From the Minister
"All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through
the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they
shall call him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." ~ Matthew
1:22-23
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving we worshipped in the manner of the Pilgrims.
The sanctuary was stripped of all its ornamentation, we sang psalms from the
Ainsworth Psalter a cappella, and heard our Scripture in the arcane language
of the 1560 Geneva Bible. The next week when I came into the sanctuary it was
decorated for Advent, with royal purple cloths on the altar, pulpit, and lectern;
Christmas wreaths and garlands decked our worship space; and Christmas trees
held Angels that invited us to bring gifts for the less fortunate. I was glad
that we worship the way we do!
Now back in the days of the Pilgrims and Puritans they frowned upon Christmas
celebrations, saying there was no date given in Scripture for the birth of Christ.
(The first record we have of Christmas being celebrated on December 25 was from
the third century.) Some folks did bring the custom with them and celebrated
much to the dismay of the religious and political leaders. In 1659, a law banned
any celebration of Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and it stayed
on the books for twenty two years. It wasn't until the mid 1800's that the celebration
of Christmas became widely practiced and accepted in Massachusetts.
I, for one, am thankful that we celebrate Christmas and the seasons of the church.
For me, the liturgical calendar helps me to live my faith and grow deeper in
faith year after year. The new year, marked by the beginning of Advent, begins
our study of the Gospel of Mark. The season of Advent calls us into a time of
preparation, not just decking the halls, buying the gifts, and bringing home
the goose, but a time to prepare our hearts to let Christ in deeper. The miracle
of Jesus' birth is that God loves us so much that God choose to live with us,
experience our joys and our sorrows, and teach us a better way to live. (During
holy week we remember the miracle of Jesus' death, that by breaking the bonds
of death through resurrection we are all offered eternal life.)
Emmanuel, God with us. May this be our experience as we prepare our hearts,
our minds, and our hearths for the coming of Jesus. Prepare to let the innocence
of perfect love into our lives. Prepare for the time when Christ will come again
and make all things right. In this place between the past and the future, let
us live with Christ in our hearts, and share the love of Christ with the weary
world.
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
May you be blessed with the hope, love, joy and peace of Christ,
At
Home Bible Study
The Gospel of Mark
As we enter into the year of Mark in our lectionary cycle, let's take a few
minutes to place Mark's Gospel. The Gospel of Mark is a narrative that tells
of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of Man. It is generally
agreed that Mark is the earliest Gospel written. The recent tradition that is
most widely accepted by scholars is that Mark was written by an unknown Mark
from oral traditions either during the conflict of 70 CE when the temple is
destroyed, or shortly after. Mark was written to address the needs of growing
Christian communities, rather than a historical narrative of Jesus' life. Mark
is written for a wide readership to encourage persecuted Christians to maintain
their faith, and to persuade those who were considering becoming Christians.
The accounts in Mark are brief in comparison with the other Synoptic Gospels
and seem to focus on the conflicts between Jesus and the Jewish and Roman authorities,
as well as conflict between Jesus and the apostles -his disciples who just don't
seem to get the message. Mark's narrative has a coherent plot and consistent
themes, which creates a unified Gospel that offers a powerful invitation to
accept the good news of Jesus. The narrative contains literary techniques of
storytelling, recurring designs, overlapping patterns, and interwoven motifs
that interconnect through the narrative.
The Messianic Secret in Mark where the reader, and possibly the demons, are
the only ones who fully understand that Jesus is the Son of Man, builds the
story to a climax as the reader waits to see if the disciples finally get the
whole picture. This tension, perhaps comparable to the tension felt in the early
Christian community as they struggled to come to faith, as well as modern Christian
communities, is the basis upon which Mark builds his story about the Son of
Man.
A Scripture to ponder and study:
35In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a
deserted place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and his companions hunted for
him. 37When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for
you." 38He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that
I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do."
39And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues
and casting out demons. Mark 1:35-39
Read, pray, and ponder.
Early in Jesus' ministry he is portrayed as going out in solitude to pray. The
he is sent to proclaim and to heal.
Let us ask ourselves:
Where do we find solitude?
Do we hear God clearer when we have taken ourselves away from noise and busyness?
Does our individual prayer strengthen us as we are sent out?
Where in our discipleship do we proclaim the good news of Jesus?
Where in our discipleship do we find gifts for healing?
Sacred Writings from Around the World
To truly embrace our neighbors, and love them as ourselves, we need to know
our neighbors. This liturgical year we will take some time to hear our neighbor's
sacred writings. At our Children's Moment this past Sunday the children asked
about Hanukkah, and I thought that would be a good place to start.
1 Maccabees 4:36-59 (this is from our Apocryphal writings- later additions
to our Hebrew Scriptures. The historian Josephus gives more creed to the custom
of Hanukkah.)
36 Then Judas and his brothers said, 'See, our enemies are crushed; let us
go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.' 37So all the army assembled
and went up to Mount Zion. 38There they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar
profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in
a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the
priests in ruins. 39Then they tore their clothes and mourned with great lamentation;
they sprinkled themselves with ashes 40and fell face down on the ground. And
when the signal was given with the trumpets, they cried out to Heaven.
41 Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had
cleansed the sanctuary. 42He chose blameless priests devoted to the law, 43and
they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place.
44They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt-offering, which had been
profaned. 45And they thought it best to tear it down, so that it would not be
a lasting shame to them that the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down
the altar, 46and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill
until a propheshould come to tell what to do with them. 47Then they took unhewn*
stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one. 48They
also rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple, and consecrated the
courts. 49They made new holy vessels, and brought the lampstand, the altar of
incense, and the table into the temple. 50Then they offered incense on the altar
and lit the lamps on the lampstand, and these gave light in the temple. 51They
placed the bread on the table and hung up the curtains. Thus they finished all
the work they had undertaken.
The rededication of the Jerusalem Temple was very important to our forefathers
and mothers. Every year between the end of November and the end of December,
Jewish people around the world celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah, the Festival
of Lights.
This celebration remembers that Judah and his four brothers formed an army
and chose as their name the word "Maccabee", which means hammer. After
three years of fighting, the Maccabees were finally successful in driving the
Syrians out of Israel and reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem. The Maccabees wanted
to clean the building and to remove the hated Greek symbols and statues. On
the 25th day of the month of Kislev, the job was finished and the temple was
rededicated.
When Judah and his followers finished cleaning the temple, they wanted to light
the eternal light, known as the N'er Tamid, which is present in every Jewish
house of worship. Once lit, the oil lamp should never be extinguished.
Only a tiny jug of oil was found with only enough for a single day. The oil
lamp was filled and lit. Then a miracle occurred as the tiny amount of oil stayed
lit not for one day, but for eight days.
Jews celebrate Hanukkah to mark the victory over the Syrians and the rededication
of the Jerusalem Temple. The Festival of the Lights, Hanukkah, lasts for eight
days to commemorate the miracle of the oil. The word Hanukkah means "re-dedication".
Continuing
& Special Events with Katherine & Office Schedule:
Wednesday Morning Worship with Communion
Come and be uplifted as we gather in the Chapel to worship God, hear Scripture,
and celebrate Communion. The service will run from 7:30 to 8:00 am, followed
by a light breakfast (or at least a cup of coffee to go!) More
Info.
Spirituality Groups
9 am Wednesday mornings - Mom's Spirituality Group
7 pm Wednesday evenings - Spirituality Group (unless previously announced)
Bible Study
6-7 PM on Tuesday evenings
10:30 AM on Thursdays. (Please check the Calendar to see if it's being
held at Life Care, 80 Boston Rd., or at the church.)
Play Groups
9 am Wednesday mornings
Church Office Hours
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 1 PM.
Ministry
Survey
The
Congregational Relations Committee has prepared the following survey which
it asks that all members complete and return so that we can evaluate the church's
ministry. Your responses will help us improve and adjust current programs,
activities, and procedures.
To
print out a separate page for your use, click
here. Please
complete by Sunday, December 11th,2011, and leave it in the box on the table
in front of the name tag board in the downstairs hallway.
Email: jeanbutton@comcast.net.
----------------------------------------
What is ministry?
The First Congregational Church's ministry encompasses a wide range of people
and programs.
In what direction do you see our ministry heading?
How do you see our church's ministry as a whole?
What ministries are you involved in? How can you be supported in your share
of the ministry of this church?
How are you being spiritually nourished?
Do you have suggestions to improve the ministry of First Congregational
Church?
Are you willing to serve in a greater capacity? Where is your heart calling
you?
Your name_______________________________________________________
Please email completed surveys to: jeanbutton@comcast.net or place hard
copies in the box on the table in front of the name tag board in the downstairs
hallway. Please complete survey by Sunday December 11, 2011.
|
|
|
The First Congregational
Church Christmas Programs
|
Please join as we prepare our hearts and minds for the presence of
Jesus in our lives!
Alternative Christmas Market
Sunday, December 4 at 11:00 am
Dale Hall
Give a gift that truly has the Christmas spirit!
Sounds of Concord
Saturday, December 10 2:30 pm
Barbershop Quartets and more, Sponsored by Family Life
Discounted tickets $13 ($20 at the door)
Trinitarian Congregational Church in Concord
54 Walden St, Concord
Come for the fellowship, come for the music!
Multi-Congregation Christmas Choir
Saturday, December 10 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm
Carols, choirs, community, and cookies!
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Chapel
70 Concord Road, Billerica
Enter into the Christmas spirit as our choir joins other community
choirs!
Christmas Caroling
Sunday, December 18 at 11:30 am
Gather in Dale Hall. Sponsored by Family Life and Pilgrim Fellowship
Share the joy of Christmas with folks in local nursing and retirement
homes!
Blue Christmas
Sunday, December 18 at 3:00 pm
The Chapel
Blue Christmas is our service that acknowledges that Christmas often
is a painful season
for those who have suffered loss. This special service of remembrance
focuses on
how Christ is a light in the darkness and brings hope and peace.
Christmas Worship Services
Family Christmas Eve Service
Saturday, December 24 at 7:00 pm
This, the earlier of our two Christmas Eve service,s is designed
for families with children,
bringing the Christmas story alive for young and old through carols
and story.
Candlelight Christmas Eve Service
Saturday, December 24 at 8:30 PM
The later of our two Christmas Eve services celebrates the coming
of Christ with special music.
Christmas Morning Worship
Sunday, December 25 at 10:00 am. Rejoice in the birth of Jesus as
we gather to worship
the good news of Christ in our lives.
|
FCCB BY THE NUMBERS
Offerings:
| Date |
General FD |
Outreach FD |
Deacons FD |
| Oct 23 |
$2673 |
$207 |
$611 |
| Oct 30 |
$776 |
$65 |
$320 |
| Nov 6 |
$3913 |
$287 |
$330 |
| Nov 13 |
$2421 |
$93 |
$135 |
Our average weekly General Fund expenses are $4370. Thank you for your continued
prayers of support and financial stewardship to support the work of the Church.
Stewardship
Committee
A request from the Stewardship Committee…
If you haven't turned in faith promise yet, please do so. If you have misplaced
the form you received in the mail, please call the Church office to have another
one sent to you or pick one up when you are at Church.
As of Sunday, November 27, we had received 68 faith promises. And so far,
the trends appear positive. Of the 68 received so far, 31 are increased from
last year, 29 are unchanged, and only 2 are decreased from last year. And
we received 6 from people who had not made promises in the past. In these
tough economic times, these are encouraging numbers.
But, we have received fewer faith promises than last year at this time, and
last year we received 20 faith promises in the months of December, January,
and February. So I expect that there are between 30 and 40 of you who are
reading this who made a faith promise last year, but have yet to do so this
year.
Contributions from those who have made faith promises are the largest source
of funds for the work of this congregation. It is very helpful to know what
to expect in such contributions as we plan for the upcoming church year. We
understand if your circumstances have changed and you are unable to contribute
to the extent you have in the past. If you don't know what you will be able
to give, an "open" promise that doesn't specify an amount is helpful,
as it indicates your support. And what you promise is kept in confidence by
the financial secretary and assistant financial secretary.
Thank you to all who have made faith promises for 2012. And if you haven't
yet, one will be appreciated.
Notes from the Diaconate
The Deacons are grateful for the generosity of the congregation
in purchasing poinsettias for those in our congregation who welcome a gift
of love. We also appreciate the help in decorating the sanctuary for Advent
and Christmas.
The Deacons are concerned that this is a hard financial time for many folks
in our congregation. We are very grateful to the ladies of Aim Hi for their
generous donation of fuel assistance for members in need. We are also grateful
to the Outreach Committee who had set up a food pantry within our church.
If you are feeling financial pressures please speak with Rev Katherine or
a deacon to see how we can assist. If you are in a position to help support
the Deacons fund your help will be gratefully received.
May the blessings of Christmas be with you and yours this year!
CHRISTMAS POINSETTIA ORDER FORM
Poinsettias (7”) can be ordered for yourself or for shut-ins
(Orders taken from Nov.
21 – Dec. 5.) Flowers may be picked
up at the church on Saturday, December 11.
Number of poinsettias for shut-ins ___________ $12.00
each (red only)
Number of poinsettias for yourself ___________ $12.00
each
= _______
Total cost of all plants ordered
Red_____ White _____ Pink ______ Marble______
Your name_____________________________________
Address _______________________________________
Phone number _________________________
For additional info call Ruth Boutilier
at 978-667-9654
or Donna Ricarte at 978-663-4043
|
Welcoming
and Name Tags
Our motto is "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." In an effort
to be more welcoming, your Deacons are asking everyone to wear name tags.
Although you may have been around for a long time and feel that if we don't
know you by now, then shame on us, but a newcomer meets many new people and
will be much more comfortable if we make it easy for them to remember us.
It also gives us the chance to see their name in writing so that we may welcome
them by name which will reinforce our memory.
We would like to ask those entering to please wear their name tags, and to
encourage those who have no name tag to make one for the day and put in a
request for a more permanent, designed as you like, name tag. Andrew Jennings
will provide the permanent one.
The Name Tag Board has been moved to the downstairs hallway for easy access
for the majorities who enter through the back or side door. For those who
prefer to pick up and leave their name tags at the front door, a tray will
be provided until we see how much room will be needed to hold them. Thank
you for helping us to live up to our motto.
Nominating
Committee
Do you have some time or talent to share?
It's that season again - when the Nominating Committee pulls together a slate
of officers to elect at the January congregational meeting.
I would like to thank all of those who have served on committees this year
or served the church in other capacities. Without your efforts, the work of
this congregation could not be done.
In addition to filling the committees, we are looking for some volunteers
who would be able to help with communications with the community, who can
help with graphics to support our publications and our services, and people
who can help with the sound system both on Sunday mornings and when there
are special services. If you have the time to learn, there are those in the
church community who help you learn how to do some of these tasks.
Again, thanks for all of your help in the past, and we are looking forward
to your help in the future.
- Andrew Jennings for the Nominating Committee
The
Outreach Committee Report
Sunshine Gal's Kitchen
A group of women in Billerica is now providing a home cooked meal for anyone
in Billerica on the 4th Saturday of the month from 12 - 1:30PM. This meal
is offered free of charge and is at the First Parish Unitarian Church in Billerica
center. If you're available, why not give it a try?
Christmas Fund Offering Collection Dec. 11
The Christmas Fund offering is one of the annual conference appeals that this
congregation has chosen to support. It supplements the pensions/health premiums,
and provides emergency grants to low income retires clergy and widows; many
of them are living on the "edge." Today we do a "reasonable"
job of providing for our clergy but the pensions of elderly retirees are based
on an era when pastors were often partially paid with produce and chickens
from parishioners' farms. We are aware you can not support every appeal; you
need to be selective. We hope some of you will choose to select badly underpaid
retired clergy as one of the causes you decide to support by making a contribution
on or before December 11th.
Thank you.
Donations This Month
We contributed $101 to the Outdoor Church of Cambridge to assist their
work with homeless men and women. Gifts over $100 in November resulted in
a "match" of $100.
We contributed $250 to the Sunshine Gals Kitchen to help this new
organization get on a sound footing as it seeks to provide home cooked meals
to hungry Billerica residents.
We contributed $200 to the Grameen Foundation that provides small
"seed loans" to assist people in starting simple, self-sustaining,
micro-enterprises in this country and throughout the world.
Food Pantry
A: the collection
Because the Sunday school and the Pilgrim Fellowship, and the fact Thanksgiving
is upon us, and the fact that people bring their donations "whenever,"
I lost count this month. We collected more than 200 items before I lost count.
We have done so well that "we" not only sent out several beautiful
baskets, sent boxes of items to the Town Pantry, but also stocked our own
pantry very nicely.
B: the distribution
Now … we recognize an obligation to the congregation to administer our church
pantry responsibly. We would like to have it open at all times so that anyone
could drop by and take whatever they need. While that would work most of the
time, it unfortunately doesn't work universally. Now the Town's Pantry is
only open one day/month; but our mission is different. We are to welcome the
stranger and to feed the hungry. So, here is what we are doing. The church
pantry is going under lock & key. We now have guidelines suggesting quantities
of food based on size of family. We, of course, take care of our own first
but we will care for others in town as they are referred to us by other clergy
or town officials. Three of us have keys to the pantry and will make ourselves
available to residents in need.
As always, we welcome your comments and guidance.
Did You Know -
a. Americans waste 40% of all their
food. Maybe we should take smaller portions and then clean our plates???
b. The bottom 80% of Americans own 7% of the Nations wealth while the top
5% own 70%.
c. U.S. bank profits in the 1st 6 months of 2011 were just over 58 billion
dollars … and now they need to increase fees???
- Bob Miner on behalf of your Outreach Committee
Religious
Education
The Sunday school children donated nonperishable food items
for Ingathering and assembled Thanksgiving baskets with gift certificates
for turkeys with the assistance of Pilgrim Fellowship. These baskets were
donated to several of our church families. Extra items were handled by Outreach
to replenish the food pantry and to share with those in need. Thank you
to the congregational members who supported the Sunday school program during
Ingathering.
We would like to thank Pat Rogers who designed and created a new theme for
the Sunday School bulletin board, "What are you thankful for?".
The students have written their thanks on colored-paper "Feathers".
The feathers are pinned up around a turkey at the center of the bulletin
board. The bird is displaying quite a fan of feathers but there's always
room for more. Join us in showing our thanks!
On Communion Sunday, 6 November, we coordinated communion for the children
in the chapel at the same time as communion in the sanctuary. There were
about 50 teachers, and children and 2 Deacons. We spoke to the children
about the most basic reasons for coming together in Communion; e.g. what
Jesus gave for us, the community at communion as one body of the congregation.
Thank you to George Bowman who accompanied as we led the children through
"Let Us Break Bread Together", twice! The children were attentive,
quiet and as close to in awe as we could get them. We will plan on doing
this again. Yea and amen!
The celebration of Jesus' birth is approaching fast. This year, the Christmas
Pageant will focus on Epiphany, a Christian feast day that celebrates the
revelation of God and a commemoration of the visitation of the Magi to the
Baby Jesus. The pageant will take place during the period of Epiphany, on
January 8th, and rehearsal will be on January 7th. The children will be
working on pieces to the pageant in class throughout the month of December.
We are hoping this will help alleviate some of the stress that parents and
teachers experience over the holidays. Notices regarding the pageant will
be distributed to the children in class.
In observation of Christmas and New Years, there will be no Sunday school
on December 25th and January 1st. Family oriented services will be implemented.
Children are encouraged to attend church with their families on both Sundays.
Sunday school will recommence on January 8th.
- Dawn Salter and Bob Slack
Pilgrim Fellowship
The PF Pie Fundraiser was a big hit. We had lots of fun making
45 apple pies. Thank you everyone for your support!
Our Angel tree this year will bless children in need in our community. We
will give to families in Billerica, as well as the Home for Little Wanderers
in Boston. We will also give to children of the prisoners at the Middlesex
House of Correction. It is a sad time of year for children to be separated
from their fathers. We feel blessed to be able to assist the fathers in
giving their kids a gift to show their love. Please help spread our love
by buying simple gifts for these children.
The angel tree will have three colors on it. Pink if you are looking for
a girl to buy for, light green if you are looking for a boy to buy for;
and if you just want to give a "basic needs" gift for someone
in need, a purple angel heart. The angels will be out on Nov. 27th and the
unwrapped gifts are due on Dec 11th. Thank you so much! This is a wonderful
time of year for so many, but for others it is a difficult time of year.
Let's make it memorable for them too!
Pilgrim
Fellowship DATES: Fall 2011
|
Date
|
Event
|
| Sun
DEC 4 |
Meeting
7-8:30 PM |
| Sun
DEC 11 |
No
PF |
| Fri, DEC 16 |
wrapping Angel Tree gifts 7:00 PM |
| Sun
DEC 18 |
Christmas
caroling |
| Sun DEC 25 |
Christmas - No PF |
| Thurs
DEC 29 |
Lock
in/Christmas party ($15 gift card Yankee Swap) |
|
PF
Advisors - Cindy and Craig Giardina
|
Aim
Hi
Meetings:
Third Thursdays in except January, 12:30 PM
Next Meeting: December 15, 2011 pot luck diner and Christmas
Yankee Swap
The ladies of Aim-Hi met on November 17, and
made fruit baskets for the shut-ins. We had lots of fruit for these baskets
and much fun and conversation. Later we delivered the baskets to our shut-ins.
Our next meeting is December 15, which will be a pot luck dinner and our
Christmas Yankee Swap.
All are welcome!
Aim-Hi was established in 1939 and our motto is "Thank you I'd be glad
to". We strive to be helpful and friendly to all and especially to
the church.
If you have any questions, please call Gerry Healey at 978-658-8871.
Just remember to support our servicemen. Addresses are listed
below to use, as a short note or card to them is always appreciated.
The current addresses
of the service personnel overseas are:
Ryan Allen
25 FS
PSC 3 Box 4308
APO AP 96266 - 0043
Blinn, Mark P.F.C.
Loc # 1718MCCES
Box 786253
29 Palms, CA 92278-8253
Cpl Shane Q. Gallagher, USMC
3rd Reconnaissance BLT
Alpha Co
Unit 36180
FPO AP 96602
|
Information about men or women in the service can be given
to June Orne at 603-883-6721 (june62123@aol.com,
or Gerry Healey at 978-658-8871 (GerAngell@aol.com).
Notes from the Music Committee
Billerica Christmas Choir Program
Saturday, December 10
7:00 -8:30 PM
Mormon Chapel
70 Concord Road
Billerica, MA
Carols, Choirs, Community and cookies!
FCCB adult choir is participating in this event. Please come
and be blessed.
Look forward to a youth string ensemble in the December 18th
service, singers of all ages supporting the early Christmas Eve service,
and full adult choir special music at the later service.
NEXT
MEETING
WEDNESDAY
December 14, 2011
12:30 P.M.
"Tis the Season", Yes that wonderful time of year
when we gather together to celebrate the birth of the Babe. We hope that you
find joy and peace.
The mission of Lay Shepherding is to connect our homebound
members with the rest of our
members. We try to bring God's concern and love to our homebound members.
We are
always open to how we can better serve you.
Holidays and winter days are ahead and homebound members may call any of our
shepherds to visit by phone or have someone make a visit.
If you would like to serve as a shepherd do not hesitate to
contact any of our shepherds:
Barbara George, 978
6677335 or
Audrey Schwartz 978 663-3239
Betty & Dennis Blanchette, Ruth Boutilier, Pat Hefler, Andrew Jennings,
Wanda Lorden, Glenda Lovegrove, Barbara Slack, Alberta Hamilton
United Church
of Christ News
UCC Connections
'Tis the season of giving.
If you are moved by the need to minister to people outside our town who
do not have a church, OCWM, which is Our Churches Wider Mission, has included
the Hispanic ministries and A Different Christian Voice (ADCV) as particular
places for direct donations.
The UCC Hispanic ministries, which include the one in Lowell, now need
specific donations.
They are no longer supported as part of the general Conference budget.
ADCV is a new UCC church start, aimed at 20 to 30 somethings in the Middleton
area whose spiritual needs have not been met by traditional churches.
This ministry must raise its own funding. Donating is easiest thorough
the UCC website, but could be channeled through our church.
From Your Go-Green Task
Force
# 6 of the 10 Easiest Ways to Cut Your Energy Use in Half
Save 1-3%
GIVE YOUR WATER HEATER A BLANKET
Adding an insulating cover to your water heater can reduce heat loss
by 24045 percent. Also, turn your water heater down by ten degrees,
if possible. If half of US households did so, it would prevent 239 tons
of greenhouse gas emissions.
ADVANCED: Save 14%
Upgrade to a tankless or solar water heater, and save 14% off your
energy bill. And while you're in your garage, consider buying a super-efficient
car or, better yet, a bike. (Taken from Green America)
Linda Miner on behalf of your "Go Green Task Force"
RECYCLING GUIDELINES
|
Material
|
What
to Recycle
|
How
to Prepare
|
Do
Not Include
|
| Paper |
Newspaper
& Inserts
Magazines
Junk Mail
Catalogs
Office paper
Glossy paper, etc.
|
Place
in paper bag or place in recycle bin. |
DON'T
use plastic bags to hold any recycling
NO soiled paper |
| Cardboard |
Corrugated |
Flatten
& cut no larger than 30"x30" & no thicker than
8"
Tie or tape
Remove all packing & liners. |
NO
pizza boxes
NO soiled material
NO milk or juice cartons |
|
Paper
& Cardboard go together
|
| Plastic |
Containers
1-7
Food & beverage containers
Detergent bottles
|
Rinse
clean & remove lids
Labels OK |
NO
plastic bags or shrink wrap
NO Styrofoam |
| Glass |
Jars
& bottles (all colors) |
Rinse
clean & remove lids
Labels OK
|
NO
broken glass
NO Pyrex/ceramics
NO window glass |
| Metal |
Aluminum,
steel & tin cans |
Rinse
clean
Labels OK |
NO
other metal items
NO aerosol or paint cans
NO aluminum foil or pans |
|
Plastic
- Glass - Metal go together
|
Flowers: December, 2011
December 4 - in memory of Bapa, Wayne Thompson's father, Lester,
given by Wayne, Diane, Amanda and Eddie.
December 11 - by Barbara Brown in memory of her sister, Alice
McCabe.
On the piano: given by Donna Ricarte in memory of her
mother and father.
On the lectern: in memory of Thomas R. Elliot given by
his family.
December 18 - in loving memory of all our grandparents by Steven,
Stephanie, Derek and Katherine Norman and Wayne, Diane, Amanda and Eddie
Thompson.
On the piano: given by Donna Ricarte in memory of her
mother and father.
On the table: in memory of Thomas R. Elliot given by his
family.
December 24 - The flowers on the piano are in given in loving
memory of her grandmother, Lillian Lewis, by Diana Saunders.
December 24/25 - - are provided by a memorial fund of the late
Dorothy Richardson and are placed in memory of her grandparents, Mr.
and Mrs. John H. Baker.
If you would like to donate flowers any Sunday, contact
Barbara Reinecker at 978-667-5336 .
PASSAGES: Births, Baptisms, New
Members, Weddings and Memorial Services
Funeral
November 4, 2011
Beverly
A. Simmons
HELP WANTED
|
Help!
We
are looking for a few good men and women who might like to help
with one-time or occasional tasks. We know that some people are
unable to commit to a committee, but that they understand the need
for many hands. See if you have some time to offer for one or another
of the tasks below.
- Telephone
duty on Sunday mornings from 9:00-10:00 am to answer any questions
or take messages. Please sign up on Bulletin Board across from
Pastor's office.
- Nursery
room aides during church service.
If you love little ones, the sign-up list is near the nursery.
- Volunteers
to assist with the Sunday school program for next fall.
We are looking for teachers (weekly or every other week),
substitute teachers, classroom helpers, hall
monitors and nursery coverage. Anyone who would be
interested, please contact Sunday School Superintendent Bob Slack,
or the RE Committee..
- Organizational
tasks involving books,cabinets, shelves, bulletin boards, etc.
There is no time limit. This could be done on your own schedule.
See Rev. Katherine for suggestions.
- Providing
coffee/tea/cold drinks for Sunday morning coffee hour. (See
Bob Miner if you'd like to help..)
- Providing
a snack for Sunday morning coffee hour. Sign up on the list
beside the kitchen door for a specific week. Suggestions /directions
are posted.
- Posting
newspaper notices of upcoming events and sometimes articles
in the Religious section of the Lowell Sun and Billerica Minuteman.
This is a job that can be done from home via the Internet. Speak
to Rev. Katherine.
- Membership
Database help. A lot of work is needed to maintain our database
and keep the data current. If you have simple computer skills
and some time to help out, speak to Lynne Hildreth.
Please help.
Alas, there is no monetary reward, but you will have our heartfelt
appreciation and, of course, many stars in your crown.
|
Thank
You's and Notes
FROM ALISON
Thank you to Barbara Reinecker and Barbara George for their help
in the collation and mailing preparation of the December issue of the
Lantern!
Lantern Online or by Email
The Lantern is on the web each month in its entirety and Joe Bowker
has also volunteered to email the newsletter to anyone who requests
it. To reduce our mailing costs, if you would like to read it on line
at http://www.firstcongo.org
or have it emailed to you, please let me know.
You can also read the Lantern on Facebook. For information on accessing
it there, please go to
First Congregational Facebook
Page.
If you are willing to read or receive your Lantern on line, would
you please send Alison or Lynne Hildreth an e-mail or you could mark
your okay on the pewpads.
Next Lantern:
Deadline is
Sunday, December 25
