Late October Connection

Hello everyone,  Hope you are enjoying these beautiful autumn days!  Take a few minutes to read through this weekly connection so you can stay in touch with all that is happening here at UCN!

It’s official!  United Church of Norwood was voted into the EFCA this past Tuesday.  Pastor Kevin was at the conference and will be sharing more of that in the coming days.  We are excited about this affiliation and look forward to many good things coming as an outgrowth of this.  Stay tuned!

Do you remember Ben Ruhl?  Ben and his wife Olivia  were with us earlier this year when Pastor Kevin was away.  Ben shared the message during our worship service.  Ben is now the Lead Pastor at the EFCA in Alton, NH.  Ben & Olivia are both 2017 graduates of Gordon Conwell Seminary.

The EFCA sends out a bi-weekly round-up of news, stories, events and resources – always great info.  efcaupdate@efca.org takes you there – sign up now to stay in the loop !

WISH Gathering is Saturday morning at 9:00 in Veno Hall.  All women are invited and encouraged to join us!  Check your email for any details from Cindy.

Council members are reminded of the meeting on Monday evening at 7:00 in the Council Room.

The “Mary Study” begins on Sunday, October 29th following worship.  This study will run for about 45 minutes to an hour.    Who is the Virgin Mary?  Why does she matter?  Find the answers to these and other questions!

Moms and Tots on Thursday the 26th will meet at Chick-Fil-A in Dedham 11am to enjoy snacks and the play space!

Our “Under 40″ Young Adult Discussion Group will have part 2 of their fall series on Sunday the 29th at 11:15 am.  Kids are welcome to tag along!

 

The Christmas Fair is coming.  Hard to believe but true! The Fair this year will be held Dec 2^rd 9:00-3:00pm. It is a very busy time but is also a lot of fun as many hands make light work. If you want to help out, please email me at barbrialan@yahoo.com.  Ahead of the day, you can set aside gently used items for the Treasures table, think about what you can make for the Bake Table, and gather items to make a basket for the Raffle table. Details will be coming as we get closer to the date. The Fair planning team will be meeting Tuesday, Oct 24^th, at 7:30pm at Janna Peterson’s home (Contact the church office for directions).  Please feel free to join us!  ~ Barbara Sweeny

SHOE BOX COLLECTION WEEK IS NOVEMBER 13- 20.  Start picking up your items now.  I expect all the materials to arrive any day – in the meantime, I do have shoe boxes here in the office.  I just saw a great idea posted online  – Walmart has marked down all their kids water bottles to 85 cents!  Several people suggested filling those bottles with small items and placing in the shoe box.  I stopped by Walmart yesterday and they do have plenty of those bottles, so consider doing that 🙂

Just a reminder that donating the altar flowers for Sunday worship is a wonderful way to honor a loved one or celebrate a milestone.  The cost is $30 which can be left at the church office or placed in the offering plate.  That’s it – we do the rest!

Thanks to everyone who has volunteered to fill a spot for Sunday coffee time.  Please keep it up!

 

Sunday worship is at 10:00 in the sanctuary.  Hope to see you there!  Life gets busy but Sunday morning is THE TIME to refresh your spirit, be encouraged and spend time with your church family.  Kids Connection is in place for the younger ones.  Coffee time follows in Veno Hall.

Sunday afternoon is the Steward Hospice Service of Remembrance at 2:00 here in the sanctuary.  Our WISH group has a great connection to Steward Hospice as we provide them with prayer shawls for those in hospice.

Serving on Sunday:
Greeter:  Barbara Sulfaro

Ushers:  Bev A., Marie P-L.

Kids:  Marie, Sharon, Barbara

Coffee Set-up:  Please come by before the service starts

              to ensure everything’s ready to go!

Snacks:  Linda C., Marie C.

Coffee Clean-up:  Barbara Sweeny

Thanks for being faithful to our church.  That’s all for now – see you on Sunday!

Mid-October Connection

Hello everyone,  Despite the summer warmth a few days ago, the beautiful autumn days are here again!   Please keep these things in mind as you plan your time over these next days and months.

Moms & Tots playgroup will meet Saturday 11am here in the Nursery Space.  Bring snacks to share and feel free to pack a lunch for an indoor picnic!  

The NEW Women’s Study begins on Saturday morning at 9:00 in the Ruth Room across from the office.  In this Bible Study we will be looking at Galatians and Ephesians.  There are some questions for you to consider before this first study.  You nay have gotten them on Sunday from Sharon.  Feel free to email the church office for an attachment with the questions! Check them out please – all women are invited to join.  Feel free to bring your coffee!

Sunday morning worship begins at 10 in the sanctuary.  Hope to see you there as we begin our week together!  Great singing, uplifting music from our choir, a time for your prayers & praises, Kids Connection and an encouraging message from Pastor Kevin – all we need is you!  Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Monday evening the 16th, the Administrative Team meets at 7:00 at Janna’s home in Sharon.

Young Life meets on Monday evening at 7:27 on the top floor of the church.  Do you know a high schooler looking for a place to belong?  This could be the place!  See Meg with any questions or for more info.

 

There will be a meeting here Tuesday evening October 17th, 7pm in the Church Welcome Center for anyone who is interested in learning more about Young Life’s ministry to teen moms, so it might be able to launch here in the Norwood area.  If you can’t make it, but want more info, please contact Meg Nelson: faithfulmeg@yahoo.com. 

The New England District (that’s what we are a part of) of the Evangelical Free Church annual conference is Tuesday and Wednesday, October 17th and 18th at the Westfield Free Church.  We are hoping to have a good representation from our church.  We must know by Sunday if you are interested in going out on Tuesday afternoon – leaving the church here at about 1:30 and returning home in the mid-evening.  Our church will be officially welcomed into the EFCA sometime between 4-5pm that day.   

 

Ladies – check your email about our next WISH Gathering on Saturday, October 21st.  LOTS of things to go over that day.  Please plan on being here if you are available.

It is almost Shoebox time!  Supplies have been ordered and should arrive in the next week.  For those of you who may not be aware, each year we have the opportunity to pack a simple shoebox with items for a child.  We have boxes and guidelines for packing the boxes.  You can choose the age of the child and whether a girl or boy.  Last year we received 58 boxes which are sent on to regional areas before being shipped to a main location for shipping.  Last year over 11 million boxes were shipped!  Many of the children then enroll in local churches for a 12 lesson discipleship course called The Greatest Journey which teaches them about God’s love for them and how to be a follower of Christ.

Operation Christmas Child changes for this year:  Due to custom regulations in other countries, please do not include any toothpaste or candy when you pack your shoe box.  Also, the shipping charge is $ 90.00 per box.  All the details are on the packing slips which will be out in the next week or so.  Yes, I know it does seem early but our collection week is November 13-20.  Suggestion:  check out party supplies in the store.  They have some very affordable packages with multiple items in them.  If you pick up something like that and cannot use all the items feel free to drop those small items in the office – I will have a box here and perhaps we can share them that way.  I already have some pairs of girls socks and small change purses for a little girl.  If you can use them for your box, swing by the office

These are needed food items for the October 18th Open Door meal:

2 boxes of chicken broth

3 large cans of diced tomatoes

3 large cans of navy or cannellini beans

1 bunch of celery

2 large onions

3 zucchini

1 bag of chopped spinach

Please check out the menus posted outside of the kitchen and place your name next to any item you can provide.  Thank you!

It is always an uplifting time when the Teen Challenge women from Providence are with us.  Mark your calendar for Sunday, October 29th at 10:00.  The ladies will be with us for the morning service and then afterwards at coffee time.  Several people in our church regularly  sponsor one of these gals – this is a great opportunity to see and hear about lives changed through the power of Christ.  Plan on being here!

MANY THANKS to everyone who supported Meetinghouse Concerts this year.  Last Sunday was the last concert of the season.  The Lesters sent us out in style!  An energetic and exciting group that brought the house down!  We already have the calendar marked for next year’s concerts.  Thanks again to everyone who worked to make these concerts a blessing to many!

We are getting quite an assortment of dishes collecting in the kitchen – if you are missing something, take a look in the kitchen.

Upcoming:

Steward Hospice Remembrance Service on Sunday, October 22nd at 2:00pm in the sanctuary

Serving Sunday:

Greeter:  Deb Eagles

Kids:  Meg, Deb B., Melanie

Coffee Set-up:  Joanna & Elsa

Snacks:  Joy C., Roger, Joanna

Coffee Clean-up:  Roger

Thanks for reading through your weekly connection!

First October Connection

Hello everyone, Time for your mid-week update on all things UCN!  Thanks for taking the time to read through and make note of what pertains to you.

Sunday morning worship begins at 10:00 in the sanctuary.  Looking forward to that time as we come apart from our everyday busyness and come together as our church family.  Great music from our choir, prayers and praises time, Kids Connection, encouraging words from Pastor Kevin and coffee time to follow.  Please plan on being here!

Sunday evening is the final Meetinghouse Concert of the season featuring long-time favorites The Lesters.  Tickets are available at the door.  This is an opportunity to hear great music that will encourage you through the week!

October 11th Open Door Dinner being served is Hot Dogs & Beans.  

These are the needed items:

about 96 all-beef hot dogs; about 96 hot dog rolls; 8 large cans of Bush or B&M baked beans; 4 large bags of cole slaw mix; 2 jars of Marie’s Cole Slaw Dressing; 6 Family Size bags of potato chips.  Please see the sign-up sheet outside of the kitchen and sign your name next to an item you are willing to contribute.  Thank you – every donation is appreciated greatly!

It’s not too soon to start collecting items for Operation Christmas Child.  Shoe box Collection Week is November 13-20th.  That week always seems to creep up on us!    Why not start now and pick up items to fill your box?!  I have boxes available here in the office.  Stop by and get yours.

As you start thinking about Christmas, there is always one person (or more) that is a challenge to purchase something special for.  We have started to receive catalogs  with some GREAT ideas on how you can give a gift in someone’s name that will make quite a difference in the life of someone in need.  Additionally some of the gifts have retailers and manufacturers match the donation which makes even more of an impact.  Example:  a $75 gift becomes $600 worth of clothing, shoes and more for a child here in America.  Look at the Resource spots for information from World Vision, Heifer and Samaritans Purse.

Put on your walking shoes!  The annual Community Food Pantry Walk is planned for Saturday, October 14 at 9:00am.  This walk helps to feed those in need of food in Westwood and Norwood.  Check the board near the Welcome Center for details and sponsor sheets.

We received a note of thanks from Compassion International for our participation in Compassion Sunday.  Take a look at the note posted on the board at the Nahatan Street entrance.  We have quite a few folks here that regularly support a child and 3 people began support following Compassion Sunday.  We’re thrilled that three child sponsorship packets were picked up from our Compassion Sunday table.  We have two of those accounted for, but are unsure of who took the third packet.  It was for a little boy named Roger from the Philippines.  If you have this packet, please let the office know so we can send the right info back to Compassion International! Your faithfulness makes a difference – Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the hurricane relief effort.  We received in excess of $1300 and those funds were sent to the EFCA this week for distribution.  Nationwide the EFCA has received $1,035,248.00 from churches and donors.  What a blessing to be part of this great effort in assisting those uprooted by the recent hurricanes

LOST & FOUND: If you are looking for a Tupperware cake carrier, please check the kitchen.  It may have had an item in it for the WISH Bake Sale.

 

Tuesday, October 17th is a big day in the life of our church.  Our affiliation with the Evangelical Free Church of America will be made official at the annual district meeting in Westfield Massachusetts and we are looking for some folks from our church to trip down to Westfield… celebrate and make a good impression!  The plan is to car-pool (so you don’t have to worry about driving) – leaving Norwood at about 1:30 in the afternoon of the 17th, for the welcome ceremony… meet some folks from other Evangelical Free Churches in New England and then drive home.  Look for the sign-up sheet in Veno Hall to indicate your interest.

A Short-Course on the Virgin Mary

At this time of year, as we approach the celebration of the birth of the Messiah, we begin to hear from the Scripture of the young peasant girl from Nazareth.  Who was Mary?  Why is she so important to understanding Jesus?  What of the rest of the “stuff” that is said about Mary?  

Our short – course will be held on Sunday mornings, beginning on October 29th.  Join us as we meet in the Welcome Center immediately following worship

We had a great first start to our new series with the Under 40 Discussion Group!  Our next session will be October 29th after worship.

Moms & Tots will next meet October 14th here at the church.

YOUNG LIFE UPDATES:  We are extremely grateful for the wonderful way this church has allowed this ministry to area teens to use our top floor space on Monday nights.  High School Club for the semester has started back up again meeting at 7:27 on Monday evenings.   The annual fundraising 5K Walk-a-thon is coming up Sunday afternoon October 22 at Adams Farm in Walpole.  Interested in walking?  Interested in Sponsoring someone who is walking?  Let Meg Nelson know!  Young Life currently serves middle school (Wyld Life), high school , and teens with disabilities (Capernaum).  They are also working towards launching a ministry to teen moms called Young Lives.  This ministry needs people to serve in a variety of support roles.  The next info meeting will be Tuesday October 17th at 7pm here in the church Welcome Center.  Please continue to pray for this crucial ministry in our area!

Kids Connection Updates can be found on our Kids Connection Blog with reminders about this year’s kids offering giving project, as well as upcoming even dates!  Take a look at what we have for our families and little ones! Kids Connection October Updates!

Greeter:  Marie Schuhmacher

Ushers:  Bev Alty, Marie Pierre-Louis

Kids:  Meg, Shannon, Janna, Roger

Coffee Set-up:  Laurie A.

Snacks: Lauire A., Janna

Coffee Clean-up: Please take some time to help the clean-up crew

That’s it for now- see everyone Sunday!

Last September Connection

 

Time for the mid-week update for Kids Connection Blog! everyone! Please read through your weekly connection and make note of what pertains to you!

Sunday morning worship begins at 10:00 in the sanctuary. Communion will be offered. Our Helping Hands offering is also received on Communion Sundays. Those funds are used at Pastor Kevin’s discretion to help those in financial need both within our church community and the greater Norwood community. Look for the envelope in your bulletin on Sunday if you typically participate in this. Kids Connection is in place. Coffee follows in Veno Hall. The “Under 40” discussion group also meets. See details below from Meg.

Young Life meets on Monday evening at 7:27 on the top floor spaces.

Menus for the next several weeks Open Door dinners are posted outside of the kitchen. Again, please take a look and see what item you could pick up when you are doing your own shopping. Every little bit that is donated is a huge help to all our volunteers.
The meal for next Wednesday, October 4th is Pulled Chicken. These are the items needed for that meal:
6 large bottles Honey BBQ Sauce
4 large bags of Cole Slaw mix
2 bottles Marie’s Cole Slaw Dressing
60 soft bulky rolls
6 Family Size bags of potato chips

 

The last Meetinghouse Concert of the season will be on Sunday. October 8 at 6:00pm. The featured guests are The Lesters – long time favorites of our Meetinghouse Concerts. I believe The Lesters were one of the original groups that began the concerts. Tickets are available at the door and also prior to the evening. Please call the church office if you are interested in tickets. I can give you the details.

 

Tuesday, October 17th is a big day in the life of our church. Our affiliation with the Evangelical Free Church of America will be made official at the annual district meeting in Westfield Massachusetts and we are looking for some folks from our church to trip down to Westfield… celebrate and make a good impression! The plan is to car-pool (so you don’t have to worry about driving) – leaving Norwood at about 1:30 in the afternoon of the 17th, for the welcome ceremony… meet some folks from other Evangelical Free Churches in New England and then drive home. Look for a sign-up sheet in Veno Hall to indicate your interest.

 
We are extremely grateful that 4 child sponsorship packets were taken in response to Compassion Sunday. This is especially incredible when we consider how many people in our church are already active in sponsoring children around the world! If you did take one of those packets, please communicate this with the church office if you haven’t already. We want to make sure we know where all our packets went as we communicate back with Compassion International. Remember all packets need to be filled out and received by Compassion International by October 24th at the latest. Thanks for this beautiful generosity!

 

Our Under 40 Discussion Group will be starting back up with a new series after church this Sunday, and we’d love anyone to come join us! We can make accommodations for anyone who might have little ones in tow with them. Contact Meg at faithfulmeg@yahoo.com or 978-979-8486 if you have any questions!

 

We continue to share info for our families each week on the kids connection blog. This week we have a tip for engaging faith at home as well as a link to processing the start of the school year with your families! Check out United Kids Connection! to take a look!

 

Barbara Sweeny did some straightening out and reorganizing of the Coffee Hour closet. We are in need of regular size hot cups for Sunday coffee hour. If a few people could pick those up when you are doing your grocery shopping, that would be very helpful! The coffee hour closet is designated to hold supplies for coffee time and church functions that require paper goods. Please do not use it for storage of other items. Also, the sign-up sheets for coffee time are now located on a table at the end of the Sunday snack tables – please take a look at where you can help out.

 

We are still in need of a couple volunteers to clean the candlelighters used on Sunday mornings. Please speak to Pastor or call the office for details. We also need some one to clean the candle holders that are on the altar. Over time they collect wax drippings etc and they are due for a good cleaning. Same thing – please see Pastor or call the office.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the EFCA Hurricane Harvey Relief efforts. We will be sending our contribution later this week. There is still time for you to make a donation if you are interested – please call the office and let us know. To date the EFCA has received $920,157 which has been contributed by 2147 churches and donors. What a blessing this will be to our sister churches in Texas! Thank you for your support.

 

Serving Sunday:
Ushers/Greeters: Georgia Shaw, Dot Cotter, Steve Carter
Kids: Meg, Silpa, Deb E.
Coffee Set-up: preliminary work is done on Friday, but someone needs to get things together on Sunday morning
Snacks: Elsa, Gene, Joyce
Coffee Clean-up: Deb Eagles.

 

 

I think that is all for now – looking forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Mid September Connection

My, what a windy day!  This is just the remnant of one of the hurricanes that has caused such destruction. Please continue to remember all those that have lost so much and or are displaced.  See below for details on how you can be a part of relief efforts.

Sunday worship begins at 10:00 in the sanctuary – our services are designed to be a time of encouragement for the week ahead!  Please be here if you are in the area.  Kids Connection is in place for the little ones.  Coffee time follows in Veno Hall.

COMING THIS WEEK:

Monday evening – Church Council meeting at 7:00pm

Tuesday evening – Fair planning meeting at 7:30pm – location to be determined

Wednesday evening – Open Door at 5:30pm and Choir Rehearsal at 7:15pm

Thursday morning- Moms and Tots – 11:00am at Bird Park

 

Many thanks to those who have contributed to the Hurricane Relief effort.  There is still time to donate through the end of September.  The funds we receive will be sent to the EFCA has set an initial goal of raising one million dollars to assist with the needs of the EFCA churches.  To date, $735,584 has been received from 1941 churches or donors.

Thanks to everyone for their great support of our Blessing Bag ministry.  When you are out and about, watch for sales on the back packs.  Now that Back-to-School is behind us, the backpacks are available quite reasonably.  Also, these are the items that are needed to have on hand:  trial size deodorants, granola bars, bottles of water and facecloths.

The candle lighters that we use on Sunday mornings prior to worship to light the altar candles get a lot of candle wax buildup and are in need of some TLC!  We have 3 that need some cleaning and polishing.  Can you help out?    You can take one home with you and do it there or you can come by the church and work in the kitchen.  Please give the office a call or speak to Pastor Kevin for details.   We also need someone to clean the candle holders that are on the altar.  These need to be done every few months to keep them clean and to keep the wax drippings from building up.  Again, please call the office or speak with Pastor Kevin.  These are simple tasks but having them taken care of would be a great help!

Thanks to all who made Back to Church Compassion Sunday such a lovely day!  It was great to see the many ways people contributed to making this a great day.  It was wonderful to highlight the impact that so many in our church have through the journey of child sponsorship!  We know that in addition to the child sponsored by our church, we know many families are also on the journey of child sponsorship!  We want to celebrate that!  If you want to sponsor a child, we will have the Compassion International Info Table up for one more week, where we have 12 child sponsorship packets available.  Remaining packets will be mailed back on Wednesday September 27.

Our Under 40 Discussion Group will be starting a new 4 session study Sunday October 1.  We’re excited to go through the series “Unstuck: Moving From the Mundane to the Meaningful”.  The group will meet in the first floor council room at 11:15am on the following Sundays: October 1, October 29, November 12, and December 10.  You can take a peek at the trailer for the study content here:Unstuck Study Intro

Our Kids Connection Blog has info about upcoming opportunities for families, as well as the family Bible focus for September and October! September Family Connection Part 1

The Open Door meal for September 27th is Barbecued Chicken.  These are the needed items:

4 large boxes of Goya yellow rice

8 large bags of frozen peas & carrots

6 dozen dinner rolls

1 pound of butter

Other needed items have already been donated.  We have people who regularly make desserts, but new volunteers for that are always appreciated

Questions??  See Georgia or Marie

 

New copies of Our Daily Bread are available in the Resource spaces.  Large print copies that start with October are also available.

Serving on Sunday:

Greeters:  Buki & George

Ushers:  Bev Alty, Marie Pierre-Louis

Coffee set-up: Please stop by a little early to see what help might be needed

Snacks:  Janna, please feel free to bring a treat to share!

Clean-up:  Laurie & Tim

Thanks for being part of our church community. See you on Sunday!

Back to Church & More Connection

Autumn in New England!  Haven’t these past few days been picture perfect?  As you plan your time, we have lots of things happening at UCN, so please plan to join in!

The WISH Gathering for this Saturday has been cancelled.  It seems to be a very busy weekend as there were many of the ladies who were unable to attend.  The October date for WISH is October 21st.

 

National Back to Church/COMPASSION Sunday is upon us! We will be featuring our church’s partnership with Compassion International, where there will be the opportunity for people to consider starting their own journey of child sponsorship.  Don’t forget to remind those you have invited to join you, if you haven’t invited anyone yet, it’s not too late!  We’re looking forward to a great day with uplifting music, gift books for each household, an inspiring message from our pastor, and enjoying great company with great treats during a special coffee time!

Monday evening at 7:00, the Islam Study meets in the Council Room next to the office.  This is the final meeting of this study.  Among other things we will be looking at how we, as Christians living in America, should consider the influx of Muslims into America.

As we get back into the school year routine, our Family News & Notes is back!  It’s important for our whole church family to know about the exciting things going on with our Kids Connection ministry.  This week’s blog post shares about Sunday morning Kids Connection & Nursery Details, as well as provides a link to a great article about facing the back to school season!  Visit United Kids Connection! to check it out! (https://unitedkidsconnection.wordpress.com)

OPEN DOOR MEAL FOR September 20th is Meatballs, sauce and pasta.

These are the items needed:

6 large bags of frozen meatballs

4 bags of Romaine heads of lettuce

2 large creamy Caesar dressing

*Any donated items need to be at the church by Sunday.  Thanks for your help!

*Menus for the Open Door are posted outside of the kitchen.  Please take a look and see if there is an item that you can contribute towards a meal.

Reminders…

Donations for Hurricane Relief efforts through the EFCA will be accepted through the end of September.  Please make your checks out to UCN with a note on the memo line.  The church will then send one check to the EFCA.

Please remember that our choir is welcoming new members!  If you are interested in being a part of this vital ministry, please speak to Steve Rudolph.

Young Lives (a branch of Young Life) is a new ministry for teen moms that  Meg is launching.  There was an info meeting here last Monday evening.  Please speak to Meg for additional information.

There is a table in the church narthex that has plenty of good resources for you – Bibles, devotionals, etc.  Please help yourself.  Those are there for you to take and use.

We have new sign-up sheets for coffee time.  3 areas that need volunteers:  set-up, clean-up and snacks.   The sheets will be at the end of the snack area this Sunday.  Please stop and take a look at where you can help out.  We all enjoy this time and we really need some people to step forward and help.

Check out the new window treatments in the Kids Connection spaces – they look great and have really brightened the areas!

Thanks for reading through your weekly connection!  See you at Back-to-Church Sunday!

September Start-Up Connection

Hi everyone, Summer is in the rear view window and September is here!   As we get back into our normal routine, please keep these upcoming activities in mind as you plan your time.

Tonight (Wednesday) marks the re-opening of our Open Door meal ministry AND the first choir rehearsal of the season.

Our Open Door dinner is served at 5:30 and finishes up about 6:30.  Everyone is always welcome to come by and enjoy dinner here!  There are volunteer opportunities as well.  Additionally, the meals for each week are posted outside of the kitchen.  There are always food items needed for each meal.  Check out the meals and see if you can provide any items for a meal.  All donations MUST be in the kitchen on the Sunday prior to a meal.  I will also list here in the Weekly Connection the meal for the following week so you can have it in mind as you do your own grocery shopping.

The meal for NEXT Wednesday, September 13th is Chicken Cacciatore.

 

The needed items are:

6 large jars of spaghetti sauce (like Ragu or Prego)

8 green peppers

12 colored peppers

5 pounds of mushrooms

1   5 pound bag of sweet onions

 If you are able to provide any of these, please speak to Marie Schuhmacher or Georgia Shaw OR sign your name to the menu list on the bulletin board outside of the kitchen.

 

Choir rehearsal also starts up this evening at 7:15!  We are so blessed to have a wonderful choir as part of worship each Sunday.  Following a well-deserved summer break, our choir will be back with us beginning this Sunday.  If you would like to be a part of this important ministry, Steve Rudolph would love to speak with you!  If you can sing in tune and have a desire to serve the Lord through music, this is the opportunity for you!    Many thanks go to Steve and Chris for their faithfulness, their talent and their willingness to be used by God to bless us so richly.  We are looking forward to Sunday!

Saturday is our all church Work Day.  Come by anytime between 9:00 and Noon and we will have a task just for you.  We will have some cleaning supplies available but feel free to bring your own favorites along!  Thank you for your help in being a good steward of the building God has entrusted to us.

Moms & Tots will also meet on Saturday at 11:00 at Ward’s Farm in Sharon.  Check with Meg for more details and with any questions.

Sunday worship begins at 10:00.  Our regular schedule will be in place with Kids Connection up and running!  Worship with music from our choir, a time for your praises and concerns and an encouraging message from Pastor. Communion will be offered on Sunday and our Helping Hands offering will be received.  As a reminder, our Helping Hands offering is used at Pastor’s discretion to help those in our church and community with financial needs they may have.

Coffee hour follows worship.  We will have our usual selection of beverages available but in place of regular snacks, our WISH group is sponsoring an Autumn Bake Sale.  Delicious home baked goods and other treats will be offered for you to purchase.   Please bring a couple extra dollars to buy snacks to enjoy at coffee time and to take home too!  All proceeds benefit our church here!

The Islam Study will meet on Monday evening, September 11th at 7:00 in the Council Room.  Have you ever wondered what’s up with Sunnis and Shias and the civil war between the 2 groups?  No need to have come to other studies – feel free to join us!  Very interesting conversation with lots of info!

Be sure and check out the flyer on the bulletin board near the Welcome Center about an upcoming speaker at the Westwood Library.  Jennifer Lin will discuss her family memoir, “Shanghai Faithful:  Betrayal and Forgiveness in a Chinese Christian Family.”  Lin’s great-uncle was Watchman Nee, considered to be one of the most influential Chines leaders of the 20th century.   Sounds like a fascinating evening –  Thursday, September 14th at 7:00pm

MANY MANY thanks to everyone that is helping out with our Blessing Bag ministry.  Our front lawn sign has generated a lot of action!  Just today a gal stopped by with 2 backpacks and was so happy to hear how they are being used.  Another woman stopped by yesterday with 8 that she saw on sale and thought we could use.  A few weeks back, someone had seen the sign, called the church and then  purchased 75  for use here.  Donna Wood works tirelessly to coordinate everything so the right supplies go to the right people.  We have people donating supplies, helping out financially, writing encouraging cards to be included in the packs.  The list goes an and on.  Please keep it up!  What a difference you are making in someone’s life.  THANK YOU!

 

KIds Connection will get back to normal this week, with kids Pre K – Grade 6 heading down during the time of greeting for a time of interactive learning and worship.  Nursery care continues to be offered for little ones up to age 3.

Back to Church Sunday is getting closer!  September 17th is National Back to Church Sunday. We will be highlighting our partnership with Compassion International, with time to learn about the ways child sponsorship has made such a huge difference, and an opportunity for YOU to begin the amazing journey of sponsoring a child.  It’s not too soon to think of who you will invite to join you.  We will be having a special coffee time to celebrate the new season of ministry in the life of the church.  Here are some items we need, please reply if you can bring any of these things for coffee time that day:

– Small fruit tray/fruit salad

– 1 tray of cookies/dessert bars

Thanks in advance!

It’s been exciting to partner with our local chapter of Young Life as it connects area teens with the love of Christ.  A new way this ministry hopes to make an impact on our region is through launching ministry to teenage mothers and their children through a ministry called Young Lives.  You’ll be hearing info in the weeks to come about how you might be able to get involved.  There will be an info meeting here in the Church Welcome Center on Monday September 11th, at 7pm if you’re curious and want to learn more.  Feel free to contact Meg faithfulmeg@yahoo.com if you are curious and want more information.

Serving on Sunday:

Ushers/Greeters:

Steve Carter, Dottie Cotter, Georgia Shaw, Marie Schuhmacher

Kids:  Shannon

Nursery: Barbara, Roger

Coffee Set-up:  Sharon

Snacks – WISH Bake Sale

Coffee clean-up: ?

Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday as we gear up for the Fall season.

Labor Day Weekend Connection

Hi everyone,  And just like that it’s Labor Day Weekend!  Hope that if you aren’t escaping for a last summer fling, we’ll see you in church on Sunday.  As your schedule for fall starts filling up, please keep these things in mind too.

Sunday worship begins at 10:00.  Great music, encouraging words from Pastor Kevin, a time for you to share your prayers and praises, and care for the little ones.  As has been our tradition over the past few years, this weekend being Labor Day, we will NOT be having a coffee time following worship.  The following Sunday is September 10th and our WISH group is sponsoring a Bake Sale during coffee time, so no snacks are needed on that Sunday.  BUT please bring a few extra dollars on the 10th and support the Bake Sale.  All proceeds benefit the church ministries.

Our fall schedule resumes on Wednesday evening.  Our Open Door meal ministry will serve dinner at 5:30.  In an effort to get more folks involved and because we expect an increase in numbers, we will be asking for your help in providing some of the food items for the meals.  We will post the menus on the bulletin board outside the kitchen and we will also list the the items needed.  If you are able to provide an item, sign your name so we can be aware. Please note that all donations MUST be at the church on the Sunday prior to the meal being served.

The meal for Wednesday September 6th is all taken care of.

The meal for Wednesday, September 13th is Chicken Cacciatore:  Needed items for the dinner include:  6 large jars of spaghetti sauce, 8 green peppers, 12 colored peppers(red, yellow, green) 5 pounds of mushrooms, 1 5 pound bag of sweet onions, dessert items.

Wednesday evening at 7:15 is also the first choir rehearsal of the Fall season.  We are so very blessed to have an exciting and vibrant choir under Steve Rudolph’s leadership,as part of our worship here.  Please be sure and read the insert in your bulletin on Sunday. Steve is happy to welcome new faces to the choir!

Saturday, September 9th  from 9:00- Noon – all church work day!  Come for an hour or come for the morning!  We will have a list of projects and some cleaning supplies, but feel free to bring your favorites!  Make note that this day is also Norwood Day.  We are not involved with that this year, but Washington Street will be closed off.  Please use the back roads to park in the church lot when you come to Work Day.

Also on Saturday, September 9th – Moms & Tots meets at Wards Farm in Sharon.  Please see Meg for details.

Sunday, September 10th – We will be having our Communion Service and  our Helping Hands offerings will be received.  Also, WISH will be sponsoring a Bake Sale during coffee time.  Please be sure and bring a few dollars to make a purchase and support the church ministries.  Look for the bulletin insert with all the details on Sunday.

Monday, September 11th – Islam Study resumes.  No need to have attended other studies – this will be an interesting evening.  Come to the Council Room next to the office at 7:00.

As we are all aware, Hurricane Harvey caused a tremendous amount of damage and heartbreak in Texas.  Several people have asked about helping out in some way.  Stay tuned for info in the coming weeks on how you can help alleviate some of the suffering.

Back to Church Sunday is getting closer!  September 17th is National Back to Church Sunday. We will be highlighting our partnership with Compassion International, with time to learn about the ways child sponsorship has made such a huge difference, and an opportunity for YOU to begin the amazing journey of sponsoring a child.  It’s not too soon to think of who you will invite to join you.  We will be having a special coffee time to celebrate the new season of ministry in the life of the church.  Here are some items we need, please reply if you can bring any of these things for coffee time that day:

– Small veggie tray

– Small fruit tray/fruit salad

– Small cheese & cracker tray

– 2 trays of cookies/dessert bars

Thanks in advance!

It’s been exciting to partner with our local chapter of Young Life as it connects area teens with the love of Christ.  A new way this ministry hopes to make an impact on our region is through launching ministry to teenage mothers and their children through a ministry calledYoung Lives.  You’ll be hearing info in the weeks to come about how you might be able to get involved.  There will be an info meeting here in the church Welcome Center on Monday September 11th, at 7pm if you’re curious and want to learn more.  Feel free to contact Meg faithfulmeg@yahoo.com if you are curious and want more information.

If you are interested…check out the Nahatan Street bulletin board for details about a concert at St. Johns in Westwood.  A vocal ensemble from Russia, “Lyra”,  will be performing on Friday September 15th at 7:00

Serving on Sunday:

Greeter:  Dottie Cotter

Ushers:  Russ & Donna

Kids:  Meg & Silpa

NO COFFEE this Sunday

Thanks for taking the time to read through your connection – See you Sunday!

 

End of August Connection

Hi everyone,  Back to school time is just about here!  Where did the summer go?  Pretty sure we say that every year 🙂  Please keep these things in mind as you plan your time.

The Islam Study will next meet on September 11th.  We have been on a brief hiatus so Pastor can do some additional study.  We have just 2 sessions left.  Pastor will be talking about some of the different sects and how we as Christians living in a democracy understand Muslims migrating to America.  This promises to be a very interesting conversation – no need to have attended previously.  Join us on the 11th for this enlightening study!

Thank you! We’re getting a great response to our backpack need!  Keep spreading the word!  These are the items needed to get the backpacks ready for delivery:  trial size deodorant, chap-stick, hair brushes, sturdy combs, washcloths/hand towels (gently used or new), trial size Kleenex, small notebooks, bottles of water, peanut butter crackers and individually wrapped hard candies.  Please remember all items must fit into the backpacks.

We like to include a card of encouragement with the back packs.  Is this something you can do?  We supply the cards and all you need to do is spend a few minutes writing some encouraging words.  We even have sample suggestions to follow!  Couldn’t be any easier!  Please see Donna Wood if you are able to help out with this vital part of our Backpack ministry.

Back to Church Sunday!  In just one month, we will be celebrating Back to Church Sunday on Sept. 17!  It’s a great way to start thinking about our fall routine, and how we can encourage our families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers to join in the great things going on here at our Church. Following the service we’ll be enjoying lunch together.  Please stay tuned in the weeks ahead for details on how you can participate.

As we look to the kick off of the fall season, there’s some ministry needs that are crucial to ensure we can continue to offer a great Sunday morning experience for regular members and visitors alike.  Don’t be intimidated if it’s something new- there’s plenty of people to help walk you through the learning process!

2 people to help with our Kids Connection offerings once a month.

1 person to join our monthly nursery rotation

2 people to join a monthly rotation to help with the projection screens.

People who can serve as greeters and ushers.

People who can assist with coffee time- setting up, providing food, and clean up.

*The church office can help you connect with ministry team leaders to get you plugged in!

The September – November copies of Our Daily Bread devotional are available in the Resource areas.

Back by popular demand…the WISH Bake Sale.  You may recall that our WISH ministry sponsors a Mother’s Day Bake Sale each year.  The reviews are in and the support was so great, that we will be doing an autumn Bake Sale on Sunday, September 10th during coffee time.  A variety of treats will be available for you to purchase.  Some individual items and some larger items for you take home to share.  Mark your calendar please!

Sunday worship begins at 10:00.  Great singing, a time for sharing our prayer needs, an encouraging message from Pastor Kevin, Kid’s Connection and Nursery care are all part of our morning together.  Coffee time follows in Veno Hall.  Be sure and be here!

Following worship on Sunday, the Nursery & Kid’s Team Rally is happening in the Council Room next to the office at 11:30.    If you are involved in this, you have received emails and updates from Meg.  Meg has planned this great time for all the volunteers to get together and be encouraged as we begin the year ahead!

Council meeting is on Monday evening at 7:00 in the Council Room.  Council members- please check your emails for info from Barbara Sweeny.

Our Open Door re-opens on Wednesday September 6th.  There will be a meeting of all the volunteers and anyone interested in being apart of this outreach ministry on Wednesday evening, August 30th at 6:30 in Veno Hall.

After a well-deserved break, our choir will be back in full swing in September.  The first rehearsal of the season will also be on Wednesday, September 6th at 7:15 in Veno Hall.  Be sure and read the insert in your bulletin on Sunday!  Questions?  See Steve Rudolph with any questions.

Well, that was a lot of information!  Make note of what pertains to you and thank you for your faithfulness!  Hope to see you on Sunday!

Serving Sunday:

Greeters:  George & Buki

Ushers:  Bev A., Marie P.

Kids:  Marie, Deb, CArolyn

Coffee Set-up:  ?  (Sunday am help needed)

Snacks:  Roger (bagels), feel free to bring something to share!

Clean-up:  Please consider staying to help make clean-up go quickly!

 

That’s all folks! Enjoy your weekend, hope to see you Sunday!

Late August Connection

Good Morning,  Hope you are looking forward to the weekend!  As summer winds down, things are starting to gear up for autumn here at your church.  Please make note of what pertains to you.  There are plenty of ways for you to be involved!

Our back-pack collection is growing!  We have been getting a great response to our publicity!  As we prepare to distribute the filled backpacks, these are the items that are needed:  trial size deodorant, chap stick, hair brushes, sturdy combs, washcloths or hand towels (gently used or new) , trial size Kleenex, small notebooks and bottles of water.  Please keep in mind that all items must be able to fit into a backpack.  Thanks for your help!  Donna Wood is the one to speak to with any questions.

After a well-deserved break, our volunteers will be back for our Open Door ministry September opening.    Be sure and read your bulletin insert on Sunday to see the ways that you can be a part of this great outreach.  Also, next Wednesday, August 23rd is the BIG cleaning day for the kitchen.  This is the time when everything is given a thorough cleaning, items are reorganized and things are readied for the Open Door opening on September 6th.  If you are free around 10:00 on the 23rd, your help is greatly needed!  Speak to Georgia or Marie with any questions.

Sunday evening at 6:00 is the next Meetinghouse Concert.  Have you been to any of them?  Have you left humming a new tune?  These are great evenings!  The Perrys will be the featured group this time.  Tickets are available at the door.  Hope to see you there!

Back to Church Sunday, September 17, is coming fast!  It’s a great time to start thinking about our fall routine, and how we can encourage our families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers to join in the great things going on here at our church.

As we look to the kick off of the fall season, there’s some ministry needs that are crucial to ensure we can continue to offer a great Sunday morning experience for regular members and visitors alike.  Don’t be intimidated if it’s something new- there are plenty of people to help walk you through the learning process!

We need:

2 people to help with our Kids Connection offerings once a month.

1 person to join our monthly nursery rotation

2 people to join a monthly rotation to help with the projection screens.

People who can serve as greeters and ushers.

People who can assist with coffee time- setting up, providing food, and clean up.

Everyone’s help is greatly appreciated.  The church office can help you connect with ministry team leaders to get you plugged in!

Back by popular demand…the WISH Bake Sale!  WISH will be sponsoring an Autumn Bake Sale on Sunday, September 17th during coffee time.  Typically the Bake Sale has happened on Mother’s Day but the response was so great, the WISH group is happy to offer it again!

Sunday worship begins at 10:00.  Let our time of worship together set the tone for the week ahead!  We have an uplifting  service planned with music, message, prayers and praises.  Coffee time follows in Veno Hall.  As mentioned above the Meetinghouse Concert begins at 6:00pm.

The Islam Study meets on Monday evening at 7:00 in the Council Room.

The Administrative Team will meet on Wednesday evening at 7:00 at Janna’s home.

Serving on Sunday:

Greeter:  Barbara Sulfaro

Ushers:  Bob Russell, Mary Buresh

Kids:  Meg, Sharon, Melanie,

Coffee Set-up:  the basics are already done, but please consider checking in Sunday   morning to finish the set up!

Snacks: Please bring a snack to share!

Coffee Clean-up:  Barbara Sweeny

Hope to see you Sunday!  We’l leave you with an image from this week’s outing to see a movie under the stars at Patriot Place!