Newletter November 11

Don't forget to come to church in your old clothes - bring your rakes and gloves and pitch in to help clean up our many leaves* After raking, don't forget to join us for pizza, chips and drinks in the Fireside Room to share a great time of fellowship. SEE YOU ALL THIS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11^TH AFTER CHURCH.

There will be a bake sale on Sunday, November 11th immediately following the worship service. Proceeds go to scholarships to help women attend the annual retreat and to provide funding for retreat leaders.

Last Saturday the youth group attended the annual "Rock the Sound" concert in Bridgeport. 5 Christian bands each had different styles of music, but all had the same message of spreading the Gospel. It was energizing for both the mind and body! We had a whole row of kids and adults and a couple ?Newbies' with us, you know how I love Newbies!

The organization that sponsored the evening was the Bridgeport Rescue Mission. It is a place anyone can go to for help-the homeless, the addicted or anyone just needing help. We heard testimonies of those whose lives were transformed by the help they received at this shelter. An offering was taken and $14,000 was collected - not bad for a small gathering of 6,000 people!! We arrived back at our church around 12:30 a.m. and had our lock-in.

Thanks to Sarah Flythe and Scott Mangan for volunteering to chaperone this entire evening and morning for us. The last time Scott Mangan slept over at the church was 15- 20 years ago!! Around 1 AM, we were all hungry, so Scott made us all taquitos and pizza, YUM! Did we go to bed then? NO, then Sarah led us in a series of fun games into the wee hours of the morning. If you run into Emma Bartlett in the halls here at church, ask her if she likes the candy ?Skittles', WHAT FUN! (Thank God for the time change, an extra hour of sleep-YES!)

Different meals will be served from different countries around the world-what you are served depends on the color ticket you receive! Bring your family and have some fun while you learn something.

Thanks to Jim Gower for lending his musical talents and Carol North for giving the sermon for Rev. Sue this past week. We really appreciated the help!

There will be a new members class for anyone wishing to join First Church. Two classes will be held on Sunday, November 18^th at 11:30 a.m. and at 5:00 p.m. New members will be received into the church during worship on December 2^nd.

Once again this year the Missions Ministry, with help from the Sunday School children, will provide Thanksgiving food baskets for the Outreach Program of the Friendship Center and clients of our Adopted Social Worker at the Nurturing Families Network. Stop by the table outside Fellowship Hall this Sunday to see how you can help fill our baskets!

On October 29^th, First Church hosted the 2^nd Annual Community Halloween Party. It was a great success! We had 15 children and their Moms, who came for snacks, crafts, games and music. Thank you to all who helped to make it happen and a special thank you to Paula Bartlett for the fantastic decorations! Fireside room never looked so good!

This Sunday we will begin working on our Thanksgiving Mission Project. Along with our Missions Team, we will be filling food baskets for families in our community so that they might have a happy, healthy, holiday dinner. After church school, take your Moms and Dads to the table outside Fellowship hall. Select an item (or 2!) that you would like to bring back to church the following Sunday (November 18^th).

It's our last Sunday to talk about Moses - for a while anyway. I can't believe how much you all know! We will revisit the story of Moses after the holidays are over. I believe Moses will be back to tell us the rest of his story in January. Here's what will happen for the rest of November:

On Sunday the 18^th, you will go to church when you arrive. After the Children's Message you will go to the Fireside Room with me for a Thanksgiving Workshop. We will talk about being thankful and make some things to take home that help us remember to give thanks.

On Sunday the 25^th, there will be NO Sunday school! The Toddler Room WILL be open. Keep up the good work!

P.S. In case you were curious?the 2 young Muslim women visiting our church last Sunday, are friends of my oldest daughter, Abby. They all attend classes together at the Hartford Seminary and are pursuing their Masters in Islam and Christian Relations. One of their courses requires them to visit a number of different places of worship and then write a paper. Unfortunately, they had another engagement following our service and had to leave quickly. They did have a NUMBER of questions that I did not have all of the answers to! I suggested that they return for a visit with Rev. Sue. They did ask me to relay this to our congregation, "We think that your Church is beautiful". I do hope that they will return. Perhaps we can learn something as well?

Have you ever sat down to write a letter to a friend and didn't know what to say? Have you stared at the page and wondered how you could make the emotions and ideas in your head and heart turn into words that would comfort and/or cheer another? Or, have you wanted to express an opinion but was afraid of offending the reader?

These and many others are the daily dilemmas of pastors. We want to convey information, express personal opinions and bring up interesting new ideas in sermons and newsletter articles, but sometimes what we say causes another worry or even outrage. If we worked for a newspaper or a magazine, that might increase readership because people like controversy?except in church. But pastors aren't journalists. We belong to a different body. We need to try to be sensitive to everybody's feelings.

This time of year brings out the politicians in each of us?don't you think? Yesterday in church, I talked about how my predecessors in Congregational pulpits would tell their congregations how to vote. Even though there has been an historical understanding of the separation of church and state, our forebears regularly were told what their civic duty was based on the pastor's interpretation of scriptures. Well, this tradition does continue in some denominations even today. You can bet that the religious right and some others have made it clear to their members what is and isn't Christian, and who supports those Christian views.

I don't know about you, but I've received several emails and numerous mailings pushing for one position or another. Many of these mailings, electronic or otherwise, often distort the facts to support their agenda. By the time you get this, the elections will be over for this year, but the political hanky-panky will be escalating as we get nearer to the presidential and congressional elections. I urge you to be smart voters. Educate yourselves about the true political positions of the candidates and make informed decisions that reflect your beliefs, not the ones of some spin-doctor.

James North (1777-1825) was another prominent church member. James was one of 3 boys sent to MA to learn the brass business. After his apprenticeship, he returned to New Britain to make the first sleigh bells ever made here. He later moved to Cherry Valley, NY to help build up that place, but he lost all there and returned to New Britain in 1818 a poor man. He was converted in 1821, resumed business and became an active Christian. He was unselfish, liberal and generous (if possible) to a fault, and unsuspecting, his trade, his skill and his property became the prey of the scheming and avaricious. But the consolations of the Gospel made up for the loss of all things else, and he died leaving no enemy behind him. ("History of New Britain").

Question: What part did his brother Seth Judd North play in drastically changing First Church?