Notes from the Diaconate

First, thank you! Decorating our sanctuary for Advent was open to all this year. Many hands not only made light work, they made beautiful surroundings. A special thank you to PF for polishing the sanctuary, and to Pastor Katherine for the grace-full arrangement of the advent wreaths, one for the sanctuary and one for the chapel. Another warm thank you for your donations toward poinsettias. Those signs-of-the-season are being given out as the deacons visit with our shut-ins.

Christmas Eve services will be at 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM. The earlier service is prepared with special attention to families and the many children we anticipate seeing there. The later service will include the solemn candle-lighting ceremony which is always so full of the Holy Spirit in preparation for the coming of the Christ.

This year's donations have provided for pew bibles which encourage us all to follow the readings each Sunday morning. Larger-print bibles are being ordered from those funds as well. As we close our collection drive we thank all of you and encourage you to focus your giving on the other needs of our church and ministry.

It is a fitting time to acknowledge this month's anniversary of Reverend Katherine Adams' first full year of ministry with us. The new and renewed spirit in our congregation is a wonderful thing to see and to be part of. Katherine's bounteous gifts are among the many blessings we can count from this past year.

We wish you and your family a Christmas filled with the blessings of friends and family and wrapped in God's love. As we look forward, we anticipate and pray for a full Diaconate bringing fresh spirit and thoughts for a Happy New Year!

Trustees

The Board of Trustees would like to remind our Church family members to be mindful of our ever changing New England weather and road conditions. Although we have a snow-remover and sanding contractor, please be aware of melting and re-freezing areas in the parking lot and around the entrances. Our Custodian does his best to keep conditions cleared and sanded; however he is not on site 24 hours each day. From time to time the Trustees do a spot check around the Church facility and the parking lot for safe conditions. Our contractor is on call if conditions do warrant him to plow and sand at anytime. If you should encounter any unsafe conditions please call the Church Office.

Please remember January 17th - this is our Church's Annual Meeting. The Trustees and Financial Secretary are working together to present a realistic budget to support our day-to-day Church operations.

From all of us we wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a blessed Happy New Year. God Bless.

Board of Trustees

 

Outreach Committee Report

Outreach Committee Members

Jenny Carmichael, Jackie Gullage, Don Lovegrove, Bonnie McLay, Nita Owin, Bob & Linda Miner, co-chairs

Billerica Pantry
You continue your wonderful response to the Billerica Food Pantry. When we add in our December collection, our quarterly giving totaled 440 items and for the year, this church contributed 1,656 items. Add to that the cash some of us contribute periodically and at the Alternative Christmas Market and … WOW! A remarkably generous outpouring.

Alternative Christmas Market
On Sunday, November 29th, the Equal Exchange Fair Trade Table was laden with 3 cases of chocolate bars, 7 cases of coffee, 2 cases of cocoa, and 3 cases of tea; we sold all but 5 boxes of tea. Equal Exchange makes a contribution to the U.C.C. Board of Global Ministries for every case we purchase so in addition to you receiving a quality product and farmers receiving a living wage, our BGM also benefits financially from your purchases.

The people from the Lowell Transitional Living Center enjoy coming to these church events because they can usually raise $200.00 or so for this program. You contributed $1,003.00.

The folks from the Billerica Pantry have always loved us because in addition to being the First Billerica Church to provide support to them, we've always provided some assistance; particularly the last few years. They walked away with $1,100.00.

Church World Service will be providing 8 rabbits, 2 soccer balls, 99 rehydration kits, 4 hygiene kits, 1 beehive, 300 chicks, a 2-month supply of grain for a family, 3 birthing kits, 400 tree seedlings, 1 set of mosquito nets, 1 restoration kit, 1 large emergency food supply, 2 sets of sewing supplies, 1 new sewing machine, and $200.00 for micro credit loans (phew) = the total being $1,275.00. I'd ask, "Is there no end to your generosity?" However, I already know the answer. It is a resounding NO!

It Is Personal For Us
Like everyone else, we know how difficult these economic times are. That is why, when you entrust our committee with your contributions we make a personal and collective commitment to you. We will go further than "due diligence". We will extend ourselves through research and the most careful deliberation we can provide to try to ensure the greatest good possible will result from your "investment".

Final Grants For 2009
In your name, we made the following awards in December:

Did You Know That:

- Bob Miner
for the Outreach Committee

Religious Education

The Sunday school children worked hard practicing for the Christmas Pageant this year. It was a fun and memorable time and the children celebrated their hard work with a birthday party for Jesus following the pageant. The RE Committee would like to thank all of those who dedicated their time to help make the pageant a success and for making it fun for the children.

Confirmation classes will be starting in January. This will be an 18-month agenda, which will be open to anyone who is in the 7th grade or higher. Please watch for more information in the church bulletins or contact Rev. Katherine Adams.
We are still in need volunteers for hall monitoring to maintain the safety of our children. A signup sheet is posted on the Sunday school bulletin. Parents, please consider signing up for one Sunday as a hall monitor. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

REMINDER TO PARENTS: There will be no Sunday school on December 27th for the holiday break. Classes will resume on January 3rd. Nursery coverage for December 27th will be contingent upon available voluntary coverage. For further information, please contact Phyllis Jennings at 978-663-8193.

Our next meeting will be Sunday, January 10th at 11:30 AM. All who are interested are welcome to join us or may contact the RE Committee with any questions or concerns.

Debbie MacEachern

2010 Sr. High Mission Trip

The Senior High Sunday School has chosen their trip for this summer and it is a huge undertaking but we feel it is the right choice. Over the past two summers we have been learning more and more about the needs of God's people in Indiana and Colorado. This year we hope to be learning about the needs of God's people on the Rosebud Reservation in the Badlands of South Dakota. We hope to be participating in a program called Youthworks that provides opportunities for youth to be in mission with other young people from all over the country. We are very excited to be part of this group that will be providing a much needed dose of love and care to this community!!

To be very honest, this is the one place out of all the places we looked at, that I did not want to go. It looks so hard, so needy, so difficult….but in spite of my trepidation, this is the place that was available for the week we chose…this is the place we are being called to care for and bring your love and support to.

We have a lot of work to do not only in raising money for the trip but in learning how to help, how to understand, how to be sensitive
to the needs of this community, and how to show them they are not alone and that there are others who care and love them even in far off places like Billerica Mass.

Barbara Daverin

Stewardship Notes

The holiday season is here, the time of year when we think of gifts and resolutions. As usual we will hear the arguments that Christmas is really a pagan holiday because Jesus was probably born in the Spring, but Christians know that this traditional holiday is the time to celebrate the birth of Christ and the time to reflect on our response to this gift.

During this period of gift giving and reflection, is it the time to finally return that pledge card that has been sitting in your To Do Box for two months? There's also the unreturned call from the Nominating committee. Have you been putting off the call because you don't know what to say? How about just saying "Yes"?

No doubt many of you wish that we could talk less about money, and you will notice we have extended our stewardship messages to include service as well as money. Both are important, and in some cases can be substituted, but the reality is that people who are most willing to donate their time are usually also the most generous monetary givers. It's highly unusual that a person who is not a regular contributor is serving on a committee or other church group.

As you consider your pledge and the request from the Nominating Committee, we hope you keep in mind the definition of Christian Stewardship - "What I do with all that I have, after I say I Believe."

For the Stewardship Committee,
Don Lovegrove

 

Aim Hi

 

NEXT MEETING: Thursday, December 17th at 12 noon.

Our next Aim-Hi Meeting will be held Thursday, December 17 at 12 noon.
A Christmas Yankee Swap and pot luck luncheon is planned. In November, Aim Hi delivered fruit baskets to shut-ins and will send Christmas thank you packages to the servicemen. We encourage the congregation to use the addresses below and send a short note or greeting card.

Notes from the Music Committee

The New Year brings another new idea. In order to accommodate the many busy choir members and Ginny, who is trying to complete her master's degree while working full time and leading our music; January and February rehearsals will be at 9:15 on Sunday mornings.

If you want to sing on a Sunday that you will be here, just come early and rehearse. Preparation for Easter will occur with the addition of several Friday evening rehearsals, similar to the successful Christmas/ advent schedule.

The youth choir works on a similar but slightly different format: rehearsing each Sunday morning at 9:30 for several weeks until they present a piece in worship, then starting on a new song. Children can join for any segment. There will be no youth choir rehearsals on Sunday December 27 or on Sunday January 3.

Phyllis Jennings, music secretary

Nominating Committee

THANK YOU if you are serving on a committee or if you have responded to a call to serve on a committee. The Nominating Committee is making progress on filling the positions on committees that would have been vacant in 2010. We have a full slate of Trustees to present to the annual meeting and are only lacking one person to have the full complement of 12 on the Diaconate.

There are still a number of positions to fill so if you are inspired to serve by assisting a committee please talk with someone on the Nominating Committee. Or if you get a call asking if you would serve on a committee, please consider serving.

The Nominating Committee
Jon Adams
Edna Battcock
Jenny Carmichael
Andrew Jennings
Jackie Phippen

Pairs & Spares Upcoming Events

January - "Rain" Concert
At Lowell Memorial Auditorium

February -Valentine's Progressive Supper

March - Whist Party

If you are new to our church and would like the opportunity to meet other adults or if you feel you are out of touch with your church family or if you just need to get out for a fun filled evening of adult company, please join us. Sign up sheets are in entrance of Dale Hall.

Sat, December 5th, 7:00 PM - We'll get our holiday season off to a good start with an old-fashioned Christmas party & carol sing held at the home of JP & Maryanne Durand, 27 Simonds Farm Rd. in Billerica. Bring either an hors d'oeuvre or a dessert to share and your own beverage. For some added fun, if you would like to wrap up and bring a desirable, recycled item from home as a grab gift, we will do a swap. This item could be a re-gift item or something you previously bought, but just don't need or want. The only rule is, you cannot go out and buy something.

Wed, January 27th, 8:00pm - We will get tickets to attend "RAIN-A Tribute to the Beatles" at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Tickets ($28 0r $43 pp) will need to be ordered in advance, so sign up now.

Sat, February 13, 6:30 pm -Valentine's Progressive Supper. We will need volunteers to host the 4 courses (appetizers, soup, salad, and dessert) and other volunteers to help provide the food for the courses. We are all sweethearts, single or couples, so come along for the fun and great food. More details to come in January.

March - will bring our annual Military Whist game. Anyone can play, even beginners. We'll need a host home. More details in future newsletters.

Questions? Contact Lynne: Hildreth4@comcast.net or 978-663-4727.

PASSAGES: Births, Baptisms, Weddings and Memorial Services

 

United Church of Christ News

What's that "Dues" envelope in the box? They want $17.00 per member? That's me, my spouse and every confirmed kid? Whew!! And what does that get me??

Well, for starters, "they" is us. We have made a covenant with the other United Church of Christ members to be together in relationship.

But what does it get us? For one thing, we get a pastor for our pastor in the form of our associate conference minister. He also supports the connections between churches, the committee which deals with ministers and potential candidates for ministry, and the churches in our area who are troubled, in transition or in need of ideas. FCCB benefited greatly from his predecessor when we were searching for Katherine.

Other United Church of Christ benefits are a myriad of resources on Christian education, stewardship, faith formation, outreach, and more. It really is a bargain at $17.00 each.

Phyllis Jennings, delegate

Flowers: January

January 3 - On the Altar, flowers are given by Richard and Bonnie McLay in memory of Dick and Lil.
On the piano, flowers are given in loving memory of Agnes "Nessie" Tonks from her family, who all miss her very much.

January 10 - OPEN

January 17 - On the Altar, given by the Durands in loving memory of Jean, Patrick, Tim Daley, and Patty Neuhaus.

January 24 - On the Altar, provided by a memorial fund of the late Dorothy Richardson and are placed in memory of her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Albert Richardson.

January 31 - On the Altar, given in loving memory of Mary A. and Roger T. Elliot by their family.

If you would like to donate flowers any Sunday, please call Jeannette at 978-663-6804.

Help Wanted

FROM ALISON

THANK YOU TO Barbara George and Audrey Schwartz for their help in the delivery of the December issue of The Lantern!

Lantern on the Web

The Lantern is on the web each month in its entirety. To reduce our mailing costs, if you would like to read it on line at http://www.firstcongo.org instead of having the newsletter mailed, please let me know.

FROM HELEN CARROL

Thank You...Thank You....Thank you! I would like to say a Special Thanks to my Church Family for all the Cards, Calls and Acts of kindness that have been bestowed upon me for the last couple of months. May life bring you a reflection of the kindness you've shown. I am Blessed to be part of such a caring community.
Thanks Again…In God's Love, Helen Carroll

FROM THE FAMILY OF MARY JACKSON ROUNDS

The family of Mary Jackson Rounds would like to thank everyone who helped make the memorial service for her and luncheon afterward so special. To all of you who helped in so many ways - in the kitchen, baking, and making her feel so loved with your cards, visits, and calls during her illness, we thank you.

We deeply appreciate the beautiful memorial service Pastor Katherine gave. (Mom would have loved it) and the care we received from this church after her passing. God bless you all.

Ginny and Roger Foster
Allen and Susan Rounds
Ed and Barbara Reinecker

Next Lantern Deadline: Sunday, January 17

The newsletter written and mailed the week of January 17th will include the news for February. The next newsletter will be sent out the week of February 17.