This Week AtFirst Church

Week Of 11.2.08 At First Church

Week Of 11.9.08 At First Church

Week Of 11.16.08 At First Church

Week Of 11.23.08 At First Church

FUN @ FCC

Please join us for a Christmas Craft on Friday, November 14, at 7 pm. 

On Friday, November 28, at 7 pm, we will be making a mixed greens wreath.  More information will follow.

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WOMEN'S CIRCLE BAKE SALE

On Sunday, October 26, the Women's Circle will hold a Bake Sale immediately following the worship service to help raise money for our upcoming retreat. Bring home some delicious baked goods or have some with your coffee after church! 

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OCT. 26^th 2^nd HOUR TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ON BYLAWS AND NOMINATING

                With the capital campaign and pastor search behind us, 2009 will be the year to turning our energies toward implementing our new bylaws. What will this mean? How will it affect you?

                Please come to a special 2^nd hour program designed to explain the changes in how our church is organized. We'll also talk about the Nominating process taking shape as well.  Bring your questions.

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 ANOTHER GREAT SUCCESS!!!

The prestigious 12^th Annual First Church Giant Divot Golf Outing was held this past Saturday and once again a tremendous success can be claimed.  Over fifty golfers and some "wannabe" golfers assembled at Stanley Golf course on a picture perfect fall day.  The event raised $3,400 which will be allocated to our Thailand orphanage mission project, the New Britain Food Security Collaborative and the Silver Lake Center.

The success of this event was only realized through the help and generosity of many of you in our church family as well as many friends of the church.   There were many contributions of food, prizes for the raffle and donations towards the tee signs placed throughout the course.  Thanks to the ?Food Crew' who made sure the after-golf feast was plentiful and special thanks to the members of the organizing group who pulled it all together including co-chair Mike Chamberlain, John Gemmell, Glenn Anderson, Bill Allen and Mike Gorzoch.  First Church is truly blessed by all those who support this event each year both on the course and behind the scenes. 

~ Mike Duncan          

COME TO A RECEPTION FOR CAROL NORTH NOV. 9

                As you know by now, Rev. Carol North will be leaving the First Church staff as of November 2 to pursue other spiritual opportunities and spend more time with her husband, Fred, at their New Britain store, Hardware City Antiques. Carol and Fred will continue to be involved with First Church.

You are cordially invited to a reception for Carol North immediately following worship on Sunday, November 9 in Fellowship Hall. Please plan to be there to thank Carol for her three years on staff.

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 CT Women of the UCC Fall Gathering and Luncheon

Nov. 1, 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
First Church of Christ Congl., 2183 Main St., Glastonbury

The guest speaker for the fall gathering of the Connecticut Women of the United Church of Christ will be Dr. Jane Smith, Professor of Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary and Co-director of the Duncan Black MacDonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. Dr. Smith was one of the keynote speakers at the fall 2001 Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference.
Cost: $12.00.
Contact: Pam Didio
125 Sherman St., Hartford, CT 06105. Toll free: 866.367.2822, or 860.233.5564 locally.
pamd@ctucc.org
http://www.ctucc.org/ctwomen/

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 250^th Anniversary T-Shirts

First Church 250th Anniversary T shirts will be available in children's and adult sizes at affordable prices in October. Celebrate our history in style!

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 CHANGE A CHILD'S LIFE

Many parishioners have expressed an interest in giving financial support to Rev. Sirrirat and her Thailand orphanage.  To make it more convenient to do so, special "Mission Offering" envelopes will be permanently placed in the pew racks.  If you have some extra change some Sunday, please consider "changing a child's life" by donating to this worthwhile mission.         

Judy Robertson,

Missions Chair

Is A Pumpkin A Fruit Or A Vegetable?

This coming Sunday, we will be in our classrooms learning about the "Fruit of the Spirit".  In this beautiful season of autumn, we spend a great deal of time thinking about fruit?especially apples and pumpkins!  The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Galatians, giving them a list of fruit (Paul was into making lists!).  The "fruits" represent the characteristics that God wants to see in each and every one of us.  Do you have any idea what they might be?  Take a sneak peek in the book of Galatians 5:22, and see how many YOU already have!

First Church will be hosting a Community Halloween Party on Thursday, October 30^th for our young friends from the New Britain area.  This is being coordinated with The Friendship Service Center and their outreach program.  First Church members and children are invited to put on your costumes and join us for games, crafts, and pizza from 4:30 - 6 p.m. that day!

There will be another opportunity for some Halloween fun on Sunday, November 2^nd.  Children through grade 5 are invited to put on their costumes after worship and come to the fireside room for "tricks and treats"!  Remember to bring back your UNICEF boxes that day.  If you still need a box (or another one!) see me this Sunday - I have plenty!

Sharon Chamberlain

Coordinator of Christian Education 

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Dear Friends,

I have just returned from attending the Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, held October 17 and 18 in Bridgeport. As we find ourselves in the middle of an international financial crisis and at the very beginning of our own church's stewardship campaign for 2009, the theme of this year's meeting was especially apropos and helpful?"Nurturing Generosity"?based on James 1:17: "Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above?"

We live in what some have called a "sound-bite" age; let me then share with you several provocative and inspiring "sound-bites" from our various speakers:

We need to grow beyond being reluctant stewards.

A stewardship campaign is a revival meeting in disguise. 

One-eighth of the Bible is about the relationship between faith and how we use our money and possessions.

There's a difference between being and having. Do we possess our possessions, or do they possess us? Defining our self-worth by what we have or possess is idolatry.

The contemporary crisis is not economic or financial but theological.

There is always enough money to meet human need; there is never enough money to meet human greed.

We need to be liberated to give.

The new stewardship mandate calls us to move from reluctance to abundance.

We need to move from the fear of scarcity to the reality of abundance.

It is a challenge to nurture generosity in a culture fearful of scarcity.

The opposite of love is not hate but fear.

We need to "tangibilitate" the two great commandments to love God and neighbor. (i.e, make tangible)

The most important thing about giving is not what it does for your church but what it does for your givers.

Stewardship is not fund-raising but faith-raising.

We need to splurge on our church.

It was a great meeting indeed?much food for thought and action! I'll share more as this year's stewardship campaign unfolds.

See you in church! Blessings always!

Jack

FIRST CHURCH NEWS

Vol. 56, No. 27

OFFICE VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE

Monday Morning ~ Judy Robertson

Monday Afternoon ~ Open

Tuesday Morning ~ Lois MacFarlane

Tuesday Afternoon ~ Peg Guilbault

Wednesday Morning ~ Barbara Helberg

Wednesday Afternoon ~ Open

Thursday Morning ~ Janet Culton

Thursday Afternoon ~ Linda Chamberlain

Friday Morning ~ Don Robertson

Friday Afternoon ~ Open

Volunteers are needed for afternoons that are listed as open.  Please call the church office at 229-3709 if you are available.  Thank You!

E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR THE STAFF

·         Rev. Jack Cook, Minister: revjack830@snet.net

·         Sharon Chamberlain, Coordinator of Christian Education:

sharon830@snet.net

·         Rev. Carol North, Interim Coordinator of Congregational Life:  

carolnorth@usa.net 

·         James Gower, Director of Music Ministries:                      

               jimgower830@snet.net

·         Kristine Lewko, Office Manager & Director of the Art   

               Gallery: firstnewbritain@snet.net

·         Bernadette Prue, Financial Clerk: fccnb830accounts@snet.net

·         William Furman, Facilities Manager billfurman830@snet.net

OFFICE HOURS AT FIRST CHURCH:

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CHANGE A CHILD'S LIFE

Many parishioners have expressed an interest in giving financial support to Rev. Sirrirat and her Thailand orphanage.  To make it more convenient to do so, special "Mission Offering" envelopes will be permanently placed in the pew racks.  If you have some extra change some Sunday, please consider "changing a child's life" by donating to this worthwhile mission.         

Judy Robertson,

Missions Chair