Please
join us for an afternoon of music celebrating the Christmas season. The
performance will be held THIS Sunday, December 16th at 5pm.
A light reception in the Fellowship Hall will follow.
This
event is open to the whole community and there will be
no
admission charge -- so invite a friend!
|
The
Christmas Fund - Sunday, December 16
The Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency
Fund is the primary source of annual income for the work of the United Church
Board for Ministerial Assistance, one of the corporations comprising the Pension
Boards of the United Church of Christ.
You can honor the Christ Child during this season by bringing gifts
that will be used to support and honor those who have served, and are serving,
this beloved church. Your gifts will truly represent the incarnational nature of
the church at its best.
Gifts to the Christmas Fund help provide pension and health premium
supplementation to low-income retirees, emergency assistance to the families of
clergy and lay employees and Christmas "Thank You" Gift Checks to hundreds of
annuitants.
The Christmas Fund provides a lifeline of hope to many lower-income
active and retired clergy and lay employees in the United Church of Christ. Due
to the lingering effects of the economic recession, there have been many
instances in which gifts from the Christmas Fund have made a critical difference
in the lives of people living literally on the edge. Through your continuing
faithfulness, we will be able to provide the same level of care and compassion
as has been our tradition for more than a century. We will be taking our
collection on Sunday, December 16.
|
|
Progressive
Nativity
During this season of Advent, we hope you
will take a moment each Sunday morning, to consider the changing scenes of the
Christmas story as told by the figures on the table in the church lobby.
~Third Sunday of Advent~
Journey to Bethlehem ~ Luke 2:4,
5
Women's Fellowship
|
WOMEN'S
FELLOWSHIP
The W omen's Fellowship Christmas Gathering will take place
on
Monday, December 17th at 7 pm in
the Fireplace Room. ALL WOMEN OF THE CHURCH ARE INVITED TO JOIN US. It is a
great time of year to come and relax with us, share a brief time of devotions,
play a fun game or two, enjoy some music, have a great snack , and share in a
Yankee Swap. A grab gift of not more than $5.00 is all you need to bring plus
your willingness to have some fun. Please join us.
|
LINK
DEADLINE DECEMBER 17TH
Avoid the "Holiday Rush".
Please submit articles for the
January LINK by December 17th. This will alleviate editorial stress and
produce a more timely publication. Thank you, in advance.
If you have a group that will be meeting during the upcoming month,
please let Nancy know so that she can put it on the calendar. If you have something specific you need to
say about an upcoming
event, nowis the time to write your article.
Thanks!
|
|
Join us on December 18th to be
part of an enjoyable service time with other people at our next Friendly Service
gathering. The work that will be done is not difficult and the tasks are varied
so we are sure there is a place for you in our group. We do a lot of gabbing as
we work so there is little pressure to produce any given amount of work. We
share our joys and concerns and you will fined us a good sounding board for your
thoughts. So come and get to know more about your church friends, about your
church, and how you can be a more vital part of our church family.
We look forward to seeing new faces joining
Friendly Service.
Bring your lunch or just come for part of the
day.
We will be there from 9 am to 2
pm.
|
|
Mainspring
House Dinner
Wednesday, December 19
Our church will be serving
dinner at MainSpring house in Brockton on Wednesday,
December 19.
All casseroles should be
well-wrapped, labeled with the words MainSpring and
your name, and put in the downstairs freezer at church no later than Sunday, December 16. Cupcakes and salad fixings
should be in the upstairs kitchen by noon on Wednesday, December 19 for servers
to bring with them. Servers will meet at the church at 3:45 pm and carpool to
MainSpring House. We should be back by 6:15 pm.
Can you think of a better way
to celebrate the birth of our Lord than to serve and help the marginalized and
struggling to whom He came to share the Good News of God's love?
Thanks to all who have
prepared food, donated money or offered to serve. For further information please
contact Marcia Olson (baglole.olson@verizon.net 781-344-9547) or Rev. Jean,
or sign up in the church lobby.
|
Service of
Comfort and Peace
Thursday Evening
December
20
7:00 pm
In the midst of the season's busyness, come to
quiet your soul, light a candle, spend time in silence, listen to music of the
season, and hear God's word of hope. If you are struggling this season due to a
loss, a broken relationship, poor health, or other difficult circumstances, this
service is especially for you.
|
 MISSION OUTREACH
Mitten Tree
- Keep Little Hands and Heads Warm
The children in the Pediatric
Unit at Brockton Hospital will have a warmer winter when we fill the branches of
the Mitten Tree with hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves. We will deliver them
to Brockton Hospital right after Christmas.
Evelyn House
Linen Drive
Our annual Linen Drive for
Evelyn House kicks off the first week in Advent and 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 throughout the Advent and Christmas season.
* Twin bed sheets
* Blankets
* Bath towels
* Grocery, Target or Wal-Mart Gift Cards
(helpful to those moving into new housing)
|
HANDBELL CHOIR
The Handbell Choir rehearsals will continue from 7:00-8:30 pm in the
sanctuary balcony every Tuesday until Christmas.
|
Blessed Children's
Nursery
Blessed Children's Nursery is open every Sunday morning, (even when
Sunday School is not in session) from 9:45 am - 11:15 am during worship and
Sunday School Classes for children up to age 3. For parents of children who will
be attending the Bible Top 40 Program, child care is also available following
worship for children ranging from nursery ages through Grade 5 until 1:00 pm.
Age appropriate activities will be provided during the Bible Top 40 Program. It
is staffed with two adults at all times, our Childcare Coordinators, Lisa
Antonius-El Kary and Rosemary Amadeo.
Our nursery room is located on the lower level; take a left after the
church office, it is the first room on your right. You can drop off your
children through age 3, prior to worship, get them settled, and come up to
church OR you can bring them down at anytime during the service. After worship,
children up through Grade 5 are welcome, if parents are attending the Bible Top
40 Program.
|
If you would like to sponsor Altar Flowers, please contact Gale
DiBeneditto at 781-344-4728, or leave your information with the church office,
781-344-2371.
Please give specific information as to when you would like the
flowers placed on the altar and if it is in celebration, remembrance or in honor
of someone and a telephone number where we can contact you. The cost to sponsor
a standard arrangement is $25.00. Checks for flowers can be made out to "Nancy
Sullivan."
If you have any questions you can contact Nancy Sullivan at the
church office @ 781-344-2371 or Gale DeBeneditto @ 781-344-4728.
|
|
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.
|
|
Quick Links...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
|
