| HEALING PRAYERS AT 11:30 AM ON COMMUNION SUNDAYS At 11:30 am this Sunday, September 4th, and on all Communion Sundays (the first Sunday of each month), Pastor Jean will be available in the sanctuary to wrap you in a prayer shawl, hear your private prayers, anoint you with oil, and lay hands on you. If you are in need of any kind of physical, emotional, or spiritual healing, or wish to pray for someone who is...
If you are in need of any kind of physical, emotional, or spiritual healing, or wish to pray for someone who is... If you are need of reconciliation with someone or wish to make a confession to God... If you need to share your concerns, your fears, your troubles with someone else... If you simply need to know that God cares... please come.
| Calling all Sunday School Teachers! As we begin the new church year, we are in particular need of volunteers to teach the first rotation of Sunday School, "Jonah: A Reluctant Believer," which will run from September 18 and continuing through October 23. Our thanks to Dana Barnes and Russ Clough, who have already stepped up. We still need teachers for the writing, science, and movie/video workshops. 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, call or text Sally Monahan at 781-752-7276 or email her a 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, September 4th. The cost of the T-shirt is $10 each. Thank you!
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CRAFT NIGHTS continues.... but now on Thursday evenings from 7 - 9 pm in Fellowship Hall 
Thank you for coming to Craft nights during July and August. We have got so many nice items ready for the Fair in November.
Since Choir begins this evening August 31, those who were at the last craft evening decided we would continue meeting but on THURSDAY evenings at 7 p.m. during September.
I hope you can continue to come as we will concentrate on finishing up those items that need completion and begin to work on the Mason Jar delights. Even if you couldn't join us this summer, we would love to have you join us now!
For that we will need fabric circles. So if you have some interesting fabric, ribbon, pinking shears, please bring them along. There are also some glass items that could be used as candy jars...check out sales..... also, old glass ornaments look great in glass receptacles. Bring your ideas!
We will also search for ways to showcase the new items. The basement storage is a treasure store.
For further information on 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? He 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!
HARVEST SUPPER and CHURCH FAIR
Please be sure to mark the dates and times above on your calendar.
This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,
and we need everyone's help to make it a success.
Look at the next few pages to find volunteer opportunities and suggestions of specific items you may have that we could use
during our fair.
Don't be afraid to step up - there are plenty of people to help you!
Already know where you want to be?
Call the person leading that area and let them know you want to help:
Advertising Adam Isbitsky (774)277-0737
Attic Treasures Marcia Olson (781)344-9547
Books/CDs/Videos/DVDs John Baglole (781)344-9547
Baked Goods Charlene Smith (781)344-8819
Basket Raffles Leanne Kerman (781)297-7368
Children's Crafts Julie McGillicuddy (781)297-7343
Christmas Goods/Crafts Dana Barnes (508)587-9610
Fair Trade Products Rev. Jean Lenk (781)344-2395
Hand Knits Maurine Upton (781)344-4609
Harvest Dinner(Oct. 22) Charlene Smith (781)344-8819
Jewelry Elaine Henriksen (781)910-8893
Kitchen (Nov. 11&12)
Raffle Tickets Ed Porter (781)344-7032 - Something not on here that you want to do?
Call Gale Porter at (781)344-7032 so we can get it going!
| 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. 781-344-9547.
| 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 Linkis posted on the bulletin board at the lower entrance; look for the sign "Pastor Jean's Blog."
| 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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