KIT (Keeping In Touch) A Newsletter of the First Church of Christ, Congregational, United Church of Christ 55 Church Road п‚· Clinton, Connecticut 06413-2050 Phone (860) 669-5735 п‚· Fax (860) 669-9602 п‚· Website: www.firstchurchclinton.org пЃ– Dear Friends in Christ: NOVEMBER 2014 пЃ– My special thanks go to members of the Stewardship Committee for writing, editing, rehearsing, and delivering such superb stewardship messages during our Sunday morning worship services вЂ“ Beth Beals Short, Beth Critchley, Lorry Taylor, and Carol Parise,. By playing the parts of different figures through the 347 years of our ChurchвЂ™s history, they highlighted how our dedicated ancestors and members in different generations supported the ministries and mission of our Church through faithful stewardship. Not to be overlooked, thank you to Sara Pontillo Johnson for her behind-thescenes effort with the stewardship mailings. Great job, ladies! May our own personal stewardship be as faithful! Please complete your pledge card and bring it to worship on Stewardship Sunday, November 9. Thank you! This past year has been very challenging for members and friends in our Church family who have had to deal with health issues, family pressures, grief over the deaths of loved ones, financial concerns, and the stress of just getting through every day. The local, national, and world news has not done much to cheer our spirits, either! So, as we enter the season of the harvest, we may ask what can we be thankful to God for during this time? My answer is that we have a great deal, so much more than we are conscious of. We need to remember that the harvest season in our nation was born at a time of great suffering and want. After our Pilgrim ancestors landed on these shores in 1620 and founded the Plymouth colony, they struggled at great personal cost to make it through their first year. Their hosts, the Wampanoag tribe, welcomed them and taught them how to plant corn and squash, how to fish and catch lobster, and even how to tap maple trees. When Governor William Bradford invited these gracious Native Americans to the first Thanksgiving feast, the Pilgrims thanked God for their blessings, their bounty, and their new friends. Thanksgiving became an official observance in the worst time of our nationвЂ™s history when President Abraham Lincoln made the proclamation in 1863 during the middle of the Civil War. While our national unity was tested to the extreme, thousands were losing their lives and livelihoods, and families experienced losses beyond comprehension, Lincoln called on all citizens to offer God thanksgiving and praise for life and liberty. Our greatest president also asked the citizenry to implore вЂњthe Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes.вЂќ Since then, when our nation has been tested by war, natural disaster, economic depression, and government scandal, Americans have still turned to God and celebrated the Thanksgiving season. Even when our national mood is a bit pessimistic, we have so much to be thankful to God for, to enjoy, and to share. It is good that we do not get so caught up in our own troubles that we take our blessings for granted and forget that many people have it far worse than we do. An estimated one billion people suffer from hunger and malnutrition worldwide. We still enjoy a higher standard of living than most of the worldвЂ™s population. What do we have to thank God for? Let our final answer be, вЂњEverything!вЂќ My thoughts this Thanksgiving focus on how we can count and share our blessings with others. The fourth Thursday of this month is a good time to volunteer to serve meals to people in need or invite someone who may be alone to join your harvest dinner. When you sit down to eat, turn off the football game on television, take the time to go around the table, and ask each person вЂ“ children included вЂ“ to state what she or he is thankful to God for. Reflect how you can help others from the bounty God has given you, and resolve to do it. Come, let us praise the Lord! Let us sing for joy to God, who protects us! Let us come before him with thanksgiving and sing joyful songs of praise. (Psalm 95:1-2) Yours in Christ, Pastor Chris Horvath Set your clocks back before going to bed Saturday November 1st! 8:00 a.m. Saturday, November 15 Leaves will be moved to fenced-in areas for pick up by a vacuum truck. We need leaf blowers, especially leaf blowers on wheels and back pack leaf blowers to minimize hand raking. Sign-up posted. Rain date: November 22. November 23 пЃ¬ 7:30 вЂ“ 9:00 a.m. The Harvest of Talents breakfast will be held on Sunday, November 23, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. The menu will be orange juice, scrambled eggs, sausage, homemade muffins and those award winning home fries. Bring the entire family and invite a guest for fellowship and good food. The price is a donation to cover the cost of the food and make a donation to the Harvest of Talents offering which supports our mission outreach. Cooks and servers are Bruce and Susan Lighty, Holly Hoyt, Dave and Sherrie Smith, and Ann and Hugh Adams. Suggested Food Bank Items for November Hot Cereal пЃ¬ Canned/Bottled Juices Non-Aspirin Products пЃ¬ Tissues Sunday, November 23 пЃ¬ 7:00 p.m. We are the host church! ANNUAL COMMUNITY SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING пЃ¶ Music will be joyfully sung by the combined ecumenical choir. пЃ¶ A freewill offering will be received of monetary and non-perishable food items that will be given to The Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries. пЃ¶ And we appreciate the donations of food items for the reception after the service. Join us to celebrate this Community Service of Thanksgiving and be thankful to worship God together as friends, neighbors, and an ecumenical community of faith! Items are suggested but not limited to, and all are distributed through The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries. The Diaconate Board will once again assemble Thanksgiving Dinner Baskets to brighten the holiday for families in our community. We are asking for specific items to provide Thanksgiving dinner for each family пЂ frozen turkeys, stuffing mixes, boxed potatoes, canned vegetables, and cash or Shop Rite/Stop & Shop grocery gift cards to fill in the gaps. (Fresh vegetables with a "shelf life" are also welcome, i.e., potatoes, winter squash, etc.) Look for the sign-up sheet in fellowship hall and place your donations in the designated baskets by Sunday, November 23. The baskets will be assembled that afternoon and distributed the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Advent Family Workshop Sunday, November 30 5:00-7:00 p.m. Come do something special to begin the season of Advent. WeвЂ™ll order pizza вЂ“ please bring a beverage, dessert, or salad to share. Watch the December bulletins for more information. November 23 November 30 From the Choir LoftвЂ¦ One of the highlights of the year for our Senior and Junior Choirs is the Community Service of Thanksgiving. ItвЂ™s a thrilling experience to sing in a larger group and to be singing with friends from other churches in town. This year the choral music will be enhanced by flute and oboe players. The service will be hosted by our church on Sunday, November 23, at 7:00 p.m. Recently I attended a day of music workshops sponsored by the American Choral Directors Association. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the best musicians in Connecticut. They shared conducting suggestions, choice of musical repertoire, and insight into choral rehearsals. I am grateful for the continuing education offered to me by our church. Thank you. ~ Joyce Baxter December-January вЂњKITвЂќ Deadline: Tuesday, November 18 вЂ“ Noon janeatc@firstchurchclinton.org ON DUTY for November вЂ¦ Lectors November 2 November 9 November 16 November 23 November 30 Pastor Chris Susan Lighty Ann Adams Kathleen Davidson NEEDED Fellowship Hour Hosts November 2 NEEDED November 9 Stewardship Committee November 16 Bob and Sonja Langer H.O.T. Breakfast Crew NEEDED Flowers November 2 November 9 November 16 November 23 November 30 OPEN Walsh MenвЂ™s Bible Study Marcinek Paulson Soup Kitchen Next Soup Kitchen: December 3 Greeting Cards Cindy Paulson Communion Bread Cindy Paulson Sunday Women! TIS' THE SEASON TO BE THANKFUL Come and count your blessings with the Sunday Women on Sunday, November 16. We are continuing our course on Family Relationships and the conversation is lively! This month, using the Serendipity Bible as our study guide the group will discuss Parent Expectations. The readings are from Matthew 20:20-28 and 1 Peter 5:1-11. Time: 8:15. Place: East Kitchen Coffee, tea, and a light breakfast provided. All we need is you! Call Susan Lighty for more infor-mation. LECTIONARY READINGS from the United Church of Christ Calendar November 2 Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost Josh 3:7-17 пЃ¬ Ps 107:1-7, 3-37 OR Mic 3:5-12 пЃ¬ Ps 43 1 Thess 2:9-13 Matthew 23:1-12 Partners in Service Daylight Savings Time Ends November 9 Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost Josh 24:1-3a, 14-25 пЃ¬ Ps 78:1-7 OR Wis of Sol 6:12-16 or Amos Wis of Sol 6:17-20 or Ps 70 5:18-24 1 Thess 4:13-18 Matt 25:14-30 Tending GodвЂ™s Light Stewardship Sunday November 16 Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost Judg 4:1-7 пЃ¬ Ps 123 OR Zeph 1:7, 12-18 пЃ¬ Ps 90:1-8 (9-11), 12 1 Thess 5:1-11 Matt 25:14-30 Extravagant Opportunity November 23 Reign of Christ Ezek 34:11-16, 20-24 пЃ¬ Ps 100 OR Ezek 34:11-16, 20-24 пЃ¬ Ps 95:1-7aпЂ Eph 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 Reigning Compassion Thanksgiving Sunday пЃ¬ Harvest of Talents November 30 First Sunday of Advent (Year B) Isa 64:1-9 пЃ¬ Ps 80:1-7, 17-19пЂ 1 Cor 1:3-9 Mark 13:24-37 Where Are You, God? A sign-up is posted in fellowship hall for individuals, families, friends, in any configuration to light the Advent Candles вЂ“ November 30, December 7, 14, and 21. CHRISTMAS FAIR SAVE THE DATE! SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6 9 a.m. вЂ“ 3 p.m. Chairpersons: Carol Fanning and Sarah Marcinek Watch for sign-ups to be posted in Fellowship Hall. We would love to have you involved this year! You canвЂ¦ пЃ¶ Bake cookies for the Baked Booth вЂ¦ (Sherry Smith, chair) пЃ¶ Donate items for gently used Christmas decorations for our Treasures of Christmas Past вЂ¦ (Ida Pendleton, chair) пЃ¶ Donate items for Tea Cup Auction вЂ¦ (Carol Parise, chair) пЃ¶ Donate items for ChildrenвЂ™s Shopping RoomвЂ¦ (Ethelene DiBona and Kathleen Bergman, co-chairs) пЃ¶ Sell Quilt Raffle ticketsвЂ¦ (see Betty Rice) пЃ¶ Help with set-up and clean-up вЂ¦ Friday evening the 5th and immediately following the fair пЃ¶ Sell some of your own creations in our Craft Consignment Booth (Laurel Iaccarino, chair) пЃ¶ Volunteer for lunch wait staffвЂ¦ we need you at 11:30 a.m. пЃ¶ Display your yard sign if you still have it (change the date) or pick one up at the church for your front lawn пЃ¶ Post a poster in your office or somewhere where lots of people will see it We always welcome new ideas. So, give us a call if youвЂ™ve seen something at another fair we can use! ~Sarah Marcinek and Carol Fanning do not bring tag sale items to the church between now and the end of December. The Treasures of Christmas Past room (aka the Tag Sale Room) is a work in progress from now until the fair and will be packed away during December. Donations for the ChildrenвЂ™s Christmas Shopping Room and Tea Cup Auction may be left in the Rainbow Room downstairs. Thanks! Abraham Pierson Scholarship New Member Class We cordially invite our church friends to attend the New Member Class that Pastor Chris will teach on Sunday, November 16, at 11:30 a.m. The class is an overview of our churchвЂ™s purpose, history, ministry, mission, and programs. Child care will be provided. New members will join during the worship service on Sunday, November 23. In 1996 in recognition of the importance of providing funds for education beyond the high school level, the Diaconate established the Abraham Pierson Scholar-ship in recognition of the work that this minister of our church (1694-1707) began when he became the first teacher and rector of what is now Yale University. This scholarship of up to $1,000 is awarded in December for use in the second semester. Guidelines for the scholarship are: п‚· п‚· п‚· This year's Harvest of Talents offering will be received and celebrated Sunday, November 23. Please use the next few weeks to increase your harvest! ~Kathleen Davidson п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· The applicant must be a member of The First Church of Christ, Congregational, Clinton, Connecticut. The applicant must be a graduating high school senior with plans for furthering his/her education. The applicant must be active in church activities. A detailed list of such activities must accompany the application letter. An application letter is to be sent to the Mission Committee stating (1) What my church means to me and (2) What I mean to my church. The applicant must submit a letter from an adult, non-family member of this church (other than the pastor or a current member of the Mission Committee) which states his/her knowledge of the applicantвЂ™s participation in and dedication to church work. The applicant must submit a letter of acceptance from a post-high school educational institution. The deadline for applications is April 30, 2015 of the year of high school graduation. In Search of SantaвЂ™s Helpers The Campbell Soup labels, Box Tops for Education, and cancelled stamps for missions are coming to an end. Be sure to deposit all your labels and cancelled stamps in the bins in Fellowship Hall by November 30. ItвЂ™s time for SantaвЂ™s Helpers to make Christmas a joyous season for those less fortunate in our community! We will again donate gift cards to Clinton Social Services. You all have been so generous in the past, donating an average of $1,200 in gift cards each year. Please consider taking a gift tag or two from the tree in Fellowship Hall. All cards will need to be turned into the church office by December 11. PLEASE BE SURE TO NOTE ON THE CARD THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IT IS GOOD FOR. Thanks so much for your generosity! ~Missions Committee Beth Critchley as Eliza from the Civil War (Presented to the congregation on Sunday, October 19, 2014) My dearest William, I was so pleased to receive your latest letter. I poured over it again and again. I miss you so much. I can hardly believe that it has been nearly one year since we married! I look forward to the days when we will be together again. It was with great relief that I read your regiment did not fight at Gettysburg. Many great men and boys gave their lives there for the cause. We have also heard about the numerous soldiers who have been injured and are being treated in hospitals far from home. I must admit that I was a bit nervous about moving to Clinton to live with your family while you were off to war. It made such good sense, to be able to save money and help your family with chores. I was worried about feeling welcome in a new town, but, my sweet William, your family has been so caring and kind to me. However, the greatest joy I have found comes from the friends I have made at the Congregational Church. When I attended my first service with your family, I was greeted by many kind church members and made to feel welcome. I am extremely grateful for the kindness that has been extended to me. Sewing with the ladies of the church has been a great source of comfort for me. The Ladies Society is tremendously busy, working on many worthy projects. Recently the ladies held a collection for old clothing. We are going to cut the clothing apart so that we may salvage the usable fabric and make quilts for the soldiers in the hospital. William, numerous good deeds are being done here, I feel I must help in whatever way I can. I know that if we are ever to build our own home, we must save what little salary you are able to send to me, but I feel it is important to contribute what I can each week to the offering plate. This particular Bible verse speaks to my feelings about giving to the church. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8King James Version (KJV) 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work At first I thought I would feel alone, but I have found a true home here and I owe it all to the blessings I have found at my new Church. I know you will be strong and stay safe until we meet again. Your ever loving wife, Eliza Lorry Taylor as a Housewife from 1932 (Presented to the congregation on Sunday, October 26, 2014) Good morning. My name is Lillian Bradford. I am a married housewife with two young daughters. No one could have predicted how drastically our lives would change. When the banks failed, we took what little money we had. We needed that money because wages and work hours were cut. My husband is a plumber by trade and like others in our area, each day he walks to town hoping to pick up some work. We lost our home and are now living in a furnished garage. We have learned to cut back, double up, and make do with what we have. But we live in a constant state of fear and diminished expectation. We know there are so many that have it worse than us. And I donвЂ™t know what we would do without our church. The church has become the focal point of our lives. It is a place to meet for a warm meal and fellowship. Those that have extra are always willing to share. It is a place to gather for updated information about possible work or available housing. My children attend Sunday school and are taught religious education. Rev Rutherford is available to visit our homes for counseling or bereavement. His sermons give us hope and are highly valuable to our well-being. Our time of prayer in church allows us to pray for guidance and to be thankful for what we have. Even the singing of hymns gives us release. I have learned that Good can come from bad and Meaning can come from tragedy. My sister in Indiana sent me this poem that her preacher shared with their congregation. This morning I would like to share part of it with you: I donвЂ™t have a lot of riches, and sometimes the goingвЂ™s tough. But IвЂ™ve got loved ones around me, and that makes me rich enough. I thank God for his blessings, and the mercies heвЂ™s bestowed. IвЂ™m drinking from my saucer, вЂ�Cause my cup has overflowed. If God gives me strength and courage when the way grows steep and rough, IвЂ™ll not ask for other blessings, IвЂ™m already blessed enough. And may I never be too busy to help others bear their loads. Then IвЂ™ll keep drinking from my saucer, вЂ�Cause my cup has overflowed. I remember times when things went wrong, my faith wore somewhat thin. But all at once the dark clouds broke, and the sun peeped through again. So God, help me not to gripe about the tough rows that I have hoed. IвЂ™m drinking from my saucer, вЂ�Cause my cup has overflowed. Mission Trip Supporters Dinner Mission SupporterвЂ™s Dinner Fellowship Hall Sunday, November 2, 4:30 p.m. We are grateful for our church familyвЂ™s support and encouragement of our 2014 Mission Trip to Maryland. We are proud to show you how that support allowed us to reach out to those in need and make their lives better. Please RSVP to Dave Rainey and join us on November 2nd. 2014 SUNDAY OCT 26 8:00 MBS 10:00 Worship 10:00 Chrch Schl 11:15 Fellowship 11:30 Info Mtg 11:30 Jr Choir 2 MONDAY OCT 27 7:30 Al-Anon 6:00 Pack 7 [FH] 7:00 Sr Choir REMEMBER TO VOTE! 9:30 Morning Circle 6:00 Pack 7 [FH] 10 12 6:00 Pack 7 9:30 Morning Circle 7:00 Pack 7 Parent/PC [Library] 9-2:00 Sweater Mania/Bake Sale [FH] 8 10:00 Al-Anon 13 7:00 Troop 7 [FH] 14 15 10:00 Al-Anon 8:00 Fall Grounds Clean-up 7:00 Sr Choir 20 21 22 7:00 Troop 7 [FH] 10:00 Al-Anon 6:00 Pack 7 7:00 Church Board 7:00 Sr Choir 8:00 Fall Grounds Clean-up raindate 25 26 27 28 29 18 7:30 Al-Anon 12 Nn DEC-JAN KIT DEADLINE 7:30 Al-Anon 7:00 Troop 7 [FH] Sweater Mania Set-up 7 SATURDAY 1 7:00 Troop 7 Cmte [Chapel] 19 9:30 Morning Circle [Luncheon] 17 24 6 FRIDAY OCT 31 10:00 Al-Anon 7:00 Sr Choir 11 7:30 Al-Anon Kitchen in Use All Day 9:30 Morning Circle CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED 6:00 Pack 7 10:00 Al-Anon DEC 1 HOLY COMMUNION 5:00 Advent Family Workshop/Pizza 7:00 Troop 7 [FH] 7:30 Al-Anon 1ST SUNDAY ADVENT 10:00 Worship 11:15 Fellowship 11:30 Jr Choir 9:30 Morning Circle 5 NEW MEMBERS 7:00 H.O.T. Bkfst 8:00 MBS 10:00 Worship 10:00 Chrch Schl 11:15 Fellowship 11:30 Jr Choir 7:00 Community Thanksgiving Service HERE! 30 THURSDAY OCT 30 4 SUNDAY 8:00 MBS 8:45 Mission 10:00 Worship 10:00 Chrch Schl 11:15 Fellowship 11:30 B&G/C.E./ Diaconate/ Visitation 16 8:15 Sun Wmn 10:00 Worship 10:00 Chrch Schl 11:15 Fellowship 11:30 Jr Choir 11:30 C.E. Cmte 11:30 New Member Class 23 RECEPTION OF WEDNESDAY OCT 29 3 HOLY COMMUNION 10:00 Worship 10:00 Chrch Schl 11:15 Fellowship 11:30 Jr Choir 11:30 Web Design/ Nominating Cmtes 4:30 Mission Dinner 9 STEWARDSHIP TUESDAY OCT 28 7:30 Al-Anon DEC 2 DEC 3 DEC 4 DEC 5 DEC 6 6:00 Pack 7 [FH] 9:30 Morning Circle 7:00 Troop 7 [FH] 10:00 Al-Anon 5:00 Soup Kitchen at UMC 9-3:00 CHRISTMAS FAIR 7:00 Sr Choir FH in use Christmas Fair Set-up Church Staff The Reverend Dr. Christopher C. Horvath, Pastor The Rev. Barbara Frey, Minister of Faith Formation Joyce Baxter, Director of Music Jane (Jane-a-t-c) Woodmansee, Church Secretary Norbu Wangdu, Sexton WORSHIP AT FIRST CHURCH 8:00 a.m. Worship resumes June 15 вЂ“ August 31, 2014 10:00 a.m. Worship Service every Sunday childcare available during 10:00 worship for infants to age two during Church School year We are Sacrament of Holy Communion Celebrated the first Sunday of each month 10:00 a.m. Church School Accessible September 14, 2014 вЂ“ June 14, 2015 3-year-olds through Grade 9 11:15 a.m. Fellowship and Refreshment Hour The church and fellowship hall are handicapped accessible. The First Church of Christ Congregational United Church of Christ 55 Church Road Clinton, Connecticut 06413-2050 2014 NOVEMBER CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Church Office: Phone: (860) 669-5735 Fax: (860) 669-9602 Office Hours: MondayвЂ“Friday: 9 a.m.вЂ“4 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m.вЂ“12:00 noon For security reasons, the parish house is locked during lunch hour вЂ“ usually 1:00 вЂ“ 2:00 p.m. Office errands are usually done before or after lunchtime. If you need access to the building or Jane-a-t-c at midday, please call ahead. www.firstchurchclinton.org pastorchris@firstchurchclinton.org ministeroffaithformation @gmail.com janeatc@firstchurchclinton.org Newsletter: janeatc@firstchurchclinton.org