This Week AtFirst Church

Week Of 3.15.09 At First Church

THANKS

A special thank you to Mary Hannifan for sharing Coffee Hour duties for the month of February!  ~Joyce Anderson

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RESTORE! RENEW! REJOICE!

Remember that catchy slogan of the Capital Campaign? Remember to Rejoice in the completion of the Phase I and Phase II projects. 

Please join us on March 15^th, during Second Hour for a Tour of our facility which will highlight the completed work and solicit your ideas about the Phase III projects. (Snow Date March 22).

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One Great Hour of Sharing

On March 22^nd,   you will have the opportunity to give to the UCC's  special mission offering "One Great Hour of Sharing" . This offering supports international programs of health, education and agricultural development, relief , and refugee assistance.  Offering envelopes will be in the Sunday bulletin on March 15, so that will have them to bring back the following week.

LENTEN SUPPERS

Remember those Lenten suppers that we enjoyed in years past at First Church?  Well, they're back!  We will have two Wednesday night pot-luck suppers on March 11^th and March 25^th with dinner at 6:00 p.m. and a program immediately following:

March  11 -          "Glimpses from a Middle East Journey"

                                This will feature our own First Church member,           

                             Abby Chamberlain who will show pictures and       

                             discuss  the trip she took  in January 2008 with other

                             Hartford  Seminary students to Syria, Egypt and                                              Lebanon.  Come get a glimpse of another part of the     

                             world!       

March 25 -            "A Tale of Church Growth"

                                Rev. Cook will tell how First Church of Houston, TX

                             received 200 new members in 8 years and then             

                             explore the possible  implications for First Church of

                             New Britain, CT.    

PLEASE BRING A DISH BASED ON YOUR LAST NAME AS FOLLOWS:

A - H     MAIN DISH

I -  M      SALAD OR HORS D'EOUVRES

N -  Z      DESSERT

Contact Judy Robertson (225-1124) if you would be willing to assist with set-up and clean-up for either dinner.  Also, please use the sign-up sheet in the church office if you plan on attending.

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RING DEM BELLS!! 

Join us this Sunday (March 8) after church for some noise-making fun (and hopefully a pleasant tune or two!).  We will have the Handbell tables and bells set up at the front of the church for the curious among us to have a chance to see what it's like to make music with the handbells.  This is a NO-OBLIGATION event - just come and have some fun.  Adults and students age 12 and up are welcome.  The event will last approximately 30-45 minutes.  Some music-reading experience will be helpful, but is not required!

CT WOMEN OF THE UCC presents STAYING CENTERED IN TROUBLED TIMES   Date:  April 25, 2009 Time:  9:00 am - 3:00 pm. Where: First Congregational Church, Wallingford, CT Pre-registration cost: $16.00; $20.00 after April 15 (includes lunch)     Guest-Speaker:  The Rev. Lee Ireland

 

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MEMORIAL FLOWERS

Is anyone interested in dedicating altar flowers on Sunday March 29, 2009, in memory of a loved one?   It is the 5^th Sunday in March, so it will not be a reoccurring date each year.  Please contact Kristine in the church office at 229-3709.

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EDUCATION GROUP

The Education Group will have its next meeting on Sunday, March 29 at 11:15. 

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IN OUR CHURCH FAMILY

Myrtle Bodley, a former member of First Church, passed away on February 18, 2009.  Rev. Cook officiated at graveside services on February 20, 2009.  Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.

THE 6 SUNDAYS OF LENT

Last Sunday, we learned about Palm Sunday and what is was like when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem.  We had a visit from a man who was in the crowd that day.  He told us about the enthusiasm and excitement that the people were feeling as they waved their palms and laid their cloaks down on the road before Jesus.

For the next 5 Sundays, we will spend our time learning about some other very important events in Holy Week.  We will visit the Temple where Jesus became angry, sit at the table of the Last Supper and roll the dice to see who will get Jesus' clothing...

Sure hope that you will plan to join us for this very special journey to
Easter!

Our Heifer Project got off to a great start on March 1st.  The "barnyard"
was buzzing with activity and the animals roamed about collecting donations.  If you missed it - there is still time to make a contribution!  We will continue to collect money for this mission during coffee hours thru Palm Sunday.  Every penny counts!

See you Sunday,
Sharon Chamberlain
Coordinator of Christian Education

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GALLERY

Our February Artist, Paul Lessard, will continue to exhibit his work at the First Church Gallery through March.  The next opening reception is Sunday, April 5.

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It is our honor to thank members of our First Church family who have made a pledge of financial support for 2009. Your faithful commitment is the cornerstone of our caring community!

Arlyd and Jonathan Snyder

First Church of Christ                                            New Britain, CT

March 4, 2009

Dear Friends,

"And the spirit immediately drove [Jesus] out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him." (Mark 1: 12-13)

In my meditation on the First Sunday in Lent (March 1), I talked about our Lenten journey as a "wilderness time" that poses several "wilderness questions" about our life priorities. Lent is always a time of learning about God, others, and ourselves.

As I continue to think about this image of Lent as "wilderness time," I am struck by what other life experiences this time can hold?

As Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, this is also for us a time of challenge. (See II Corinthians 4:8-11)

As it is God's own Spirit who drives Jesus and us into the wilderness, this becomes as well a time of dependence upon God, his providence, his wisdom, his grace to sustain us on the journey. (See Hebrews 4:14-16)

As Jesus and we are accompanied by the wild beasts and waited on by the angels, it is a time of comfort. (See II Corinthians 12: 7b-10)

And, most of all, it is a time of new beginnings. As "Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ?The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news,'" (Mark 9: 14-15) so too we welcome an opportunity to begin again?to repent of whatever troubles us about our lives and truly believe God's good news that the time is fulfilled and God's own kingdom has drawn near?perhaps even within our very midst (See II Corinthians 5: 14-19)

One of my favorite hymns in The New Century Hymnal is "This Is a Day of New Beginnings." (# 417) Its fourth stanza is a wonderful "Easter" affirmation at the beginning of this Lenten wilderness time:

"Christ is alive, and goes before us to show and share what love can do.

This is a day of new beginnings?our God is making all things new."

Have a holy Lenten wilderness time!

See you in church!  Blessings always!

 Jack

FIRST CHURCH NEWS

Vol. 57, No. 5