2013 ANNUAL
CHURCH BUDGET MEETING
We will be holding our annual budget
meeting
this Sunday, January 20th,
immediately following worship,
to approve the 2013 Church Budget.
All members are urged to
attend.
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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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UPCOMING
FAITH-4-LIFE
YOUTH GROUP
EVENTS
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. 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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PILGRIM DISTRICT
WOMEN
WINTER
GATHERING
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
First Congregational Church,
Hanover
The Winter Gathering of Pilgrim District Women, will be held at First
Congregational Church in Hanover on Tuesday, January 22nd. Our featured speaker
will be Rick Doane, Executive Director of Interfaith Social Services in Quincy.
Rick will speak to us about the breadth and depth of services provided through
this active organization and tell us about the many ways that we can help. Come
at 9:30 am for coffee and conversation, enjoy the program and stay for lunch.
All women are welcome, whether or not your local church has an active women's
group. For information contact Elaine Henriksen at 781-344-0789.
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Below
is a condensed version of Pastor Jean's January Linkcolumn. It is
being reprinted here due to the importance of its message and its invitation to
the January 26 Crossroads presentation and the January 27 Task Force meeting.
Please
let Pastor Jean know if you are interested.
Dear Friends in Christ,
On the United Church of Christ's Mass.
Conference (MACUCC) website, an invitation to Crossroads, a church vitality
training program, asks churches if they have experienced:
- A decline in worship attendance;
- Significant building issues (too much space, inadequate parking,
deferred maintenance);
- An aging membership;
- A changing neighborhood;
- A decline in financial resources.
Unfortunately, our beloved church can answer
"yes" to each of these questions. But we're not alone; many churches can say
"yes" to some, if not all, of these challenges... Across the country, religious
affiliation (and, therefore worship attendance, and therefore pledging) is
down...
So... you may be wondering why I am starting
off the New Year with such downbeat news. My response is I want to do everything
I can to ensure that our beloved church remains a vibrant and healthy presence
in our community for decades to come. But in order to do that, we must
face
realities so that we can
effectively deal with
them.
But I can't do this alone; I need your help. And so I invite you to
join me to learn more about the Crossroads Massachusetts church vitality
training program. This program, developed by our Disciples of Christ
denominational partner and sponsored by MACUCC, is designed for congregations
that find themselves at a crossroads and want to intentionally discern their
path forward. The program asks congregations to consider entering into an
intentional season of assessment, discernment, bold decision-making and
implementation.
A free "Come and See" event will take place next Saturday, January 26, beginning at 10:00 am at Union Church in Waban.
I am going, and I would love for
you to join me. For more information, log on to:
I invite attendees, and any other interested members of our church
family, to then meet with me next Sunday, January 27, at 1 pm to discuss the program further. This will be the first meeting of a
task force to evaluate our needs and begin talking about strategies to ensure
our church's continued health for generations to come. Interested? Please let me
know as soon as possible.
We have a wonderful church, but it will take the efforts of all of us
to secure its future. Please join me in this important and holy work.
Faithfully, Pastor Jean
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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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WOMEN'S
FELLOWSHIP
Will be meeting on Monday,
January 28th at 7 pm in the Fireplace Room. All women of the church are invited to join us.
The program for the evening will be "Travels with Carol,"
presented by our own Carol
Neville, a seasoned traveler. A cold January evening seems a great time to be an
"Arm Chair Traveler" in the company and warmth of friends.
As a young woman Carol traveled the world with her husband, Billy.
After his passing in 1997, her love for travel was fulfilled when she started a
group travel club wither her employer. Still later she opened up the club to the
general public from her home. She also does work as a bus escort and tour guide.
Her work may take her as close as a Boston theater or as far away as New Zealand
and beyond. Carol will share with us her love of travel, the people she meets
and her appreciation for the beauty of God's world. Please join us for the
evening. Chairperson for the evening is Amy Fowler, Devotions by Peggy Webster
and Hostesses for the evening are Bonnie Bittner and Maurine Upton.
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Save
the Date for our
MARDI
GRAS PANCAKE
BRUNCH
We will begin our Lenten Season with a delicious Pancake Brunch 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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