"The Good News" Church Events
January & February 2012
First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
at 10 Station Rd in Hartland, Vermont 05048
website: hartlandbrickchurch.org
Rev. Lucia Anne Jackson, Pastor Church Telephone: (802)436-2224
Or via email at RevLucia13@gmail.com
Dear Members and Friends - Happy Epiphany - the season of light and revelation! This Newsletter is full of so many ways that you can be involved in the fellowship of church life and are all indications of a vibrant faith community. Two dates to highlight: On January 22nd, the Rev. Lynn Bujnak, VT Conference Minister will be preaching. Lynn is a gifted preacher and church leader - we are blessed to have her worshipping with us on that Sunday - you want to be here! And please note that our church's annual meeting is on January 29th immediately following worship. Doesn't sound very exciting, I know, and indeed these meetings are not always well attended. Yet, the Annual Meeting is when huge decisions are made; where the vision of our church is shaped by what ministries and missions the operating budget will support and who will be the key leaders to carry our mission forward. The Annual Meeting also celebrates the ways our communal discipleship has been a light in the world and a time to thank the volunteers - you- who do the hard work of keeping this church going so that we are here - ready to serve when needed, nurturing souls & faith, providing meals & food, teaching children & supporting youth, singing & praying, visiting & celebrating life's transitions, welcoming & saying farewell, always witnessing to the God of Love & hope. If The First Congregational Church of Hartland is your church, then join us on January 29that 11:15 to celebrate and vision together. See you in church - Lucia
Worship & Church School Schedule:
Sunday, January 8th - Worship, Epiphany Celebration
Rev. Constance Moser preaching,
Jesus as a child rotation begins, Regular Church School
Sunday, January 15th -Worship Martin Luther King, Jr Sunday
Regular Church School
11:15 Adult Confirmation
Sunday, Jan 22nd - Worship, Regular Church School
Special preacher, Vermont Conference Minister,
The Rev. Lynn Bujnak
**Pancake BRUNCH for the Youth Mission Trip 2012
here after worship **
Sunday, Jan 29th - Worship, Regular Church School
Annual Meeting after worship
Sunday, Feb 5th - Worship with Communion, Scout Sunday
Habitat for Humanity rotation begins
Regular Church School
11:15 Adult Confirmation
Sunday, Feb 12th - Worship, Regular Church School
11:15 Adult Confirmation
Sunday, Feb 19th - Worship, Regular Church School
11:15 Adult Confirmation
*Wed, Feb 22nd -6:00 Ash Wednesday worship & soup supper
Sunday, Feb 26th - First Sunday of Lent, Worship,
Regular Church School
Youth Mission Trip Brunch at the FUSH (UU)
11:15 Adult Confirmation
Adult "Confirmation Class" for everyone!
Do you have questions about theology? Faith? Do you wonder what we believe in the United Church of Christ?
More importantly, what do YOU believe?
A small group of us has been exploring Christian faith, tradition, scripture, history and theology. Be part of an engaging, open study based on the confirmation curriculum and other sources. Doubters welcome.
Sundays after church!
Board of Christian Education News & Notes:
What a great Pageant! Thank you to the CE Board for logistics & costuming and to others who helped and especially to all of the participants!
And thank you to those who taught in December: Mary Jo Ramsey, Daun Smith, Sue Reilly and Donna Lemieux.
Church school was well attended, organized and interesting this fall and Advent season - ask those who taught as well as the children! While learning about Moses, the Ten Commandments and Joseph in Advent - the students did art, science, cooking, geography, drama, games and photography.
Now you too can volunteer - a vital Sunday School is essential to a vital church! Volunteer to be a workshop leader (two weeks) or a shepherd (4 weeks) -
You'll be glad that you did!!!!
Session 4 (January)- Jesus was a child
- Superintendent: Micah Heaney
Session 5 (February)- Make Mission a Habit with
Habitat for Humanity - Superintendent: Sue Reilly
Session 6 (Lent) - The Lord's Supper
**Please note that the pre-school and K class is a self contained classroom with Mary Jo Ramsey as teacher - thank you Mary Jo for volunteering with our young children again!
Church School Calendar
Session 4 - Jesus was a child Luke 2:21 - 52
"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature,
and in favor with God and man" Luke 2:52
Sunday, January 8h - Regular Church School
Sunday, January 15th - Regular Church School
Sunday, January 22nd - Regular Church School
Wednesday, January 25th - - 7:00 CE BOARD MEETING
Sunday, January 29th - Regular Church School, Youth Mission Trip Brunch
11:15 Teacher Training
Session 5 - Make Mission a Habit with Habitat for Humanity
Sunday, February 5th - Communion, Regular Church School
Sunday, February 12th - Regular Church School
Sunday, February 19th -, Regular Church school
Wednesday, February 22nd - Ash Wednesday, Evening Worship
Sunday, February 26th - 1st Sun in Lent, Reg Church School, Youth Brunch
Wednesday, February 29th - 7:00 CE BOARD MEETING
*****
The Famous Roast Beef Suppers start January 21st and run every Saturday until March 17th! We have run these suppers for over 50 years now. These suppers are a vital part of our church and community. Many people consider them to be community suppers, not church suppers because so many people from the community have worked on them over the years either in the kitchen/dining room or by making pies. The past few years it has become increasingly difficult to get volunteers to work on the supper. On an average year these suppers generate over $10,000 for the church so you can see how much they mean to our budget and extras for the church. If you would be willing to work or know of someone who would be willing to work on the suppers please let me know. The first kitchen crew is Larry & Jeannie Frazer's, second is Darryl & Sherry Calkin's and the third set is Joe & Sue Rielly's.
Larry J. Frazer, President Men's Fellowship 436-2792
Ladies Benevolent Society News: At this time there are no LBS meetings schedule for January or February!
We have a Prayer Shawl Ministry!! We have blessed and delivered several shawls in the past few months - what a gift for someone living with illness, or grieving a loss, or homebound, or new grandparents or for a wedding!! Please feel free to contact Dorothea Kingsbury at 603-443-1217 for directions. All levels of knitters & crocheters welcome! We have two totes of yarn at the church to share if you need supplies! We will gather on Tuesday, January 17th at 6:30. JOIN US!
*****
Stewardship Update: As of January 3rd we have received 46 pledge cards for a total of $53,0622. That puts us far short of the $80,000 we need in pledge giving to balance the 2012 proposed budget. We offer many thanks to those who have responded so generously to our campaign, and we encourage anyone who has not yet submitted an estimated giving card to do so this month. If you have misplaced your card, you can find extras on the table in the church narthex or be emailing Whit Mowry whit05048@gmail.com <mailto:whit05048@gmail.com> or Dave Hale dave39@gmail.com <mailto:dave39@gmail.com> or Linda Genovese genovese2137@comcast.net <mailto:genovese2137@comcast.net> Thank you!!!
Anybody need a desk - A new desk has been donated to our church office and we are offering the two retiring desks to anyone who needs one, plus one desk chair. Please call Linda Genovese (436-2137) if interested.
*****
Call to Annual Meeting - Sunday, January 29th Immediately following worship. All Boards, Committees and organizational components (such as LBS, Music etc.) should submit their reports by January 15th so we can post them for people to read prior to the meeting. This will save much time at the meeting as we would not need to read each report at the meeting, just discuss and vote on them. --Larry J. Frazer, Moderator
From the Music Committee:
Thank you to all those who shared the gift of music on Christmas Sunday and Christmas Eve and especially to Clydene!!
Now, Clydene has agreed to lead a group anthem in January!
Rehearsal date:Thursday, Jan 19th at 7:00
For worship on Sunday, January 22nd.
*****
Board of Missions & Outreach
always: Hartland Local Food Shelf - non perishables can be dropped off here anytime.
PLUS Serving the evening meal at the Hixon House:
We are serving meals at the Hixon House in 2012 on these dates: January 31st (team leaders: Jim & Vicki Lawrence)
May 29th (Sue Reilly) July 31st (Molly Delaney)
October 30th (Sue D'Anna)
To participate in this wonderful outreach ministry,
please speak with the team leader to volunteer your time to cook or serve!
****
Remember that Equal Exchange Coffee and Tea are for sale - prices lower than the Coop! - available from Lucia. Proceeds benefit the Youth Mission Trip, but more importantly - Equal Exchange products are fairly traded and organic - benefitting the environment and the local growers!
Altar Committee Alert - If you would like to provide memorial flowers for worship please call Martha McGlinn 436 - 2159 or Linda Genovese 436-2137 or Emily Silver 436-2681 for scheduling. If you would like to do an arrangement or have a big blooming houseplant to share, please contact Martha, Linda or Emily!
A THANK YOU
Many church members volunteer their time and talent to keep our church doors open, our building systems operating and the church grounds attractive as well as running the suppers, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, and delivering flowers.
Advent and Christmas are particularly busy times in the life of the church. Many folks made extraordinary efforts to volunteer this year - just doing what needs to be done. So, here are just a few of the people to thank for efforts in the last few months:
Thank you to:
to Martha McGlinn and Linda Genovese and Emily Silver For preparing the sanctuary for Christmas Eve with poinsettias and decorations,
to Daun Smith who arrived early on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day to prepare the candles and usher,
to Joe Reilly who "runs" and folds the bulletins week in and week out, including the extras at Christmastime,
To Clydene Trachier for directing our Christmas Choir and to Ginny Dow for faithful and beautiful accompaniment and to all those who rehearsed and sang such glorious music!
Thank you to Donna Lemieux for organizing the Advent Workshop - an evening enjoyed by many adults, youth and children all together,
And to the Board of Christian Education for the Christmas Pageant and Church School leadership,
And THANK YOU to Linda , Bob and Rebecca Genovese for painting the social room!
and to Larry & Jeannie Frazer
for setting up our Christmas tree and for
organizing the Hartland Christmas Project.
Thank you to the too many to name who volunteered to sort, shop, donate, deliver, clean up and
who contributed time, gifts, money and energy to
the Hartland Christmas Project.
YOUTH HAPPENINGS!
CONFIRMATION CLASS: Class on Wed Jan 11th, 18th, 25th Feb 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd (Ash Wed) & 29th.
Plus we will be visiting other places of worship on some Sundays in January and February - schedule to follow!
JUNIOR HIGH YOUTH: all 7th & 8th grade youth!
We will meet: Sundays 5:00 - 6:15, Jan 8th & 22nd,
Feb 5th (note: 4:00 - 5:15) & 19th (5:00 - 6:15)at the UU,
EVENTS FOR ALL YOUTH:
*Monday, January 16th - Movie Night to be announced
*Sunday, February 24th Dartmouth Men's Hockey Game! Meet at the Brick church at 6:15 to leave for the 7:00 game. Cost: $7.00/youth, $10/adult. Ticket Money DUE Feb 19th.
SENIOR HIGH YOUTH (9TH - 12TH grade)
*Sunday Jan 8th & 22nd & Feb 19th 6:30 - 8:00 -
Regular Senior High Youth Group at the FUSH (UU)
*Sunday, Jan 22nd at the FCCH (UCC) & FEB 26th at the FUSH (UU) 9:00 - 12:00 Fundraiser Brunch All Mission Trip Participants expected to help out! We will start setting up at 9:00, shut down the grills for worship and then start serving at 11:00 for brunch. Invite your family to eat and YOU BE THERE!
*Sunday, Feb 5th 5:45 to end - SuperBowl @ Lucia's Home POTLUCK Please RSVP to say what you are bringing for food!
Looking Ahead: MISSION TRIP SIGN UP DEADLINE:
April 1st ($75 sign up) for Mission Trip July 22 - 28, 2012!!
