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Progressive
Nativity
As the Nativity Story concludes,
we hope you will take a moment this Sunday morning to consider the circumstances of Jesus' first
years 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
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THIS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 13
IS
BIBLE SUNDAY
The Bibles presented
this Sunday are provided by:
The Mosman Perry Bible
Fund given by Everett J. Perry
in memory of his wife Eleanor D. Mosman/Perry.
Congratulations to Dustin Hyde, Drew
Cesario, and Preston Keenan who
will be receiving Bibles this
Sunday.
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2013 ANNUAL
CHURCH BUDGET MEETING
We will be holding our annual budget meeting
on January 20th,
immediately following worship,
to approve the 2013 Church Budget.
All members are urged to
attend.
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Friendly Service has delivered seven containers of
items to Seafarers Friend in Chelsea. Susan Hill volunteered to drive in and was
escorted by Janet Clough. They were warmly received by the Seafarers staff. The
staff had a ship's crew arrive a couple of days before we did and had cleaned
them out. We brought 7 heavy jackets, heavy shirts, 4 vests, 21 scarves, 3
sweatshirts, 3 sweaters, 15 hats, 43 mending kits, loads of miscellaneous
toiletries, and 2 cartons of magazines. Thank you to all of you who donated to
this outreach to people who have such limited access to stores and contacts with
people here. And our warm appreciation to Susan and Janet for bringing all of
the items in to Chelsea.
Our next meeting will be this coming Tuesday, January
15th. It was nice to see
new faces at our meeting in December and we welcome additional people to join
us. Our plan is to design new quilts. It is a fun part of our work when we can
test our artistic abilities and search our supply closet for complementary
fabrics. Please bring a lunch and join us for all or part of the day, we are
here from 9am-2pm.
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UPCOMING
FAITH-4-LIFE
YOUTH GROUP
EVENTS
This coming Sunday, January 13, we will gather at 2 pm at the church and head to King's Bowling
Lanes at Legacy Place in Dedham, where we will bowl a few strings and enjoy
supper together.
Next weekend, there are two events which will honor the legacy of
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On Saturday, January 19,
youth age 14 and above are
especially invited to participate in the City Mission Society's Day of Learning
and Service (see page 3 for more info).
We will have a regular meeting on January 20 from 5 to 6:30
pm, and then on Monday, January 21,
the Stoughton Clergy Association
is presenting a program commemorating the life and words of Dr. King (see page 2
for more info). Nina Lindsay and Ian Sangster will be reading at this event, and
everyone - especially youth - are urged to come.
Faith-4-Life is open to all Middle and High School students. For more
information, please speak to Pastor Jean
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Join our church's
team for the
Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
DAY of
SERVICE and LEARNING
Saturday, January 19
Sponsored by the City Mission Society of Boston
On Saturday, January 19, our
church will once again be participating in the City Mission Society's annual
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and Learning. We hope you will sign
up to be part of our team as a way of honoring 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.
Everyone is asked to get involved, either by participating in the day
of service, by pledging your financial support (which will be shared between CMS
and the service sites), or BOTH! Please note, you must be 14 or older. People of all abilities are
welcome!
If you are interested, and we hope you are, we ask that you make a
commitment to the program by signing up in the lobby AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.
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 - 1:00
pm
Travel to United Parish in Brookline
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Lunch, reflection and closing
celebrations
3:00 pm
Leave in carpools for return trip to Stoughton
Make it a day on, not a day off!
For more information, log
on to:
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The Life and Words of
REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Monday, January 21, 2013 ~ 7:00 PM
Immaculate Conception Church
122 Canton Street, Stoughton
Youth from the Stoughton
community, including our very own Nina Lindsay and Ian Sangster, will join the
clergy in leading this event.
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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"SPREAD THE LOVE" -
Mini-Mission
Throughout the month of January the Board of Missions and Outreach
invites you to keep those feelings of Christmas love and sharing going. This
year for our mini-mission project we will be helping our Friendly Service group
gather the supplies they need to assemble hygiene and school kits. We will be
collecting the items from the list below through Valentine's Day, February 14,
when the Faith-4-Life youth group will assist the ladies in assembling the kits.
In the face of natural disasters, violence, or grinding poverty,
Hygiene
Kits can mean the difference
between sickness and health for struggling families. Items most needed are
marked with an "*":
- Wide-tooth
comb*
- Nail clipper *
- Wash cloth
- Hand towel (approx. 16" x 28")
- Single toothbrush (in original
packaging)
School Kits give children in impoverished schools,
refugee camps, or other difficult settings some of the basic tools for learning.
We have most of the items needed to complete these kits but could really use
Blunt metal
scissors (rounded tip)*
Please be on the lookout for any of these items as you do your
shopping. Donations can be left in the church lobby. Let's continue to "Spread
the Love" of the Christmas season by sharing our blessing with
others.
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Save
the Date for our
MARDI
GRAS PANCAKE
BRUNCH
We will begin our Lenten Season with a delicious Pancake Brunch to
enjoy a rich tradition that many celebrate in our country following
worship service on
February 10, 2013.
There may be
a few surprises to remind you of Mardi Gras!
A $5.00 per
person charge, with a $20.00 per family charge, will be collected.
The monies
raised will go toward some needed equipment in our kitchen.
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Please Be Considerate
Where You Park
Due to the limited number of spots that are in the parking lot, many
members of our congregation who have difficulty walking have not been able to
park close to the entrance of our Church. Therefore, we have put up signs that say, "Reserved For Those
Requiring Proximity Parking," and ask
that you leave these for
individuals who can only walk short distances. We ask all people who are
physically able to consider
parking in one of the spots in front of the park on Pierce Street. This frees up
spots in the lot for those who really need to park
closer to the entrance.
We would also remind you to not park in any spot that has a "No
Parking" sign, or in the Fire Lanes. Thank you for your cooperation.
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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.
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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.
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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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