Announcements and Calendar for the Week of Dec. 20

All Church School Children will meet in the Great Room at 10:00 for costuming and a pageant run through.

The Church School Invites You to stay for our Christmas pageant this morning immediately following the worship service in the Great Room. After the play, we will open the food and craft markets. Please join us!

IF WE SHOULD decide to cancel a Sunday morning service due to the weather, it will be announced on WINY (1350 AM) and on NBC 30 TV.

SPREAD THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS! All youth in grades 5 and up (young adults, too) are invited to join our caroling group this afternoon. We will meet here at the Hill Church at 4 PM and then make visits to folks in town. Dress for the weather and bring your own flashlight. We are still looking for a few drivers so speak to Debby Kirk or Charlie Bottieri if you want to help. Carolers will return to the church at 6:00 for pizza. Plan to get picked up at 6:30 PM.

KNITTING CIRCLE will meet on Tuesday, December 29 at 3:30 PM. All are welcome.
SERRV ITEMS will be on sale for last minute gift giving in the Market Place after church today for your last minute gift buying needs!

SAVE THE DATE! Begin the New Year with some food and fellowship! After church on Jan. 3, please join us for lunch, sponsored by our Board of Deacons. More information to follow.


CALENDAR OF THE WEEK
TODAY
9:15 a.m. Sr. Bells warm-up
11:30 a.m. Visiting Bethlehem
4:00 p.m. SYG Caroling
MONDAY
7:30 p.m. AA
7:30 p.m. Sr. Bells
WEDNESDAY
6:00 p.m. Wedding rehearsal
THURSDAY
7:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
SATURDAY
4:00 p.m. Wedding
NEXT SUNDAY - No Church School
- SHARE deadline
11:15 a.m. Trip to Revels
UPCOMING DEADLINE: Jan. 4 - Annual Report

Announcements and Calendar for the Week of Dec. 13

THE WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP meeting last Wednesday was canceled due to the storm. WE HAVE RESCHEDULED IT TO WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16 AT 10:30. Our Program will be about the Ornament Makers of America by Ruthie Kimball and company. Hostesses will be Nancy Horsfield, Ruthie Kimball & Susan Waldron, with Lib Putnam providing Worship. Plan to stay for lunch immediately following the meeting & Program.

2008 HOSPICE TREE OF LIFE CEREMONY: Share the heartwarming experience of a Hospice Tree of Life Ceremony. Friends, families, and neighbors are invited to attend any of the tree lightings being held TODAY at 5:00 p.m. These lightings honor loved ones and the work of Hospice and Palliative Care of NE CT. Song, prayer, reflection, and refreshments will be offered. Brooklyn - Creamery Brook Retirement Village; Danielson - Davis Park; Pomfret - across from the Vanilla Bean; Putnam - St. Mary’s Church; Thompson - St. Joseph’s Church; Woodstock - Roseland Cottage.

SYG CAROLING - next Sunday, Dec. 20, from 4 - 6:30 p.m. For youth in Grade 5 - college age. Meet here at church and we will head out in a caravan to sing carols! This is a great way to pass on the spirit of Christmas to elderly neighbors in town. (Don’t worry if you can’t sing - we’ll give you jingle bells to ring!) Bring a friend and a flashlight. We’ll finish with a pizza supper so plan to get picked up at 6:30. RSVP to Deb so we can plan our pizza order.

ALL CHURCH SCHOOL CHILDREN will begin in the Great Room this morning at 10:00 a.m. to rehearse for our Christmas pageant. We will re-enter the sanctuary for the offertory, anthem, and procession of the gifts.

THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT will take place next Sunday immediately following the worship service. The pageant will be directed by Eva Hulme and Leslie Sweetnam. Please join us for the retelling of the Christmas story. Stay for some tasty Mediterranean fare to follow. Make a special ornament with Kathryn Lynn and Kelly Bottieri to decorate your home or tree. A wonderful intergenerational Christmas event! Invite friends and family!
SERRV items will be on sale for last minute gift giving in the Market Place after church on Sunday, December 20 for your last minute gift buying needs. Dried Fruits & Nuts will also be on sale. If you need nuts for baking before that time call Linda Chase at 860 928 5838.


WEEKLY CALENDAR
TODAY - Gift Sunday
5:00 p.m. Hospice Tree of Life
MONDAY - Community Kitchen
7:30 p.m. AA Group
TUESDAY
7:30 p.m. Hillbillies
WEDNESDAY
10:30 a.m. Women’s Fellowship (rescheduled)
THURSDAY
7:00 p.m. Sr. Choir
7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts
NEXT SUNDAY
11:15 a.m. Church School Pageant and Bethlehem event
4:00 pm Senior Youth Group Caroling

UPCOMING DEADLINES:
Next Sunday, Dec. 20 - January SHARE
Jan. 4 - Annual Report

Announcements and Calendar for the Week of Dec. 6

GIFT SUNDAY: Our Annual Gift Service will be held next Sunday. If you took a tag, please bring the gift(s) to service. Gifts will be distributed by Covenant to Care to needy children in our area. As always, we are asked by Covenent to Care to please place your gifts in a shopping bag along with some wrapping paper and bows. Please don’t wrap your gifts! Although it would "look nicer", the purpose of this is to give parents the chance to wrap their own child’s gifts. Also, Covenent to Care has some regulations that necessitate inspection of all gifts. And please include the tag with your gift!! We appreciate your understanding and know all of you will honor these requests.

SANTA’S SITTING SERVICE will return on Saturday, December 12. Parents -- save this date! Youth group will members will watch your kids from 9:00 am to 3:00 PM so you can take care of shopping or other holiday preparations. See Debby Kirk after church today or call Dianna Rebello at 928-4001 to make a reservation. Teens in grades 7-12 who would like to help with babysitting can also sign up with Debby. Money raised will go toward our trip to the Regional Youth Event in Boston.

WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP will meet at 10:30 on December 9. Our Program will be about the Ornament Makers of America by Ruthie Kimball and company. Hostesses will be Nancy Horsfield, Ruthie Kimball & Susan Waldron, with Lib Putnam providing Worship. Plan to stay for lunch immediately following the meeting & Program.

2008 HOSPICE TREE OF LIFE CEREMONY: Share the heartwarming experience of a Hospice Tree of Life Ceremony. Friends, families, and neighbors are invited to attend any of the tree lightings being held on Dec. 13 at 5:00 p.m. These lightings honor loved ones and the work of Hospice and Palliative Care of NE CT. Song, prayer, reflection, and refreshments will be offered. Brooklyn - Creamery Brook Retirement Village; Danielson - Davis Park; Pomfret - across from the Vanilla Bean; Putnam - St. Mary’s Church; Thompson - St. Joseph’s Church; Woodstock - Roseland Cottage

This Morning’s Church School:
Pre-school through grade 1 –– Advent story and craft class with Kat Bottieri. Grades 2 through 8 - Pageant rehearsal in the downstairs area of the church.
THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT will take place on December 20th, immediately following the worship service. Enjoy the presentation of the Christmas story by our church school children. Then feast on some very tasty Mediterranean delights! In the marketplace, Kathryn Lynn will show us wool wet felting and Kelly Bottieri will help us make Christmas sheep ornaments. The church school children are learning about the important role of the shepherds during this season of Advent. Mark your calendars for this wonderful event!
DAILY BREAD –– the church school will be collecting CANNED SOUPS AND STEWS throughout December for community friends in need. Please be generous and leave your donations on the table in the Great Room. Thanks so much.
THANK YOU to the Hansen Family Tree Farm for the BOUNTIFUL table of evergreens they donated for Advent wreath-making!

WEEKLY CALENDAR
TODAY
11:15 a.m. Jr. Choir
2:30 p.m. SYG to "Lost & Found" concert in Simsbury
MONDAY
3:15 p.m. Bell Choirs to Pierce Baptist Home
7:30 p.m. AA Group
TUESDAY
10:30 a.m. Bible Study
7:30 p.m. Council
WEDNESDAY
10:30 a.m. Women’s Fellowship
7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts
SATURDAY
9 - 3 SYG Santa’s Sitting Service
NEXT SUNDAY Gift Sunday
5:00 p.m. Hospice Tree of Life