Announcements and Calendar for the Week of Feb. 28

"Continuing the Conversation"——An All Church Retreat
Saturday, March 6, 9:00-12:00 p.m.
The board of deacons invites you to a time of prayer, fellowship, and reflection on Saturday morning, March 6. After coffee and muffins, Bob and Debby Kirk will lead us in discerning who we are as a church and where we feel God is calling us to grow and serve in the coming year. This retreat will not be a "planning" event. Rather it is a time to be together as a community of friends seeking to perceive and understand how the Holy Spirit is at work among us, and where that Spirit is leading. The retreat is open to all members and friends of our church. For planning purposes it would be helpful to know how many will be attending. Lunch will be served at noon for those wishing to stay for a bite to eat. Please let us know if you need child care or transportation. Both can be arranged. There is a sign up sheet on the kiosk in the Great Room.


NEXT SUNDAY’S MORNING WORSHIP will be an Intergenerational communion service and children will be welcome to participate. At a recent Board of Deacons meeting, it was suggested we republish our communion policy.

COMMUNION POLICY
At the February 1977 meeting of the Board of Deacons and Deaconesses, the open communion policy of this church was affirmed for children as well as adults. It is the tradition of our church to invite all to eat at our Lord’s table who confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior, who seek the mercy of God, and who desire peace with their neighbors. Membership in this church of Christ is not a prerequisite for sharing in the Sacrament of Communion. This applies to children as well as adults.
However, the Diaconate also affirmed our understanding that it is the responsibility of Christian parents in fulfilling the vows they made at the baptism of their children, to decide with their children when it is best for children to participate in the sacrament of Our Lord’s Supper. This would mean, therefore, that a child and his/her parents will decide when it is appropriate for that child to participate. It will be the policy of the Diaconate, however, to offer the elements of communion to all.

THIS MORNING’S CHURCH SCHOOL ROTATIONS:
Pre-K/Kinder/Gr 1 –– Cooking –– Mr. Jim Nowak;
Grades 2 & 3 –– Games –– Mr. Andy Perry,
Grades 4 & 5 –– Art –– Miss Kat Bottieri,
Grades 6/7/8 –– Science –– Mr. Charlie Bottieri

Prayer Wall –– Families and friends are invited to place prayers on the prayer wall in the church school classroom corridor. The church school children will lift up those prayers each Sunday morning.

Daily Bread –– Peanut Butter & Jelly: Nothing is more tasty, nutritious and economical than a yummy PB & J! Please add a jar of peanut butter and jelly to your shopping list each week to help feed our community friends in need. Thank you so much. You may leave your food gifts on the designated table in the Great Room.

The Junior Choir will be singing We Remember You for next Sunday’s Communion service. Singers should plan to be here at 9:15 a.m. for warm-ups.

AID TO HAITI: Thank you for all the generous donations for the Baby Care Kits for Haitian infants! Our Lenten group packed up thirty four kits last Wednesday night. If we can gather 30 more infant size t-shirts, we have enough of the other items to make 15 more complete kits. We also need a few more sturdy cardboard boxes for shipping. We will do our final packing on Tuesday, March 2 at 1:00 PM at the Hill Church. Give Debby Kirk a call at 860-377-2675 if you would like to help. All of your donations will be shipped to Church World Service, an agency that partners with UCC churches and has been working in Haiti for decades.

DON’T HAVE TIME TO COOK DINNER? Chicken Pot Pies are available in the kitchen freezer for a suggested $5.00 donation. All proceeds to benefit the general fund for operating expenses. Please leave your donation in the envelope on the freezer door. Thank you and enjoy!


CALENDAR OF THE WEEK
TODAY:
9:15 a.m. Sr. Bells warm-up
12:00 p.m. Giv2 Planning Team here
MONDAY
7:30 p.m. AA
7:30 p.m. Sr. Bell Choir
TUESDAY
10:30 a.m. Bible Study
1:00 p.m. Pack baby kits
7:00 p.m. Deacons
WEDNESDAY
9:00 a.m. PCT
6:00 p.m. Lenten program
7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts
THURSDAY
7:00 p.m. Sr. Choir
SATURDAY
9:00 a.m. All-Church Retreat
10:00 a.m. Cemetery Association meeting at M. Pomeroy’s
NEXT SUNDAY - Intergenerational Sunday
9:15 a.m. Jr. Choir warm-up
10:00 a.m. SYG Breakfast Club at EWCC
11:15 a.m. Luncheon after worship service