BELLS OF HOPE
This is the third annual Bells of Hope: Ringing in a Brighter Tomorrow for CT’s Waiting Children. Bells of Hope is one of Connecticut’s statewide National Adoption Month initiatives. It is a weekend where faith communities partner with the Child Welfare System by raising your community’s voices in prayer and/or ringing bells for all the Connecticut children waiting for permanent homes. This evening at 6 p.m bells are to ring one time for each Connecticut child in need of a permanent home. Last year that number was 22. This year the number is 28. In the past three years this event has grown to include over 160 faith communities throughout the state. This year Serenity Bottieri will ring our bell to stand in solidarity with this cause.
MISSION 1 continues (inspite of our freaky snow storm!) Last Sunday was to be our big push for letter writing to the President & congress, so let's do it today instead! Stop by the tables in the Great Room for ideas & already addressed envelopes---help us reach 111 letters!
It's not too late for canned goods either.
Spend some time reading the Hunger Facts on the Coffee Hour table. It seems appropriate as we ask for donations of all kinds to stem the tide of hunger, that we offer up our sweets and treats this Sunday as a symbol of our solidarity with all those less fortunate than we are.
We are collecting our Neighbors in Need offering today. If you forgot your Neighbors in Need envelope, you can still add your check to the offering plate, just be sure to write NIN in the memo and we thank you in advance for helping those less fortunate & those who go to bed hungry, night after night!
Do plan to join us next week as we celebrate all we did for hunger over the last weeks for Mission 1: 11.1.11 to 11.11.11, "that they may all be 1"
WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP will meet at 10:30 on Wednesday, November 9 with our special program, ROMA CHILDREN with Jeanne Grandy, a member of the Service Committee of the CT Women of the UCC State Board. This is a fascinating topic so bring a friend or husband & plan to stay for lunch to follow. Final plans will be formulated for the Christmas on the Hill fair.
HYGIENE KITS: 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"). 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.
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.
GIV2 CLEANS UP CAMP NAHACO! Thanks to all who joined our Giv2 event on October 23. 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 when we share holiday cheer and sing carols at a local nursing home.
CROSSROADS Youth Group Meeting will be held tonight at 7 PM at the East Woodstock Congregational Church. All youth in grades 9-12 are welcome for snacks, games and conversation. We’ll do some final planning for our Sr Café. Invite a friend and join us!
SENIOR CAFÉ is coming on NOVEMBER 11. Our youth group will be serving at hot 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! Friends are welcome! 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.
JUNIOR YOUTH GROUP:
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.
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!!!
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.
The LUNCHEON is always a popular spot at the FAIR. This year, Jim Nowak, 860-974-1367 is the Chief Cook & Bottle Washer for the event. A varied menu will feature Chicken Pot Pie, soup & sandwiches, as well as some lighter offerings. Any menu item will be available for take out so you don’t need to cook after a long day at the FAIR. How can you help? Make a monetary donation to off set the cost of the supplies or call to make a food donation. EAT AT THE FAIR---GOOD FOOD----FRIENDLY COOKS!
As always we will have a table of CRABTREE items, & JEWELRY. (Donations can be made to Sherrill Cyr, 963-2228 for the JEWELRY TABLE). Don’t forget, there will be mini concerts throughout the day by our own HANDBELLS!
SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS:
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
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS will be holding a blood drive tomorrow here, in the downstairs area. Please consider donating blood, as there is a chronic shortage during the winter months!
CALENDAR OF THE WEEK
Today
9:15 a.m. Junior Choir warm-up
7:00 p.m. SYG Crossroads Meeting at EW
Monday
1 - 6 Red Cross Blood Drive
7:00 p.m. AA
7:30 p.m. Bell Choir rehearsal
Wednesday
10:00 a.m. Staff Meeting
10:30 a.m. Women’s Fellowship
7:00 p.m. Giv2 Planning Team Meeting (site TBA)
7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts
Thursday
2:00 p.m. Food prep for Sr. Café (at EW)
Friday
11:30 a.m. Sr. Café @ EW
3:00 p.m. Donahue/Murdock wedding
Next Sunday
11:20 a.m. Junior Choir
