From Larry's Desk...

We human beings are an interesting lot when it comes to our beliefs around the value of life.   On the one hand we collectively gasped in horror as a nation when we heard the news of the tragic events in Newtown CT, where dozens of innocent school children and their teachers were gunned down.  Yet on the other hand as part of a state wide ballot initiative back in the Fall, we considered legalizing physician assisted suicide. 

In the aftermath of Newtown, the debate around assault weapons and the "right to bear arms" has been in the forefront of our political discourse.  While at the same time a new national initiative to study the brain has begun, in partial hope of finding a "cure" for the alzheimer type dementias which have risen 67% and which claim the lives of so many of our seniors. 

While these examples do not necessarily counterbalannce each other, it is evident that we vascilate between wanting to save, preserve and extend human life, and at the same time we seem to desparately want to do it on our own terms.   Does arming ourselves against "the boogie man", reflect how much we value life, or does seeking ways to expedite death through physician assisted suicide because there has been a decrease in the quality of our life.  These are but two of the many moral questions around "life" with which we must struggle.

Is there an answer to our fickled approach to life? Does our faith and trust in an ever-present, self sacrificing God, who willingly laid down his own life without raising a fist hold a message for us?  A Son who submitted to a Father out of faith, regardless of the consequences, a Christ who died on Good Friday, but through Faith, was raised again, to rule over the living and the dead, the first born among many!  If you want to wrestle with life's big questions, do so through the eyes of faith.

It is Stewardship Season again, the time when we as a church family review and renew our financial commitment to our church and the many ministries which have come to define us.  This month we will be hearing stories from two members who will share their personal stories of encouragement and support for our church, on Sunday April 7and April 21. 

Our theme this year is "God loves it when the giver delights in the giving." 2 Corinthians:9:7.

God loves it when we give with joy. When we make a commitment to give and follow through with our commitment, it can give us a feeling of joy and goodness. Please sincerely consider making a pledge this year. If you have been pledging and/or regularly supporting the church financially, we and the entire congregation are grateful. We are also asking everyone to consider increasing their support this year.  We will be presenting our pledges on Dedication Sunday, April 28

In Love and Peace,

The Stewardship Committee - Tina Kingsbury, Lois Tougas, Irene Brown and Alan Mancini  

4/13    Phyl Shelburne

4/18    Donna Miles

4/21    Sid Buma

4/22    Jane Woodward

4/24    Anna Bohn

4/29    Lois Tougas

 Happy Birthday to One and All !! 

Annual Branch Meetings

April 21, 2013

Our church's name as a "Federated" church comes from three historic church denominations, along with others, apart from those original denominational churches, who came together to form the Federated Church of Ashland in the early decades of the 20th century. 

Each year, members who identify themselves with those original denominations, which we refer to as "branches", along with those "affiliated" members, meet annually to review their branch membership, address denominational business and any other issues of importance to their respective "branch".    This year the meetings of the four branches of our church will be held on Sunday, April 21 immediately following the worship service. These meetings are held to appoint Deacons (three are required from each branch), elect officers, vote on transfers of non-participating active members to the inactive non-voting list and any other items that may be brought before the group.