Announcements and Calendar for the Week of Oct. 30, 2011

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
Today our nursery volunteer will be Joan Fortin.

Our Sunday school is in full swing now! The first rotation, Joshua Leads the People, concluded in October. The children are very busy learning new things and having fun along the way. Here is a recap of our first few weeks.
• In the Joshua rotation the children learned the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho. We concentrated on the positives of the story such as being a leader, how God separated the flowing river for the people, and how the walls of Jericho fell all because of our faith and belief in God. The children participated in science experiments with Mr. Bottieri; danced and sang with Ms. Dufresne; cooked delicious treats with Ms. O’Neill; and created memorial stones and left behind their footprints in art with Mrs. Veach. Thank you to all of our dedicated teachers.
• Fill the Ark: The children’s first offering focused on Heifer International led by Ginny Viteri and Karen Cloutier. Each child took home a calendar and a small ark bank. Each day they followed their calendar and added a small offering to their bank. Today we will conclude our Fill the Ark Program with a number of center based activities. The ark banks will be added together and an animal will be chosen.

Important upcoming dates:
November 6th: Amazing Race Scripture
November 13th Isaiah begins
November 20th: Advent Wreath making kits orders due


MISSION 1 11.1.11-11.11.11 Help us reach the goals set for our church! 111 cans for Daily Bread Food Pantry 111 letters to national officials about hunger 11% increase in our Neighbors in Need offering Check out the poster, see a member of Outreach, part part of the excitement to make a difference for those less fortunate!!!

HYGIENE KITS: For the month of October, the Women's Fellowship has been collecting combs for the hygiene kits that go to Church World Service. You don't have to be a member of Women's fellowship to donate. We still need hand towels (16" by 28") which was the requested item for September. If you can help us out, please leave your donation in the basket marked CWS in Harrison Hall. We will be asking for a different item each month until Feb. 2012, so please check Share or a church bulletin for this information. We are hoping to put together 50 hygiene kits to help people who have so little, so let's try to make that happen. If you have any questions, please call Lynn Singleton at 860-963-7229. Thanks for your support.
CHRISTMAS ON THE HILL, NOVEMBER 19, 2011: It’s not too early to think about what you can bake for the FAIR. Try an Angel Food Cake or Sticky buns! How about homemade rolls or a Pecan Pie? Don’t wait to be called! Call Barbara Child, 860-974-3648 or Sandra Walling, 860-974-0470 with a list of items you will bake for their BAKE TABLE.
COOKIES BY THE POUND has become a favorite of many, especially the “young at heart!” This year, Hope Hartland, 860-377-2332 will be filling the tins so you can purchase 2 chocolate chip cookies & 3 butterscotch cookies----whatever you want, she’ll weigh it up, just for you. If you are able to bake some cookies, call Hope to tell her what recipe you will bring to the FAIR!
RAFFLE, RAFFLE, RAFFLE!!!! The Hansen Family promises us a lovely Christmas Tree & we may have another surprise item to raffle. Buy a strip of raffle ticket on the day of the FAIR, November 19; you might be lucky & WIN! This year we will also have a lovely hand made quilt to raffle. Ruth Stevenson has spent quite a few hours making the quilt & it is beautiful!
Remember that we know the ORNAMENT MAKERS OF AMERICA & know that they will have a variety of their hand crafted ornaments for sale at the FAIR. You will also be able to purchase RADA knives & support SERRV, specializing in hand crafts from third world countries.

MUSICAL DATES TO SAVE:
- Saturday, December 3, 2:30 p.m., at the new Killingly High School: The Concert Choir performs with the ECSU Concert Chorale and members of the Diocsesan Choir of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Norwich, The Coronation Mass of Mozart and Haydn’s Te Deum, David Belles directing. Tickets are available from CCNC singers Ted Bradley, Linda and Tom Chase, Bruce and Sam Lyman. $15/ adults.
- Sunday, December 11, 4 p.m., Messiah Sing here in our church. All welcome, singers and listeners alike. Professional soloists & orchestra, scores provided, refreshments to follow.

COFFEE HOUR HOSTS, LAY READERS, AND USHERS are all still needed for the fall and winter months! Please sign up on the board if you can help!!!

JUNIOR YOUTH GROUP NOVEMBER EVENTS:
Friday, November 4th, 6:30 ~ 9:30: We will meet in the downstairs area of the church to make items to sell at Christmas on the Hill. With the recent success of our “Bone~A~Petite Gourmet Dog Treats,” confectionery artists will once more be needed to ice these adorable edibles. In addition, we will have tables set up to handcraft other items to sell. Note: If any parents are available to help that evening, please contact Jennifer J. @860-974-3489 or rj3j@charter.net.
Saturday, November 19th, 9:30am ~ 2:30 pm: Join us for Christmas on the Hill. This is always a fun time. The Junior Youth are responsible for two tables. We will have one table set up by the side entrance of the church where we will sell and serve hot, mulled cider and donuts. In the Great Room, a second table will be set up where we will offer our delectable dog treats and other handcrafted items for sale. Note: help from parents is most welcome at this event! Youth need to be able to rotate between tables, have shopping and lunch breaks, etc. If you can lend a hand, again, contact Jennifer John.


THANKSGIVING BASKETS FOR COVENANT TO CARE: Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for all that we have. It is also a time to share with those people who have little to nothing. With that in mind, the Covenant To Care Thanksgiving basket sign up sheet is once again available on the kiosk in the Harrison Hall for those of you who would like to sign up to help provide food for families in need in the Northeastern area of Ct. You will also find on this sign up sheet an envelope that holds information on the suggested menu. You can sponsor a complete basket yourself, or pair up with someone else. We encourage committees, the Boy Scouts and Youth groups to donate to this collection as a project. We hope to provide 10 baskets to Covenant To Care with the rest going to TEEG and/or Daily Bread. Also, in the next four weeks, we will accept gift cards from Stop & Shop or checks made out to FCCW with Covenant To Care written in the memo section. You can leave your donation in Ellen's desk (middle draw) or give it to any of the people listed below. All food donations should be left in the kitchen on Sunday, Nov. 20 which is the day after Christmas on the Hill, so please plan accordingly. If you have any questions, please contact Lynn or Tom Singleton (860-963-7229), Diane Peterson or Brittany LaFleur (860-928-7880) or Diane Gioco (860-963-9602). Thank you for your continuing generosity from your Covenant To Care Team.

GIV2 CLEANS UP CAMP NAHACO! Thanks to all who joined our Giv2 event last Sunday. We had an energetic crew of 35 youth and adults from 4 area churches give 70 hours of community service. We raked leaves, picked up sticks, washed windows, and spruced up the grounds. It was great to meet members of the park commission and then celebrate with a campfire and s’mores in this beautiful outdoor sanctuary . Our next Giv2 project will be on December 4.

SENIOR CAFÉ is coming on NOVEMBER 11. Our youth group will be serving at meal at the East Woodstock Congregational Church at 11:30 am on Friday, November 11. All senior citizens in the community are invited so please help us pass the word! Admission is one canned food item for the Daily Bread Food Pantry. Please RSVP to Heidi Tucker at 860-928-7449 by November 8 if you would like to attend.

CALENDAR OF THE WEEK
Today
9:15 a.m. Junior Choir warm-up
10:15 a.m. Breakfast Club @ EW
Monday
7:00 p.m. AA
Tuesday
7:30 p.m. Special Hillbillies rehearsal - Church of the Good Shepherd
Wednesday
9:00 a.m. PCT
6:30 p.m. Deacons
7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts
Thursday
6:00 p.m. Windham/Tolland Association Meeting
Next Sunday
11:20 a.m. Junior Choir
7:00 p.m. SYG Crossroads - @ EW









































































































































































































































































































.

Announcements and Calendar for the Week of October 23, 2011

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
The nursery volunteer today is Debbi Farquhar.

Today is the last day for the “Joshua Leads the People” unit:
Preschoolers and Kindergartners conduct science experiments with Charlie Bottieri;
Grades 1, 2, & 3 cook with Jill O’Neill;
Grades 4, 5, & 6 create art with Lisa Veach; and
Grades 7 & 8 enjoy music and movement with Donna Dufresne.

Next Sunday, please bring your Heifer arks so that we can fill our collective “Ark” together. Sunday School will be an exciting time with hands-on activities related to the animals given to Heifer recipient families. Come and card wool, make butter, and weave!


WE WANT YOU: The Christian Ed Ministry Team is still in need of teachers for the current Sunday School Year! Please look for our "Teacher Sign up Display" during Coffee Hour and volunteer for a rotation. First time jitters? Encourage a friend or spouse to co-teach if that seems less daunting! For those of you who have had an opportunity to teach using the Workshop Rotational Model, you know how personally fulfilling and easy it can be! Sunday School is not just for kids. Do you really know all there is to know about the Bible? Come along with us on our journey of exploration and discovery! The children need caring adults to mentor, love, and guide them as they grow in their faith.
FALL CLEAN-UP: The Grounds Committee has scheduled the Annual Fall Grounds Clean-Up for Saturday, October 29, starting at 9:30 a.m. (Rain date is Saturday, November 5th.) We anticipate about three hours of raking, trimming, leaf hauling – and fun and fellowship – followed by refreshments. Your participation is most appreciated, and this year we are excited to welcome assistance from our Boy Scouts. Please call (860-928-9187) or speak to Bruce if you can help. Thanks!

MISSION 1 11.1.11-11.11.11 Help us reach the goals set for our church! 111 cans for Daily Bread Food Pantry 111 letters to national officials about hunger 11% increase in our Neighbors in Need offering Check out the poster, see a member of Outreach, part part of the excitement to make a difference for those less fortunate!!!
SHARE deadline for the November edition is today!

HYGIENE KITS: For the month of October, the Women's Fellowship has been collecting combs for the hygiene kits that go to Church World Service. You don't have to be a member of Women's fellowship to donate. We still need hand towels (16" by 28") which was the requested item for September. If you can help us out, please leave your donation in the basket marked CWS in Harrison Hall. We will be asking for a different item each month until Feb. 2012, so please check Share or a church bulletin for this information. We are hoping to put together 50 hygiene kits to help people who have so little, so let's try to make that happen. If you have any questions, please call Lynn Singleton at 860-963-7229. Thanks for your support.

CHRISTMAS ON THE HILL, NOVEMBER 19, 2011
Bill Kimball & Dick Horsfield are good workers at the FUR & FEATHERS booth at the Fair. They sell anything to do with animals or your pet. Homemade bird houses & pet treats are popular. Call Bill, 860-974-3164 or Dick, 860-774-5093, if you have a donation or idea!
Have you called Barbara Wright with your donations for the SILENT AUCTION? Do it today, she will even make a “pick up” for you! 860-928-4068.
Can you offer some time to work at the FAIR? Call any of the Booth Chairs to offer your help or call Susan, 860-923-2887. Don’t forget to save the date to visit the FAIR, NOVEMBER 19, 10-2 p.m., meet old friends and support this major undertaking of the Women’s Fellowship of our church.

COFFEE HOUR HOSTS, LAY READERS, AND USHERS are all still needed for the fall and winter months! Please sign up on the board if you can help!!!

Announcements for the Week of Oct. 9, 2011

BREAKFAST PLANNED: The Deacons are hosting an informal breakfast at the church Sunday, October 23rd, from 8:00 until 9:30, as an opportunity for church members to get to know one another better in a relaxed atmosphere. We encourage other groups in the church to follow on with similar events, to build a caring community together.

OUR DEACONS’ FUND is supported primarily by the offering at our Christmas Eve Service, and is intended to help members of our greater church family in times of need because of medical, unemployment, family crisis, educational or other emergency. Help with losses owing to recent extreme weather would also be appropriate. Recommendations for consideration of a gift should be made to Cheryl, Leslie or Mike and will be kept confidential.

HELP "FILL THE ARK" this morning by supporting Heifer International:
-The Junior Youth Group has Gourmet Dog Treats for sale as well as some Animal Sugar Cookies. Stop by and visit the Heifer Display. Take home a snack for you and your best friend!
-The Sunday School has several copies of Beatrice's Goat for sale at a discounted price. Beatrice's Goat exemplifies what Heifer International is all about. When her family's fat, sleek new goat arrives in her poor Ugandan village, little Beatrice hugs her close and whispers, "Mama says you are our lucky gift...." And indeed it is true. Soon the goat bears two kids and provides enough milk to both feed the family and sell for profit. Until the goat arrived, life was very hard for Beatrice and her five brothers and sisters. The family could not afford to send the children to school, and it was difficult to make ends meet. Magically this one small animal, one of 12 given the village, opens up a new world of health and prosperity. Before the year is out, Beatrice happily realizes her dream of becoming a school girl and her delighted family moves into a sturdy new house. This book would make a lovely gift. It is for "children" of all ages.

JUNIOR YOUTH GROUP NEWS: The Youth made $167.00 in "faith" donations for baked goods during the Fall Rummage Sale/Bake Sale! A special thank you to everyone who baked such scrumptious goodies. It was a very successful sale!

COFFEE HOUR HOSTS NEEDED FOR FALL AND WINTER! Please sign up on the poster in Harrison Hall if you can help out! See Debbi Farquhar or Lib Putnam if you have any questions. There are also opportunities for other ways to participate; such as greeters, ushers, and lay readers for anyone interested in helping out in these important roles.

CHRISTMAS ON THE HILL is November 19th! The GENERAL STORE is looking for donations. Whether you knit mittens or hats, can veggies or jams or have fun creating a gift basket for us, all is welcome! No time to make something for us?? We also accept “new” items, candles, books, children’s toys etc. Please contact Karen Cloutier at 860 428-4799 or kcloutier65@gmail.com / Lynn Singleton at 860 963-7229 or evalynnsingleton@yahoo.com .
A Gift Basket or Wine Trio or a Gift Certificate from your place of business would be more than welcome for the PENNY SOCIAL. Call Diane Peterson 860-928-7880 and tell her about the “good item” you have in mind for the PENNY SOCIAL.

The SILENT AUCTION is also looking for items. Please call Barbara Wright to let her know what you would like to donate.

THE WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP meeting for October will be a road trip to the Masonic Facility in Charlton, MA on Wednesday, October 12. Women are encouraged to call Ruth Stevenson at 860-928-7822 to sign up. Carpooling is encouraged! We will be leaving the church at 10:30. After a tour of the facility, there will be time to visit with our friends, Ann, Margot & Ruth who moved there last year. Then we will all enjoy lunch together? Should be a fun time, but we need to let them know how many women will be having lunch. Deb Kirk will offer grace.

Save the date for the next SENIOR CAFÉ. Our youth group will be serving at meal at the East Woodstock Congregational Church at 11:30 am on Friday, November 11. All senior citizens in the community are invited. Admission is one canned food item for the Daily Bread Food Pantry. Please RSVP to Heidi Tucker at 860-928-7449 by November 8.