From the Minister
Brothers and sisters in Christ,
I have been praying for the people of Japan, and those in Libya, and for all
the conflict that seems to be tearing apart the fabric of life. In my prayers
I beseech Almighty God to intercede and bring comfort, healing, and peace to
this broken world. When my fixation with the problems of the world begin to
overshadow the joys and blessings of life I enter into a struggle with God.
As the psalmists lamented, I cry out asking if God has forgotten us or perhaps
thrown in the towel and given up on us. I wrestle like Jacob with the very God
who blesses me as I humbly submit myself to God's love. In my struggle I am
drawn to Elijah's search for God.
A great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks
before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was
an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake
a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
(1 Kings 19:11-12)
God is not in the wind of hurricanes, the destruction of earthquakes, or the
fire of artillery. No, God is in the still small voice that comforts and strengthens
us to persevere through the challenges, the setbacks, the losses, and the heartaches
of life. Jesus did not promise a life without hardships, but Jesus did promise
that he would never leave us and forsake us.
To hear the still small voice of God I need to stop and listen. I need to stop
with my frantic recounting of the world's ills, as if God is unaware. I need
to stop the worry that increases my anxiety to the point where I am unable to
hear any voice. And I need to stop my need for control and trust in God. Hear
my big sigh….. let go and let God. And then, only then am I able to hear God's
still small voice. A voice that loves me and all of creation, a voice that consoles
me and comforts me, a voice that invites and encourages me to be a blessing
for the world. When I get out of God's way and let God lead, I find myself on
a path paved with hope, joy, love, and peace. The road leads through the troubles
of the world, facing the struggles, grief and strife, but it leads to the promise
of God's kingdom. Let us seek the kingdom of peace and love by listening for
God's still small voice.
Grace and blessings,
Katherine
At Home Bible Study
John 10:1-5:At Home Bible Study on
Shepherding
1 "Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not
enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way,
is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the
shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him,
and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name
and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes
on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his
voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will
run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
|
Thoughts for Reflection
Read the Gospel of John 10:1-21 for the full discussion on how we can understand
Jesus as our shepherd. Read, pray and reflect on how you are able to trust and
follow Jesus. How is that you are a shepherd for others?
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 to 7:30 am, followed by
a light breakfast (or at least a cup of coffee to go!) More
Info.
Bible Study
6-7 PM on Tuesday evenings
10:30 AM on Thursdays
Christian Life Series
7 pm, 3rd Wednesdays, October-June
Spirituality Groups
7-8:30 PM, 4th Wednesdays
Confirmation Class
Confirmation Class in process..
Church Office Hours
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 1 PM.
Date to Remember
What is a Christian life anyway?
As we dive into our Christian Life series of discussions, this seems like
a natural question. In the simplest terms a Christian life is one where we
follow the call and teachings of Jesus. How we live matters, and central to
how we live are our relationships. Please join us on Tuesday, April 12
at 7 PM for a discussion on Starting the Conversation with Teens about
Substance Abuse, led by Sheila Vitali; and on Wednesday May 18 at 7:00
PM for a discussion on Relationships and Marriage, led by Lynne Hildreth.
Rev. Don Remick, our Area minister, joined us for a discussion on parenting.
Phyllis Jennings wrote up the main points of that conversation for us.
Notes on Parenting Discussion with Don Remick in March
"Spare the rod and spoil the child". We have all head that old
proverb but how does that apply to our day and age? Surely we are not to beat
our children. Rev. Don Remick shared that the Hebrew people would have had
an understanding of how a shepherd uses his rod and staff to guide and protect
the sheep never to hit them. The good shepherd provides a place of safety
and security. He does not let sheep bother each other. Rev. Remick referred
to the 23rd psalm for more guidance as to what good parents should try to
do for their children.
Other helpful hits that Rev. Remick provided for parents and all of us who
are concerned about children, is that every behavior has a message. It is
our task to figure out what that might be saying. If we adults feel annoyed,
maybe the child needs more attention. If we "catch them being good"
and provide positive attention, maybe the irritating behavior will lessen.
If we feel challenged and angry, maybe the child is looking for control. We
can provide limited choices, develop a routine, be firm but kind and stick
to the limits without fighting or giving in. If we feel hurt or disappointed
by the child's behavior, maybe they are testing us to be sure of their safety
and we need to acknowledge their feelings, show we care, provide small steps
for mastery. Don provided a couple more articles with ideas which will be
posted on a hallway bulletin board. (compiled by Phyllis Jennings)
2011 Lenten Luncheons Sponsored by the Billerica Clergy Association
Held at First Congregational Church
11:45 AM - Lunch
12:30 PM - Service
Remaining Services
Wednesday, March 30 - First Parish Unitarian Universalist
Wednesday, April 6 - St. Theresa's Catholic
Wednesday, April 13 - New Colony Baptist
Wednesday Evenings
Wednesday Evening Soup Supper and Communion Service
at 6:30 PM
Come, join us for a simple supper of soup and bread in the parlor,
then we will gather in the Chapel for a simple Communion Service
Notes from the Diaconate
The Diaconate is accepting
orders for flowers for shut-ins. Please see the order form below. If you would
like to deliver to a shut-in please let Deacons Donna Ricarte or Ruth Boutilier
know.
On Palm Sunday, members of Outreach and the Diaconate will be delivering
Palm Sunday meals, palms, and Easter flowers to the shut-ins of the congregation.
This one of the ways we reach out and show our love to shut-in members.
In March we held our Women's Retreat: Cultivating Joy. It was refreshing
and opened new avenues for prayer. We were blessed with the leadership of
Rev. Ellie Richarson and the Catherine Miller. We look forward to more opportunities
for women's ministries in the future.
Please join us for Wednesday Evening Worship during Lent. We will gather
at 6:30 for a simple supper, followed by worship at 7:00 PM
-
Palm Sunday
Service, Sunday, April 17 at 10:00 am
-
Maundy Thursday Service,
Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 PM
-
Flowering of the Cross,
Sunday, April 24 at 7:00 am
-
Easter Breakfast,
Sunday, April 24 at 8:00 am
-
Easter Egg Hunt,
sponsored by Family Life, Sunday, April 24 at 9:00 am
-
Family Easter Service,
Sunday, April 24 at 9:30 am
-
Easter Service of the
Word and Communion, accompanied by Senior Choir and Brass Quartet,
Sunday, April 24 at 11:00 am
|
TULIPS AND LILIES
Name ___________________________________
Address_________________________________
Phone__________________________________
Tulips for Shut-ins _________________$12.00
You can order:
Tulips ________________-$12.00
Lilies _________________ - $14.00
Farolito (Light pink)Lily _____ - $14.00
Flowers will be available for pick-up on Saturday,
April 16 or Sunday, April 17.
Last day for ordering is April 10.* Need info?
Call Donna Ricarte - 663-4043 or Ruth Boutilier - 667-9654.
Make checks payable to FCC of Billerica
Memo: Easter Flowers
*If convenient, fill in this form and put in offering plate with
check or place in Deacons' mailbox.
|
Christian Life Series
How do we live our faith? This series helps us grow in faith and discipleship.
Rev. Katherine Adams and guests will lead discussions that explore what it
means to be a disciple of Christ in our daily living. Developing and strengthening
relationships will be central to our discussions. Parents are especially encouraged
to attend. Childcare will be provided.
Discussions will be on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, October through
June, at 7:00 PM:
Apr 20 Caring for the Caregiver
May 18 Christian values, morals & ethics
Jun 15 Finances and Faith
A MESSAGE FROM THE DISCERNING STUDENT
From Our Incare Student, Sheila Vitale
Dear Friends,
Why do some congregations thrive, others languish? This was an article written
by Anthony Robinson, Minister in the United Church of Christ and author of
several books on church vitality. I read this article recently for my course
on Transforming Church Culture. The article was in review of a book titled
Practicing Congregations by Diana Butler Bass. The book spoke of mainline
Protestant churches that should have been in decline and how Bass in the course
of her research found many vital congregations.
The approach Bass took in her research was different from many researchers.
It was not to ask, "Why are some churches failing?" But rather to
ask, "Why do some succeed?" How are some churches finding new life
in a time of religious change? And, "What can those of us seeking a meaningful
Christianity learn from them?"
The article goes on to explain what we might learn from these vital congregations,
take spirituality seriously. By attending to personal spiritual quests with
more traditional forms of religious life in community churches can be renewed.
Last fall the United Church of Christ began a program to bring back or emphasize
spiritual practices as a means of transforming congregations. It is believed
that by returning or emphasizing these practices congregations rediscover
and reinterpret a forgotten part of their heritage. These practices can include
hospitality, keeping the Sabbath, testimony, discernment, forgiveness and
healing.
As many of you know we already practice several of these in our church. We
practice with diligence hospitality, we have heard testimony from some on
occasion and many of us strive to keep the Sabbath. I wonder, are we a vital
congregation?
Peace,
Sheila Vitali
Stewardship
Committee
Lent
offers time for reflection on many levels. It offers a time to reflect on
our relationships: our relationship with self, our relationship with God,
and our relationships with others.
We
often get caught up with the demands of day to day living and sacrifice
the required time to maintain our relationships. I know I fall into that
trap on a regular basis. There is always enough time for work-including
all those extra hours. Hours, that I don't blink an eye at sacrificing.
But I haven't taken the time to go to one of our Wednesday night Lenten
Services that would strengthen my relationship with God and encourage me
to self reflect.
Self
reflection is not something most of us regularly do. We don't do it because
it is hard. Not because it is hard for us to see the flaws we have. The
difficulty is that once we see the flaws, we now feel the need to address
them. And that is not easy to do, in fact it can be downright painful. It's
hard to admit that we need to spend more time with our families, or that
we take our spouse or loved ones for granted at times.
But, of course, as Christians it is much easier to call oneself a Christian
than to live as one. Jesus took forty days in the desert to self reflect
and fend off the devil. He did this in preparation of his ministry and continued
to set time aside to pray and reflect during his life. Let us be good stewards
of our relationships this Lenten journey, taking time to reflect, pray,
and honor our loved ones.
-
Jon Adams
Trustees
Levi Sunday is April 10. We will be serving pizza for lunch for all
who volunteer.
- Kevin Button
FCCB BY THE NUMBERS
Attendance:
| Feb 6 |
Worship |
NA |
| Feb 13 |
Worship |
108 |
| Feb 20 |
Worship |
129 |
| Feb 27 |
Worship |
45 |
| Mar 6 |
Worship |
142 |
| Mar 13 |
Worship |
142 |
| Mar 20 |
Worship |
165 |
Offerings:
| Date |
General Fd |
Outreach FD |
Deacons FD |
| Feb 6 |
$2598 |
$165 |
$30 |
| Feb 13 |
$2000 |
$150 |
$225 |
| Feb 20 |
$2222 |
$117 |
$120 |
| Feb 27 |
$1814 |
$115 |
$210 |
| Mar 6 |
$3444 |
$269 |
$87 |
| Mar 13 |
$4335 |
$346 |
$127 |
| Mar 20 |
$3915 |
$201 |
$140 |
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.
The
Outreach Committee Report
2011 Outreach Members
Your 2011 Outreach Committee members are: Jackie Gullage, Terry & Steve
Lewis, Don Lovegrove, Nita Owin, Bob & Linda Miner (co-chairs)
There are now over 100,000 "charitable" organizations and we receive
hundreds of requests for assistance annually.
First, you should know that we don't "marry" charities, we "date"
them. A charity must make its case anew each year and show it remains among
the most efficient and effective in its category.
It is said that if you give a sip of water to 100 people dying of thirst,
you will run out of water and they'll actually all die anyway. That is why
we focus our contributions and usually choose about 20 projects to support.
We do our homework.
If money is to actually go to those in need, we need to know how much it
costs a charity to raise money. So a group like Save the Children that spends
$10 to raise $100 is much more attractive to us than Feed the Children which
spends $55 to raise $100. Then International Rescue Committee that spends
90% of its funds to help people is more attractive to us than World Emergency
Relief that spends 26% of its funds for actual relief. We are concerned with
the amount of money spent on salaries so we note that the compensation package
for the director of the American Cancer Society was $2.4 million in 2010 while
the head of the Susan G. Komen organization received less than 25% as much.
We check reserve funds and are unlikely to support the Hole in the Wall (Paul
Newman's organization). They do fine and important work but have enough money
in reserve to carry on their programs for the next 5 years if they receive
no money during that time. They don't need our money, we'll buy his salsa.
Many organizations have built in sources of revenue. For example, Shriners
Hospital receives dues from all Shriners; many have federal/state/town government
support; the list of criteria goes on. You can be assured that funds provided
to your Outreach Committee will usually go to the neediest and most efficient
organizations and will be used to address current pressing needs. Careful,
extensive research increases the likelihood that your money will be used wisely.
If we can be of assistance to any of you regarding your personal benevolence,
please fell free to approach us for information.
Welcoming the Stranger
For several years we've maintained a relationship with the Refugee Immigration
Ministry. This interfaith group of 5 churches meets about 8 times a year and
works to settle individuals and families (mostly refugees) who have been approved
by the U.S. government for resettlement in our area. Many of us have been
involved and we've provided, time, material aid, friendship, and financial
assistance. Because the members of our committee are stretched thin, we're
looking for someone who would represent us at the meetings and be the liaison
for us. We'd provide assistance and accompany the individual or couple to
the first meetings to make the transition go smoothly. It's an important ministry
and one we don't want to drop. See Bob Miner or call him at 978-667-2961 to
learn more.
Recent Thank You's From:
Americares for a $200 contribution. This Danbury CT. headquarter based organization
receives donated surplus medical supplies from pharmaceutical companies and
is often first on the ground with disaster relief.
Funding
The Outreach Committee has been receiving an average of about $150/wk. from
the congregation. In our continuing effort to combat hunger and poverty, we
search diligently for the most effective, targeted ways to maximize the effectiveness
of our contributions. On March 13, we voted a contribution of $150 to Feeding
America that supports food banks across the U.S. We were able to take advantage
of corporate matches for donations given during a specific time period and
maximize our contribution 30 times. So our gift of $150 actually provided
$4,500 worth of food. F.C.C.B. continues to do a lot with a little.
Did You Know
Americans spent 12 billion dollars on pet food in 2010 and 16 billion on veterinarian
bills.
Car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers and texting while
driving increases that likelihood by a factor of 23 times.
- Bob Miner
Religious Education
Lent began on Sunday, March 13th and will continue to Sunday,
April 17th. This year, the Sunday school children are donating hygiene supplies
to the Lowell Homeless Shelter for their Lenten project. Information was
given to the children in Sunday school. Anyone from the Congregation who
is interested in donating items is welcome. Donation boxes are available
in the High school/PF room, at the front of the church and by the mailboxes.
Following this article is a list of products being donated to the shelter.
The supplies will be delivered to the Lowell Homeless Shelter the week of
April 17th.
SAVE THE DATES
Children's Sunday has been changed to June 6th and Confirmation
Sunday will be on June 12th. The last day of Sunday school
class will be on May 22nd. There will be no Sunday school
on May 29th in observation of Memorial Day. Look for further information
regarding these events in the bulletin and upcoming Lanterns.
This year's Confirmation class will include 13 confirmands.
Once again, we will be asking the congregation to help us coordinate a collation
for the confirmands and their families by donating food. This is a large
group and we will be in need of a vast amount of assistance from our talented
cooks!! Please keep this date in mind and look for further information in
the upcoming Lanterns.
-Dawn Salter
SR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL LENTEN PROJECT DATES
March 20 RE meeting 11:30a Lenten Project 2011
The High School Sunday School class is asking for
help from all Sunday School children and church parishioners. We
will be donating personal articles to homeless people at the Lowell
Homeless Shelter this year.
All products will be delivered to the Homeless Shelter the week
of April 18. These products can be dropped off at the High School/P.F.
Room or a box marked "Homeless Donations" at the front
of the church.
Product Schedule
Sunday - March 14 - tooth brush
Sunday, March 20 - tooth paste
Sunday, March 27 - bar soap
Sunday, April 3 - deodorant
Sunday, April 10 - shaving cream
Sunday, April 17 - napkins *
* For those people asking, "Why napkins?" Talk to those
students who worked at the Homeless Shelter at Terre Haute, Indiana
(2009).
Thank you for all your help and love in making
this a successful project.
Brent Davis, High School Coordinator
|
SR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
MISSION TRIP FUNDRAISER
Please Pre-Order using form below:
(Proceeds to benefit Habitat for Humanity in York PA)
Order due date: April 17th…..Pick up date: April 23rd
Delivery Available
With nuts or without
Small cake -$10; Large cake - $15
Order Form
Name________________________________ Phone #___________
Address_________________________________________________
Cake order: _____ Qty of Small Cakes _____Qty without
nuts
Delivery Address _____________________(Add $3 for
delivery)
_____ Qty of Large Cakes _____Qty without nuts
Delivery Address _____________________(Add $3 for
delivery)
|
Pilgrim Fellowship DATES
Parents and current PF members are invited to a meeting to
be held on Sunday, April 3 after church at 11:30 AM. Any 5th graders interested
in joining P.F. are invited to come to this meeting!
|
Date
|
Time
|
Event |
| Fri/Sat
Apr 8 & 9 |
6am
Fri-9am Sat |
Lock
in/Sleepover |
| Sun Apr 17 |
11:30-1:30 |
Meeting |
| Sat
Apr 23 |
6:00
PM |
Rehearsal
for Flowering of the Cross |
| Sun
Apr 24 |
Arrive
6:00 PM for 7:00 am service |
Flowering
of the Cross |
| Sun
May 1 |
11:30
am-1:30 PM |
PF |
|
Sun May 8
|
Arrive
6 am for 7-9 am breakfast
|
Breakfast
|
Aim
Hi
Meetings:
Third Thursdays except January
Next Meeting:The next meeting
of Aim-Hi will be Thursday, April 21 at noon. We always welcome new
members to join us for lunch. Aim-Hi has been sending our love, prayers,
and Thank You packages to those serving overseas.
We encourage the
congregation to use the addresses below and send a short note or greeting
card to these young people while they are away from home. It means so
much to them and their families.
Donna Ricarte
The current addresses of the service personnel
overseas are:
Ryan Allen
25 FS
PSC 3 Box 4308
APO AP 96266 - 0043
SFC Robinson, Kevin A
94th MP Co.
APO AE 09344
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
Sgt. Matthew Kreisz
A Co TF 3/197th
Camp Buehring
APO AE 09330
|
If anyone in the congregation knows of other
young people who are serving our country overseas, please provide us with
their address. The information can be given to June Orne at 603-883-6721
(june62123@aol.com.com) or Donna
Ricarte at 978-663-4043 (dpugsly@yahoo.com)
or call the church office at 978-773-8433.
Notes from the Music Committee
-
Lent-final music rehearsal
set for March 25th at 7 PM
-
Easter- rehearsals April
1st April 7th April 15th at 7 PM
-
Final Easter rehearsal
set for April 20th at 7 PM
-
The choir will be practicing
and getting ready to sing on Easter - Consider joining the choir even
just for the Easter Holiday… it is fun and it will help fill your
spirit…all you have to do is like to sing.
-
9;30
am - Children and Adult Choir.
-
11:00
am- Full Adult Choir with guest musicians.
Next music committee meeting is set for April 10th.
- Cynthia Tomlin
NEXT
MEETING
WEDNESDAY
April 13, 2011
1:00 P.M.
If you are homebound or feel that
you would like phone calls or visits by any of our shepherds,please contact
one of our members.
Our shepherds who
are available are: Betty & Dennis Blanchette, Ruth Boutilier, Andrew Jennings,
Pat Hefler, Glenda Lovegrove, Wanda Lordan, & Audrey Schwartz.
Audrey Schwartz 978 663-3239 or Glenda Lovegrove 978 667-3596
United Church
of Christ News
To "nurture local church vitality to be alive in Christ
and the covenant connections between us" is the aim of the Massachusetts
UCC conference. As part of this our church is the host for the spring meeting
of the Andover Association of the United Church of Christ.
On April 3 from 2-5 PM Clergy and delegates from our association churches
will gather here to "cultivate joy". You are all invited to attend,
also. There will be inspiring worship, a program on cultivating joy , and
chances to meet others in our nearby churches.
We will also need people who are willing to greet, to help with parking,
set up and clean up, and refreshments. Rev. Katherine is on the planning
group. See her for more detail or to volunteer.
-Phyllis Jennings, MACUCC delegate
We serve
together
and
we play together!
Come join
us for our
Adult Fellowship Games Night
Saturday, April 16, 7:00 PM
To be held at the home of
JP & Maryanne Durand
27 Simonds Farm Rd.
Please bring
an appetizer or dessert to share and your own beverage and your
favorite game if desired
Sign up in
Dale Hall entrance or call
Maryanne Durand
978-667-4239/Lynne Hildreth 978-663-4727
Let us know
if you would like a ride.
|
From Your Go-Green Committee
BATTERIES, BULBS, & THERMOMETERS
Did You Know:
-
Alkaline
batteries = regular trash
-
Items
containing mercury require special handling in order to limit the
risk of exposure. Thermometers, thermostats, mercury switches and
button cell batteries = Board of Health office & box in entry
hallway in our Town Hall.
-
Fluorescent
bulbs including compact bulbs contain a small amount of mercury. Do
not put them in the regular trash. Dropped off = O'Connor Hardware
or DPW Administration office in Town Hall.
-
Small
non-alkaline batteries = DPW Administration Room G-11.
-
The following
rechargeable batteries can be recycled at the DPW: Nickel Cadmium
(Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium-Ion (Li-ion), Nickel
Zinc (Ni-Zn) or see www.call2recycle.org. for other drop-off locations.
-
Recycling
is mandatory. In compliance with Massachusetts DEP Waste Bans, recyclable
material must be separated from the trash.
The above information was taken from our most recent Residential
Recycling and Trash Collection Guide.
BOTTLED WATER BOTTLES
"After millions of barrels of oil are used to produce and ship
plastic water bottles, nearly 90 % of them land in the garbage instead
of the recycle bin. These bottles will sit in landfills for centuries,
their chemicals seeping into the environment."
This info. comes from - www.foodand
waterwatch.org/water.
BINS & BASKETS
Your Go Green Task Force wishes to thank you the Trustees and Kevin
Button for providing all of the new blue recycle baskets & containers.
They certainly add a very nice touch instead of our previous cardboard
boxes. We hope all clean paper will now be recycled.
Linda Miner on behalf of you "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:
April 2011
March 6 - Given in loving memory of John F. Rankin, Jr, from
Jane and Paul Johansen and Heater and Joe Cross.
On the Lectern, flowers are given with thanks to the church
for its continuous support for the Girl Scouts of Billerica.
April 3 - Open
April 10 - Given in loving memory of my husband, Lester, and
members of the Lacey and Chandler families by Pat Hefler.
April 17- Palm Sunday - Deacons provide an arrangement of palms.
April 24 - Easter - Given in loving memory of Leonard J. and
J. Leonard Brown from Barbara Brown.
On the piano flowers are given in loving memory of my
grandmother, Lillian Lewis, by Diana Saunders.
On the lectern, flowers are given to Mom with love, Di,
Bud, Nicole, Laura and Jessica.
If you would like to donate flowers on any Sunday, please contact Jeannette
Rohnstock (978-663-6804)
PASSAGES: Births, Baptisms, New
Members, Weddings and Memorial Services
No new entries in March
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.
- Volunteers
to assist our station leaders
in Vacation Bible School, July 26-30, 9am-12noon. If you are available
to help, please contact Nicole Toner or Rev. Katherine.
- 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 Pat Rogers 978-663-8121 or the RE Committee.
- Someone
with an SLR digital camera
who is willing to work on the photo directory? Please contact
Susan McLay if you are willing to help.
- 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.
- 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 Audrey Schwartz and Barbara Reinecker for their
help in the delivery of the March 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.
As of September you could 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: Sunday, April 24, 2011
The newsletter written and mailed the week of April 24 will include
the news for the entire month of April.
Senior High Sunday School Mission Trip Fundraiser
