| Hurricane Irene We are watching the weather forecasts closely for the projected course and timing of Hurricane Irene. At this point, we are still planning to hold worship on Sunday morning (although we may have to move the outdoor service inside). If, on Sunday morning, we determine that conditions are unsafe for travel, we will consider cancelling worship altogether. We will make this decision as early as possible on Sunday morning and will put a message on the church phone (781-344-2371) as well as send out emails to people on our Constant Contact list. We will also post a notice on the church's Facebook page, and Rev. Jean will send out a Twitter message. Please be sure to check one of these communications vehicles for up-to-the-minute information. Most of all, please be safe! |
| Attention all Trustees: If we do hold worship on Sunday morning, please plan on attending a very important meeting immediately following worship in the Fireplace Room, to discuss our finances/ maintenance plans as well as other issues that we need to address at this time. Thank you. |
| If we do hold worship this Sunday morning, the Board of Christian Education will be meeting downstairs immediately following worship. We have several items to discuss regarding our upcoming Sunday School Program. Thank you. Calling all Sunday School Teachers! As we enter our new church program year, we are looking for volunteers to teach Sunday School. We use a rotation model, so you only sign up for six weeks at a time and teach the same lesson to a different age group of students each time. The first rotation: "Jonah: A Reluctant Believer" begins on September 18. All of your lesson plans and materials are provided for you. Answering the call to teach Sunday School is a fun and rewarding blessing. If you would like to teach this rotation, contact Sally Monahan at 781-297-7118 or sal_kev@yahoo.com. |
UCC Stoughton T-Shirts are In!! If you ordered a T-shirt, please pick it up from Rev. Jean at Coffee Hour this Sunday, Aughust 21st. The cost of the T-shirt is $10 each. Thank you! |
| SUMMER CRAFT NIGHT this Wednesday August 31st from 7 - 9 pm in Fellowship Hall You too can be part of the fun - we really need your ideas and creativity to make our Church Fair Craft and Christmas Room better than ever. We have glass painting and terra cot pots ready for you to begin working on - or bring your own project already in progress! We needs lots of variety. So - if you have some uniquely shaped or unused old vases, stemware, even Mason Jars, and Baby Food Jars, clean terra cotta pots that can be transformed into a treasure for someone - bring them along. If you have rub-ons and stencils you would like to donate to the cause - we would sure appreciate those as well. You never know what you can do if you don't just give it a try. If you have other ideas please share them with the Fair Committee. For further information on August craft nights contact: |
 JOIN US FOR AN 8-WEEK SUNDAY EVENING BOOK STUDY ON ROB BELL'S LOVE WINS As part of a series on peacemaking in late 2007, Pastor Rob Bell's Mars Hill Bible Church (outside of Grand Rapids, MI) put on an art exhibit about the search for peace in a broken world. An artist in the show included a quotation from Mahatma (Mohandes) Gandhi. A visitor at the exhibit stuck a note next to the Gandhi quotation: "Reality check: He's in hell." Bell was taken aback by this person's belief that the non-violent leader is suffering in hell because he was not a Christian.
Really? Bell recalls thinking. Gandhi's in hell? He is? We have confirmation of this? Without a doubt? And that somebody decided to take on the responsibility of letting the rest of us know?
So begins Bell's controversial new best seller, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.
Much of Bell's book focuses on our perceptions of God - if God is our friend, protector, counselor, and merciful parent throughout life, why would our death suddenly evoke a vicious, judgmental, condemning God? Are we to believe that God happily created billions of people only to turn around at the time of their death and eternally condemn them for not professing Jesus as Lord? And why is it that people who are so certain of whom is going to Hell are also certain that they themselves are going to Heaven?
Starting with the premise that we won't have definitive answers about Heaven and Hell in this life, we will use Bell's book to explore the theology of the ancient creeds, the cultural perceptions of Heaven and Hell, and - most importantly - what the God and the Jesus we meet in the Bible point us to.
The eight-week book study will run from 7 to 8:30 pm on the following Sunday evenings: September 25, October 2, 23, and 30; November 6, 11, 27; and December 4.
Please sign up in the lobby. I have copies of the book, which costs $14 (but if that's not in your budget, please speak to me in confidence).
Hope you will join us!
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| Cleaning out your closet, garage, attic? Ready to get rid of "stuff" you'll never use again? From now until the end of October, I will be collecting items for our church's annual Holiday Fair.
I'll be accepting the following items in good condition: White elephant/attic treasures, jewelry, small working electronics, small furniture or home décor items, fiction books, CDs, DVDs, holiday decorations, children's books and toys Please -- NO computers, clothing, non-fiction or textbooks, exercise equipment or other large items. You can drop them by the church on Sunday mornings or during regular church hours (mostly mornings before noon) or contact Marcia Olson and make arrangements to have them picked them. We are also seeking donations for our Silent Auction - if you are able to make a donation of a gift certificate, gift cards, tickets to a play or sporting event, movie tickets, sports memorabilia, or some other item, we would be most grateful. |
| JEWELRY NEEDED -- Old, New, or Gently Used
Have you cleane d out your jewelry box lately? Is your accessories drawer overflowing with unwanted baubles and gems? Our church fair Jewelry Corner is looking for new stock for the next fair, coming up in November. If you have any treasures that you'd like to part with, please consider donating them to the fair. Just put them into a clear zip-lock bag and give them to Elaine Henriksen or Dee Hayes, or drop them off in the church office. Please do not leave them in the downstairs storage area where they might get lost or buried. Thank-you! |
| GET PLUGGED IN TO OUR CHURCH! Internet users now have new and improved ways to receive the latest information about our ministries and programs. We have totally revamped our Facebook page ("First Congregational Church of Stoughton"-- look for our church logo). Facebook is now the way to keep in the loop and up-to-the-minute on things happening at our church. Check us out, and be sure to "like" us!
Also, if you have any recent (i.e., less than a year old) pictures of various activities and ministries of our church (e.g., worship, the fair, small groups, fellowship suppers, mission activities, etc., etc.), please send them to Pastor Jean at revjeanlenk@uccstoughton.org so she can put them on our new Fb page (you might even be tagged!).
In addition, you are reading Jean's new blog (revjeanlenk.blogspot.com) entitled "UCC Stoughton News & Happenings." It includes "the latest news about the ministries, programs, activities, and happenings at the First Congregational Church of Stoughton, United Church of Christ (with occasional observations and opinions from its pastor)." You can also follow her on Twitter; her handle is @jeanlenk.
For those without computers, fear not! Any information on Facebook, Jean's blog, etc. that is not also communicated through Notes & Notices and The Link is posted on the bulletin board at the lower entrance; look for the sign "Pastor Jean's Blog." |
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| First Congregational Church of Stoughton United Church of Christ An Open and Affirming Congregation Our Vision We are called together to embrace God's transformation of our lives and our world by becoming and serving as Christ's disciples. |
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