism, and special guests June Cooper and Sandras Barnes from City Mission Society of Boston 
Today in morning worship, we welcome Student Minister David Clark and City Mission Society's Seminarian in the CIty David Price into the fold. We will also celebrate the return of Student Minister Andrew Harris, and newly appointed Congregational Care Coordinator Nancy Rottman.

 
Every year Hancock Church takes part in the greater UCC special offering: Neighbors In Need (NIN). NIN is a special mission offering of the UCC that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministries (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.

If you'd like to support Neighbors In Need, you can send in a check/memo "NIN", use a special NIN envelope from  the narthex, or give to the collection on October 18th.
October Events

October 3, Interfaith Garden
On a recent Saturday,  220 pounds of freshly harvested produce at the Interfaith Garden  got wheeled over to the Lexington Food Pantry. 4 garden carts were filled with broccoli, beans, eggplant, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Swiss chard, cabbage, pumpkins, bok choy, butternut squash, acorn squash, radishes, scallions, kale, green peppers, arugula, parsley and flowers.  All that bounty was added to the donations from other giving gardens.  You know how much was left at the end of the morning? I was told 3 small plastic bags of some greens.  Clearly this Garden is meeting a need in our community!
 
The Garden is winding down.  Come help us finish off the season.  The next times that Hancock is sending members to work at the Garden are:
 
Sat      10/3/15           8:30 to 10am
Sat      10/24/15         8:30 to 10am
Sat      10/31/15         8:30 to 10am
 
To sign up or to get more information, contact Laurel Cooley at cooley.laurel1@gmail.com.   

October 5, Monday Book Group
Every first and third Monday at 10 am, Barbara Callaghan will lead this Book Group. This fall we will read Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor. This group will take the place of Thursday Discussion Group. More information above.
October 17, Indoor/Outdoor Work Day 
Join members of the Prudential Committee on Saturday, October 17th from 9am to 1pm for an indoor/outdoor work day.  No special skills required. . . .  just the desire to roll up your sleeves and join friends of Hancock working on some maintenance, cleaning and repair projects inside and outside the church.  Check in at the Conference Room when you arrive to  see what needs to be done.   
 
Join us for part of the time or for the entire morning.  Special skills you'd like to share on work day or a project you'd like to see done? Contact Susan McClements at skmcclements@gmail.com. 
 
October 18, Caregiver's Dinner
Anyone who is a caregiver for a loved one is welcome to come and find rest, renewal, and support among fellow caregivers. This group meets every third Sunday, 7-8:30pm in the Pearson Room.


October 21, Lex Eat Together
Lex Eat Together is a newly formed volunteer organization modeled on successful community meal programs in nearby towns. Starting Wednesday, October 21, 2015, a weekly nutritious dinner will be served in the heart of Lexington to ANYONE in need of food and/or companionship. The goal is to provide a healthy, well-balanced meal to all who come to join us in a way that respects the dignity of those we serve.  The Church of Our Redeemer in Lexington Center has graciously agreed to host this weekly meal in the Church's newly renovated Great Hall. For more information go to the Hancock Website, or contact nicoledigginslocher@gmail.com.
 READ MORE HERE. 
 
Sing at Hancock!

Chancel Choir is Back! Seeking Singers in all Parts!

Our Chancel Choir is back fro another great year and we're looking for more singers in each section--especially SOPRANOS AND ALTOS! Choral singing is great for both the soul and the body (the latter clinically proven!) Even if you haven't sung in years, give us a try! No audition required--just show up on Thursday night at 7:30 in the choir room on the lower level. High school students are also welcome to join us! Singers need not be members of the church or even from our tradition--they just need to have a love of singing and be willing to be part of our friendly community! For more information, contact Mark Morgan at mark@hancockchurch.org or 781-862-4220 ext 212.

Choristers Children's Choir Returns Next Week

Our children's choir, the Hancock Choristers, starts rehearsals on Sunday, September 27th at 11:15 in room 212. All kids grades 2-5 are invited to come and sing! Choristers is a fun place to learn about music, singing, and the church. They sing in church 3-4 times per year and children do NOT need to commit to the entire year to sing. Choristers is led by Mark Morgan and Marilyn Becker. New this year will be a JYO choir for grades 6-8 that will begin rehearsals on Oct. 18th!
Liminal Space and Unlimited Potential
Barbara is one of the new writers for the UCC blog New Sacred! Read her first post "Liminal Space and Unlimited Potential" by CLICKING HERE. Here's an excerpt:

Most change, no matter how wonderful, is perceived as a loss by someone - even if it is marriage, the birth of a child, a great new job - there are tinges, if not broad swaths, of loss.

Yet that is life, which is nothing if not continual successions of transition.

As Buddhist teachings remind us, everything is impermanent. We are, to some degree, in a constant state of liminality - the betwixt and between - whether it be an actual life transition involving making major changes, or something more internal that we are working towards (or being forced to work towards) growing into, or accepting.

The word liminal is a derivative of the Latin word limen, which most closely resembles the word for threshold. Being on the threshold is an experience we all know.
REMINDERS
Do We Have Your Photo for the New Hancock Photo Directory?
Last call! We need your photo and contact information for the 2015-16 Hancock all-church photo directory. All Hancock friends and families are invited to participate. If you haven't already done so, please send your family or individual photo and full contact information to directory@HancockChurch.org or call Jane Park in the church office for more information at 781-862-4220. Your spot is reserved!

Wanted: Wheelchair
Hancock is in need of 2 wheelchairs to help persons with mobility difficulty move within our building. If you have one you could donate to the church, please call for Jane Park at (781) 862-4220. Thank you!
Hancock CD!
We have a assembled a beautiful CD of music from many of the music groups here at Hancock, and it is now available! It includes music from the Choir, Carillon, Choristers, River Rock Band, and A Joyful Noyse.
READ MORE HERE.


Cordon of Prayer
We're a Praying Community.
Did you know that at Hancock
we have a Cordon of Prayer? Each week a community prayer is recorded and any Hancock member can listen and join in prayer. READ MORE HERE.


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