Newsletter November 28

V Marc Ohanesian recently played the Rev. Lionel Toop in the English classic wartime comedy, "See How They Run" at the Park Road Playhouse in West Hartford.

V Carol Conry co-chaired a reception on October 27^th at the Mooreland Hill School to honor past and present faculty. Carol is a 1973 graduate of the school.

V Amy Belliveau is one of the featured artists at "Less is More: A Collection of Small Works by Selected Artists". The exhibit is at the Downtown Gallery located in the New Britain Downtown District Visitor's Center, 117 West Main Street and runs from November 14, 2007 to January 4, 2008.

V Sue Anderson's company, "vie" recently was the major sponsor for a benefit called "vie for the kids" held to raise money for cancer clinical trials at the CT Children's Medical Center (CCMC). The event raised over $35,000!

The Visiting Nurse Association is scheduled to provide a flu clinic at First Church on Tuesday, November 27^th from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Please contact Donna Brouillette at 826-4517 if you have any questions.

12/2 4-7 pm Advent workshop/Soup and Sandwich supper. Youth need to be at FC by 4pm please!

After the party, we will all go to Sunday Light for a special Christmas service. Pick up at FC at 7 pm.

Peter Gacek even joined in. Thanks also to Rodney Baker for helping out for set up and clean up.

The holidays can be a time of both happiness and sadness. On Tuesday, November 27^th, from 6 - 9 p.m. the Hospital of Central Connecticut is sponsoring "A Grief Self-Care Workshop". The workshop will focus on "?therapeutic ways to express your loss and care for your self" during this season. The program is free, but registration is necessary due to limited seating. Please call 224-5463 for more information.

Last Sunday, the church school children went to the Fireside room for a Thanksgiving workshop. There were projects and lots of conversation about what we are thankful for. Our lists of blessings included Moms, Dads, pets, food, church and GOD! Pretty great answers, if you ask me! One of the projects was designing a quilt square with a drawing of something that they would like to give thanks for. I will be assembling the quilt and displaying it on the bulletin board in the CE wing. Come take a look!

Reminder?The Advent Workshop is Sunday, Dec. 2^nd, from 4 - 6 p.m. Watch for more information!

Once again, I saw the generosity of our congregation as our Thanksgiving food baskets were assembled and given to families in the Outreach Program of the Friendship Center. Thank you to the Sunday School children for their help in collecting food. Special thanks to Martha Moses for providing the "baskets"; Ethel Ohanesian for helping to assemble the baskets; Don Robertson, for helping to deliver the baskets; and Pat Johnson, for delivering non-Thanksgiving food items to our local food pantry. Many people will enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal through the sharing and caring of our community.

I love this time of year! We're surrounded by all the evidence of the season. The fallen leaves, the Thanksgiving goodies and crisp, cool nights. In a week or so, we'll move into the season of Advent - the time to get ready for the coming of the Prince of Peace. The United Church of Christ has responded to "many requests that the UCC do more peacemaking?not less?during the coming weeks." They are launching what they are calling "100,000 for Peace". We are being asked to participate in three ways;

1^ST- By January 6th, we need to raise at least $100,000 to provide shelter, food, clothing and education for Iraqi war refugees and their children. At least four million people have been displaced by the Iraq War?two million internally and two million who are fleeing to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. A $40 gift will feed an Iraqi refugee family of four for two weeks. January 6th is a very significant date. For western Christians, this is the day of Epiphany, the time in which Christians proclaim the light of Christ to the world. But it's also Orthodox Christmas Eve, the time when most Iraqi Christians will gather to celebrate Christ's birth.

2^ND- Also by January 6, we're asking for an unprecedented show of support for our U.S. service personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. We are hoping to lift and send more than 100,000 prayers, letters and signs of support to those serving in the military. Shortly you will receive information, resources and online tools to help make this a reality. You'll also be asked to advocate on behalf of returning soldiers. We will be calling on the U.S. government to provide for the health and welfare needs of our veterans.

3^rd- We want our Pastoral Letter on the Iraq War, which was delivered collectively to Washington, to be delivered 100,000 times to the in-district offices of our Senators and Representatives. In a massive wave, starting in December and through January 6th, we want this "Pastoral Letter" to be delivered through local visits, personal letters or phone calls. This came in a letter from UCC General Minister and President, The Rev. John H. Thomas. If you would like to know more about this project, go to www.ucc.org.

Did you know that the very first Sunday School program in Hartford County was organized at First Church? In the spring of 1816, under the leadership of Rev. Newton Skinner, 150 children were placed into classes of 6-8 children and assigned a teacher. Each teacher was "furnished a card on which was written with the Superintendent's own hand, the names of the teacher and scholars, with blanks for the weekly record of recitations, for scripture, catechism, and hymns and enough to last through the summer season".

Alfred Andrews, from whose history of our church this information comes, notes that Sunday School is "one of the best boons of Heaven to man; not to supplant the family institution and influence, but to operate as a help from the family to the church and Heaven".

Its importance to First Church is evident in his final sentence, written in 1867: "Of the resident members of the church, it was reported that 48 percent were actively engaged in the Sunday School either as officers, teachers or learners." That 48 percent numbered 355!