Announcements and Calendar for the Week of Oct. 31

The church school will be collecting non perishable food items during the month of November for Covenant to Care Thanksgiving baskets. We are collecting canned vegetables and fruits, stuffing mix, pie crust mix, cranberry sauce, canned yams, gravy, etc. Please leave items in the basket located in the Great Room. Thank you for your help.

Advent Wreath-Making –– Soup and Sandwich Lunch! - Sunday, November 29th: All members of the congregation are invited to join us immediately following the worship service on November 29th for soup, sandwiches and wreath-making. Join in the food, fellowship, and festivity as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus Christ. Everyone is invited, even if you just want a tasty lunch! Please sign up in the Great Room so that we can plan accordingly for wreath supplies and food. Thank you to the Hansen family tree farm for donating our fresh evergreens!

Christmas Pageant rehearsals will begin on November 22nd during regular church school class time. Our main cast of characters will be chosen on the 22nd. Children of all ages will have a role in the pageant. Regular attendance is important over the coming weeks! Thank you to our directors, Eva Hulme and Leslie Sweetnam. We are seeking high school youth to assist. The pageant date is December 20th immediately following the worship service.

CHRISTMAS ON THE HILL: Plan to have LUNCH at the Fair___CHRISTMAS ON THE HILL, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 10_2 P.M. After you enjoy your lunch, consider taking an extra portion of the yummy Chicken Pot Pie or another menu selection home for a good supper or next day lunch option! Our CHIEF COOK & BOTTLE WASHER (I wonder where that expression came from ????) Jamie Harrison is accepting food donations for the luncheon so call Jamie at the church 928 7405 if this is a way you feel you can participate in the Fair.
Call Barbara Wright with your last minute donations for the Silent Auction___she may even be able to do a "pick up" 928 4068!


CALENDAR OF THE WEEK
Today
11:15 Jr. Choir
11:30 Second Hour
7:00 SYG meeting
Monday
7:30 Sr. Bells
7:30 AA
Tuesday
10:30 Bible Study
Wednesday
9:00 PCT
7:00 Deacons
Thursday
7:00 Sr. Choir
Friday
7:30 SYG Lock-In begins
Saturday
9:00 SYG Lock-In ends
9 - 1 Clean-Up Day
2:00 Madeline Mann memorial service
Next Sunday
1:15 Jr. Choir
.

HEALTH CARE REFORM UPDATE SECOND HOUR TODAY. Ken Esposito will be our guest this morning for a special second hour on health care reform. Hired by the Christian Activities Council (our UCC city mission organization in Hartford) Ken is a congregational organizer providing education on health care issues in Connecticut. He was instrumental in assisting our state legislature to pass the SustiNet legislation last summer. That legislation will eventually help create a large insurance pool by combining state employees, retirees, and people covered by state assistance programs. The pool would also be open to members of the public without insurance, those with inadequate insurance, and employers, starting with small businesses, nonprofits and municipalities. Ken is here with us today to explain the SustiNet legislation and to answer questions about the status of health care reform in Connecticut.

CHRISTMAS REVELS: We are trying to organize a group purchase of tickets to the Christmas Revels on Sunday December 27th at 1 pm at Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, MA. There's a possibility that we may charter a bus, if not too expensive. There is a room for 46 people on a chartered bus. So far we have almost 8 families/20+ individuals interested. Please let Maria Sangiolo (maria@mariasangiolo.com) or 974-1691 know by Sunday November 8th if you would like to attend. We will need a 50% deposit by that date. Ticket prices range between $32 for kids and $42 for adults. However, we are working out a group discount with the Revels Office which is yet to be determined. Thank you, Maria Sangiolo

SYG LOCK IN for kids in grades 9-12 will be on Friday, November 6. Save the date and invite a friend! Permission slips will be posted online next week.

THE SENIOR CAFÉ will be held on Wednesday, November 11 at the Hill Church. Members of our youth group will prepare and serve this noontime meal to all senior citizens in the community. Call Debby Kirk at 860-928-3215 if you would like to attend.

Announcements and Calendar for the Week of Oct. 25

CHRISTMAS-ON-THE-HILL: How is your gift buying list for birthdays, anniversaries and CHRISTMAS coming? Plan now to include CHRISTMAS ON THE HILL, Nov. 21, 10_2 p.m. in your shopping efforts! Handmade ORNAMENTS, CRABTREE & EVELYN items, SERRV gifts by third world artisans, SCARVES from the Turkish Scarf Project, items from the SILENT AUCTION OR PENNY SOCIAL OR UNIQUE BOUTIQUE & COUNTRY STORE are all possibilities. Gift yourself with JEWELRY or a new RADA KNIFE! (Remember, some of these booths also need your DONATIONS!) Got a question about the Fair? Call Suzanne Woodward at 974-1553 or Susan Waldron at 923-2887.

Youth Group CORN MAZE EVENT is this afternoon! All kids in grades 5-12 are welcome. Meet us at the Hill Church at 3:30 PM and bring $5 for admission. We will return to the Hill Church for hotdogs and cider so plan to get picked up at 7:00 PM. Speak to Debby Kirk or Jennifer John for details.

SYG LOCK IN for kids in grades 9-12 will be on Friday, November 6. Save the date and invite a friend! Permission slips will be posted online next week.

THE SENIOR CAFÉ will be held on Wednesday, November 11 at the Hill Church. Members of our youth group will prepare and serve this noontime meal to all senior citizens in the community. Call Debby Kirk at 860-928-3215 if you would like to attend.


Next Sunday, November 1st is Bible Sunday! Five third graders will receive the gift of a NSRV Children’s Bible from our church family. Family and friends are invited to celebrate in this joyous occasion! This will be an intergenerational service and the Junior Choir will sing "Lord, Teach Me".

The church school will be collecting non perishable food items for the month of November. We are seeking food items such as canned vegetables, fruits, pie crust mixes, cranberry sauce, canned potatoes, gravy, etc. Please leave your donations in the basket in the Great Room. Thank you so much.


CHRISTMAS REVELS: We are trying to organize a group purchase of tickets to the Christmas Revels on Sunday December 27th at 1 pm at Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, MA. There's a possibility that we may charter a bus, if not too expensive. There is a room for 46 people on a chartered bus. So far we have almost 8 families/20+ individuals interested. Please let Maria Sangiolo (maria@mariasangiolo.com) or 974-1691 know by Sunday November 8th if you would like to attend. We will need a 50% deposit by that date. Ticket prices range between $32 for kids and $42 for adults. However, we are working out a group discount with the Revels Office which is yet to be determined. Thank you, Maria Sangiolo

HEALTH CARE REFORM UPDATE SECOND HOUR NEXT SUNDAY: Ken Esposito will be our guest next Sunday for a special second hour on health care reform. Hired by the Christian Activities Council (our UCC city mission organization in Hartford) Ken is a congregational organizer providing education on health care issues in Connecticut. He was instrumental in assisting our state legislature to pass the SustiNet legislation last summer. That legislation will eventually help create a large insurance pool by combining state employees, retirees, and people covered by state assistance programs. The pool would also be open to members of the public without insurance, those with inadequate insurance, and employers, starting with small businesses, nonprofits and municipalities. Ken will be with us next Sunday to explain the SustiNet legislation and to answer questions about the status of health care reform in Connecticut.

CALENDAR OF THE WEEK
TODAY
9:15 a.m. Sr. Bells warm-up
11:30a.m. Jr. Choir
3:30 p.m. SYG to Corn Maze
4:00 p.m. Ecclesiastical Council for Debbie Pallatto-Fontaine
MONDAY - SHARE Deadline
7:30 p.m. AA Group
3:45 p.m. Mixed Bells
7:30 p.m. AA
TUESDAY
10:30 a.m. Bible Study
3:30 p.m. Knitting Group
THURSDAY
7:30 p.m. Sr. Choir
NEXT SUNDAY
11:30 a.m. Second Hour
7:00 p.m. Youth Ministry Team & Youth Group

Announcements and Calendar for the Week of Oct. 18

PRE-REGISTRATION IS NOW for your live Christmas Wreaths and Dried Fruits & Nuts! See the form, visit the church office or call Linda Chase for nuts 928-5838 or Nancy Horsfield 774-5093 for wreaths. These wreaths are imported from Canada, fresh and the nuts are in 1 pound packages and of high quality, great for munching, gifts or baking! Stock up now! Delivery is at the Christmas on the Hill event on November 21, 10-2 .

AS WE GO TO PRESS for the bulletin, rain is in the forecast for Sunday. We have set next Sunday, October 25 as the rain date for Youth Group Corn Maze and Cookout. This event is for all kids in grades 5-12. Please speak to Debby or Jen John if you are able to drive and let us know if your child would like come. We will meet at the Hill Church at 3:30 PM and return by 7:00.

FALL CLEAN-UP: It’s all part of the plan: every year at this time the leaves fall from the trees. As is our tradition, the Grounds Team invites your help in removing them from the church lawns and yard. Other necessary tasks include light pruning and sweeping. Please join us on Saturday, October 24th , 9:30 a.m. (rain date of November 7th ) for a joyful stint in good company. Bring your rake, pruners, or a broom. We’ll have coffee, cider, and some sort of crumpet to sustain you. You can sign up with Bob Kirk or Bruce Lyman, call 928-9187 (Lyman), or write your name on the sheet at Coffee Hour. Thanks.

"Dig Into The Bible" rotations:
The Scriptorium –– Pre-K/Kinder/Gr 1 –– Kate Donahue
Bible Games –– Grades 2 & 3 –– Jill O’Neill
Cooking in the Kitchen –– Grades 4 & 5 –– Jennifer John and Sammi Miller
Storytelling –– Grades 6/7/8 - Jill Eichner

WEEKLY CALENDAR
TODAY
SR. Youth Group Trip to Corn Maize canceled til next week due to rain!
MONDAY
7:30 p.m. AA Group
7:30 p.m. Sr. Bells
TUESDAY
10:30 a.m. Bible Study
7:30 p.m. Hillbillies
WEDNESDAY
7:30 p.m. Boy Scouts .
FRIDAY - SUNDAY Annual Meeting CT UCC all weekend in Middletown
NEXT SUNDAY
9:15 a.m. Sr. Bells Warm-up
3:30 p.m. SYG Corn Maze
4:00 p.m. Ecclesiastical Council for Debbie Pallatto-Fontaine

Calendar and Announcements for the Week of Oct. 11

WEEKLY CALENDAR

TODAY
11:15 a.m. SYG to Worcester Fellowship
11:30 a.m. Junior Choir
3:30 p.m. SYG returns to EW
MONDAY
9:00 a.m. Community. Kitchen
7:30 p.m. AA Group
TUESDAY
10:30 a.m. Bible Study
7:30 p.m. Church Council WEDNESDAY
10:00 a .m. Women’s Fellowship
7:30 p.m. Boy Scouts
THURSDAY
7:00 p.m. Sr. Choir
FRIDAY/SATURDAY B & B Weekend
NEXT SUNDAY Church School Classroom Dedication
11:30 a.m. Jr. Choir
3:30 p.m. Youth in Grades 5 - 12 to Corn Maze


SPECIAL THANK YOU to all those who donated yummy confections to the Youth Planned Autumn Bake Sale. Thank you, too, to those youth and adults who helped out at this semi-annual event. All proceeds from the sale were given to the Women's Fellowship.

CHRISTMAS ON THE HILL will be here before you know it. Plan now to pre-order your holiday Dried Fruits & Nuts. This year you will be able to order Holiday Medley which contains cashews, pecans, dried cherries & dried cranberries. Also available are walnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, apricots, and chocolate covered cranberries. Each comes in a 1 pound bag and all items freeze well. Look for the order form in church bulletins or the SHARE for October & place your order now by adding a check for the total and leave with the form in the church office or with Linda Chase who can be reached at 928 5838. Early orders must be completed now for pick up at the Fair. Mark your calendar now for the Fair---Saturday, November 21, 2009, 10-2 p.m.

The October Outreach project for Youth Group is ministry to the homeless through the Worcester Fellowship. Youth in grades 8-12 are meeting at East Woodstock this morning to make sandwiches for the program. We leave at 11:15 to drive to Worcester where we will share worship and a meal with the homeless. Please keep our youth and our neighbors who live on the street in your prayers. You can get more information about the program at www.worcesterfellowship.org

ARACHNOPHOBIA!!! All youth in grades 5-12 are invited for fall fun on Sunday, October 18. We’’ll find our way through the Pomfret Corn Maze and enjoy a cookout after. Speak to Jen John today or email Debby Kirk to reserve your spot. Cost is $5 per person and friends are welcome. Meet here at the Hill Church at 3:30 PM and plan to get picked up at 7:30 PM.

MANY THANKS to all who worked or supported the Rummage & Bake Sales through purchases! It was great fun and so nice to be able to hold the event in the "new basement!"

THE MONTHLY MEETING OF THE WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP will be held at 10:30 on Wednesday, October 14, 2009. The business meeting will be followed by an exciting program, entitled, "Egypt_a National Geographic Adventure" with Lois & Bill Brower. We would like to invite gentlemen to attend this program of interest & stay for a simple lunch, hosted by Lib Putnam, Chloe Puffer & Ruth Stevenson, with Deb Kirk offering worship.


FALL CLEAN-UP - It’s all part of the plan: every year at this time the leaves fall from the trees. As is our tradition, the Grounds Team invites your help in removing them from the church lawns and yard. Other necessary tasks include light pruning and sweeping. Please join us on Saturday, October 24th , 9:30 a.m. (rain date of November 7th ) for a joyful stint in good company. Bring your rake, pruners, or a broom. We’ll have coffee, cider, and some sort of crumpet to sustain you. You can sign up with Bob Kirk or Bruce Lyman, call 928_9187 (Lyman), or write your name on the sheet at Coffee Hour. Thanks.

This Morning’s Church School "Tabernacle" Rotations: Science Room with Laurie Trudeau –– Pre-K / Kinder/Gr 1 Kitchen with Karen Cloutier and Dylan Girardi –– Grades 2 & 3 Computer with Ellie Donahue –– Grades 4 & 5 Art with Kelly Bottieri and Sammi Miller –– Grades 6/7/8

THANK YOU Laurie, Karen, Dylan, Kelly and Sammi for your leadership these past four weeks. Your manna and quail tasting, weaving and incense making truly brought our Tabernacle to life! A special thank you goes out to the Cloutier family for their dazzling Ark of the Covenant they construced for us, and to the John family for the very realistic Ten Commandment tablets they created! We will use these props many times over in the future. Thank you!

October 18th is a BIG DAY for Church School! Come join the celebration! Our new classrooms will be dedicated and we will thank all of the skilled craftspeople who transformed our downstairs into an amazing and exciting new space for children’’s worship and education. Plan to stay for coffee hour. It will be a gala event!

October 18th –– November 15th - "Dig Into The Bible" rotations! In the monastery listen to Gregorian chant while scripting in calligraphy at your bench with Kate Donahue. Put together a library of 66 books and test your knowledge on those books through Bible baseball with Jill O’Neill. Sit around the campfire under the stars and listen to the storyteller, Jill Eichner. Bible food, fun and facts abound in the kitchen rotation with Jennifer John and Sammi Miller. All of this surrounds Bible Sunday which will be held on November 1st. Third grade children will receive the gift of a Bible from our church family during this worship service. The Junior Choir will sing.
October 18th –– A great day to bring friends! With all of the excitement of the new classrooms, the stewardship visits, and the delightfulness of these crisp autumn days, there’’s never been a more inviting time to welcome friends and family members into our church community than next Sunday! We all have gifts we can use to help fulfill the Great Commission. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…………Matthew 28:19-20. God is still speaking. Who will you bring next week? Make it your priority to invite someone! We will be waiting at the door to greet them (-:

Announcements and Calendar for the Week of Oct. 4

BAKE SALE REMINDER: Don't forget to sign up in the Great Room if you'll be making goodies for the bake sale to be held on the first day of the rummage sale Friday, October 9th, from 2p-5p. You may also call Jennifer John @ 974-3489 and let her know what you'll be making or drop an email to rj3j@charter.net. All donations should be clearly labeled and left in the kitchen downstairs prior to the sale. (It would be helpful to note if there are nuts in any of the baked goods as this is a frequently asked question.) Don't worry about amounts. Volunteers will sort and package items with festive ribbons. Not sure what to bake? Brownies, cookies, cupcakes with seasonal sprinkles, apple or pumpkin pie, tea breads, cakes, muffins...you name it! Anything that evokes the flavors and aromas associated with autumn! Those youth in grades 5-12 who wish to help out at this event should contact Jennifer John. Remember, this is a way for the youth to help Women's Fellowship!

The October Outreach project for Youth Group is ministry to the homeless through the Worcester Fellowship. We will be collecting new white athletic socks for men and women up until October 11. You may leave donations in the collection box in the great room. Youth in grades 8 -12 who would like to participate should speak to Debby Kirk today. We will meet here at East next Sunday at 10 am to make sandwiches and then drive to Worcester to share worship and a meal with the homeless. Check the website www.worcesterfellowship.org for more information.

ARACHNOPHOBIA!!! All youth in grades 5-12 are invited for fall fun on Sunday, October 18. We’’ll find our way through the Pomfret Corn Maze and enjoy a cookout after. Speak to Jen John or Debby Kirk to reserve your spot. Cost is $5 per person and friends are welcome. Meet here at the Hill Church at 3:30 PM and plan to get picked up at 7:30 PM.


REMEMBER THE RUMMAGE SALE! The FALL RUMMAGE & WHITE ELEPHANT SALE Coming to our church, Friday, October 9, 2_5 p.m. and Saturday, October 10, 9 a.m. _12 noon. Donations may be left in the Great Room closet until 12 noon on Thursday, October 8. Youth of the church will hold a BAKE SALE on Friday afternoon. We need boxes to pack up the leftovers & folks (men, too) to help do this. Stop by anytime to help sort & come to SHOP!! See YOU there?

WEEKLY CALENDAR
TODAY
11:15 a.m. Stewardship Kick-off Brunch
7:00 p.m. Youth Ministry Team
MONDAY
3:45 p.m. Mixed Bells
7:30 p.m. AA Group
7:30 p.m. Sr. Bells
TUESDAY
10:30 a.m. Bible Study
7:30 p.m. Trustees
WEDNESDAY
7:00 p.m. Deacons
7:30 p.m. Boy Scouts
THURSDAY
7:00 p.m. Outreach
FRIDAY
2 - 5 p.m. Rummage Sale
with JYG Bake Sale
SATURDAY
9 - 12 noon Rummage Sale