As the Nativity Story concludes, we hope you will take a moment this Sunday morning to consider the circumstances of Jesus' first weeks of life as told by the figures on the table in the church lobby. The final scene shows the Wise Men departing to their own country by another way, Herod ordering the murder of the Bethlehem children, and Joseph, Mary and the Babe fleeing to Egypt. The Christmas story told in this way is a reminder of the historical world into which the Christ Child was born. It is an added reminder of the great cause for celebration each time the Spirit of Christ is born in a believing heart. Women's Fellowship |
There will be NO SUNDAY SCHOOL Sunday, January 1 (New Year's Day). BUT worship will still take place and the nursery will be open! |
HEALING PRAYERS this Sunday, at 11:30 AM At 11:30 am, this Sunday, and on every Communion Sunday (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 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. |
ON JANUARY 8... CELEBRATE THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM.... REAFFIRM YOUR BAPTISM... RENEW YOUR CHURCH MEMBERSHIP VOWS... AND WELCOME OUR NEWEST MEMBERS! On January 8, the church universal celebrates the baptism of Jesus. We will be incorporating several special rites into our worship service that day. Most appropriately, we will be celebrating the sacrament of baptism. We will also be receiving several new people into membership at the First Congregational Church of Stoughton. Finally, we will offer people the opportunity to reaffirm their baptisms and for church members to reaffirm their membership vows. We hope you will join us for a very special worship service. |
PLEASE HELP US UPDATE OUR PRAYER LIST FOR THOSE IN NEED There are many people who need the prayers of our church. Since the prayer listing is updated once a month, please review the names of the people you may have added to the prayer list. Please let us know if their crisis has passed and they are recovering, so that we can update the list with new individuals who are facing a current crisis. Anyone removed from the prayer list can always be added back on, if necessary. Thank you for considering those new individuals that are in need of our prayers. |
Evelyn House Linen Drive Our annual Linen Drive for Evelyn House continues into early January. Evelyn House is always in need of a few NEW basics to replenish the supplies within the facility to help those who are transitioning to their housing. Please drop off any of the following items in the big gift boxes in the church lobby. * Twin bed sheets * Towels (all sizes) * Socks & Underwear (male & female) * T-shirts/Sweatshirts (male & female) * Grocery, Target or Wal-Mart Gift Cards (helpful to those moving into new housing) |
PLEASE WELCOME THE ASSEMBLY OF CHRIST The Assembly of Christ, under the leadership of Pastor Frantz Mangura, is renting our Sanctuary every Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. They will also be holding a Bible Study on Thursdays, 6 pm to 9 pm and on Saturdays, from 9 am to 12 noon, downstairs in room #4. They will begin on Saturday, January 7. If there is a need for these facilities by members of our church during these hours, please contact Nancy Sullivan as early as possible so we can make the necessary arrangements. The Board of Trustees |
The Life and Words of REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Monday, January 16, 2012 ~ 7:00 PM First Parish Universalist Church 790 Washington Street, Stoughton Refreshments following the program. Open to the Community A free will offering will be taken to provide food assistance to those in need in the Stoughton community through the efforts of our local food pantries. Sponsored by the Stoughton Clergy Association and Area Congregations |
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Please sign up NOW for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. DAY of SERVICE and LEARNING ~ Saturday, January 14 Sponsored by the City Mission Society of Boston Time is running out to sign up for the City Mission Society's Day of Service and Learning taking place on Saturday, January 14. Our church hopes to send a team to this event, which honors Dr. King's legacy in a positive way. The day of service offers an opportunity to participate in hands-on service projects and will end with a celebration of music and worship at United Parish in Brookline. We will meet at our church at 8 am and leave in carpools for our designated service site (to be announced) in Boston. We will work from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, then go to United Parish for lunch and closing reflections. If you are interested in being part of the team, please sign up in the lobby by Sunday, January 8. For insurance purposes, CMS requires registrants' names in advance and that participants be 14 or older. Day of Service and Learning Schedule: 8:00 am Leave UCC Stoughton in carpools for assigned service site 9:30 am - 12:30 pm Service at assigned site 12:30 to 1:00 pm Travel to United Parish in Brookline 1:00 to 3:00 pm Lunch, reflection and closing celebrations 3:00 pm Leave in carpools for return trip to Stoughton For more information, log on to: Make it a day on, not a day off! |
"SPREAD THE JOY" - SUNDAY, JANUARY 29 We have enjoyed a fairly mild winter so far this season but the cold is already nipping at our noses and we know that those snowy days and freezing nights are not far off. And thankfully, when those bitter cold days arrive, we will sit snuggled up under a blanket in our cozy homes, our hands curled around a warm cup of tea, not having to experience what it must feel like to be out on the streets of Boston as one the many homeless. Once again the Board of Missions and Outreach invite you to share your blessings of warmth, food and comfort by "sponsoring" and assembling the items listed below into ""Spread the Joy" kits to assist the City Mission Society in their outreach to the homeless this winter. To ensure we have enough supplies to complete 50 kits, we have gone ahead and purchased the items needed or solicited donations. Dr. Betsy Disharoon, a local Stoughton dentist has generously agreed to donate the toothpaste and toothbrushes for our kits. Each kit contains the following items so that you can help "Spread the Joy" of Warmth, Food and Comfort: scarf, hat, gloves, tea bags, hot chocolate packets, granola bars, peanut butter crackers, socks, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, and shampoo. For a donation of only $8 you can give this gift of comfort to the homeless. Our goal is to assemble 50 kits and we will be accepting donations throughout the month of January. That's a 2 day coffee tab from Dunkin Donuts in my house! Then, during Coffee Fellowship on Sunday, January 29, we invite all members of the congregation to join us in a "mini-mission" opportunity by making the scarves, assembling the items into the kits, and writing cards and letters to the sick and shut-in. Let's continue to "Spread the Joy" of the Christmas season and warm up the coldest days of February for some of the most vulnerable among us. For more details, please contact Marcia Olson [781-344-9547/baglole.olson@verizon.net] or any member of the Board of Missions and Outreach. |
Pilgrim District Women Winter Meeting Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Christ Congregational Church, UCC, Brockton, MA As soon as you turn your calendar over to 2012, be sure to mark and hold the date for the Winter Meeting of Pilgrim District Women, Tuesday, January 24, 2012 in Brockton. Our featured speaker will be the Rev. Bert Marshall, New England Director of Church World Service. Plan to join us for coffee fellowship at 9:30 am, followed by the program presentation and a hot luncheon prepared by the women of Christ Congregational Church. All women are welcome to come and bring a guest, whether or not your home church has an active women's group. For reservations, contact Elaine Henriksen at 781-344-0789. |
HERE'S YOUR "INVITATION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT"!
Pastor Jean will be offering a bible study program starting this month called "Invitation to the New Testament: A Short-Term Disciple Bible Study." Using Matthew's Gospel as a starting point, this study will explore how the New Testament writers and the early Christian community wrestled with the coming of Jesus - his life, actions, mission, death, and resurrection - and the implications of his arrival for their lives and their communities of faith. Moving through the Gospel of Matthew sequentially, the overarching themes from this story of Jesus provide the conversation topics for each of the eight eight sessions. Each theme is then traced through other related passages in the New Testament. Come join this conversation to study afresh the story of Jesus, who he is, and his significance for our lives, and to learn more about our calling to discipleship and to community. Jean will be offering two different meeting times for Invitation to the New Testament: Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 and Thursday evenings from 7 to 8:30 (see schedule below). Please sign up in the lobby. If you have any questions, please let Jean know. Tuesdays Thursdays 9:30-11:30 am 7:00-8:30 pm Introductory Session Jan. 24 Jan. 19 Jesus calls us... #1 ...into God's Redemption Story Jan. 31 Jan. 26 #2 ...to a Transformed Life Feb. 7 Feb. 9 #3 ...to Minister to a Hostile World Feb. 14 Feb. 16 #4 ...to Complex Communities of Faith Feb. 21 Feb. 23 #5 ...to Serve One Another Feb. 28 Mar. 8 #6 ...to a New Relationship with Tradition Mar. 6 Mar. 15 #7 ...to Live in Light of His Coming Again Mar. 13 Mar. 22 #8 ...to Experience the Gifts of His Dying Mar. 20 Mar. 29 and Rising |
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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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