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NOTES FROM MARK
As this newsletter is going to post, our Appalachia Service Project teams are traveling to Hyden, Kentucky, to take part in their week-long mission work there.
Beyond our wildest expectations, our fundraising work for this year's trip met our goal of $14,000. This will enable us to be most effective in our work while away. We also plan to be good stewards of this money and make sure that it finds its use in completing our tasks. Thank you, and everyone else who contributed to our efforts. It is so rewarding to receive such support. We now ask for your thoughts and prayers while we are away, to see us return safe and sound on July 18.
A bit of what we will be doing:
On the 9th and 10th we will be camping for two nights in Oak Hill, WV, near Beckley, taking part in some group building and preparation for the week. On Sunday the 11th, we will arrive at the Hyden Elementary School, which will be our center of operations for the week. Each day we will rise early, share devotions, eat a quick breakfast and make ready to go to our work sites. We will work eight hours, sharing lunch with the families we are serving, and then return to the center for dinner and evening programming. This being an elementary school, there were no showers when the ASP staff arrived at the center. They built outdoor showers at the school, which will only have cold water for bathing. (It's the little things...)
On Saturday, July 17, we depart from Kentucky and will stay one night in Gettysburg, PA before arriving home late afternoon on Sunday. We will present some of our experiences the following week during worship and coffer hour on July 25.
SUNDAY SCHOOL IN THE NEWS
Hi All,
Summer has arrived, and at the Labbe-Fahy household that means a time of much needed rest and relation. My hope for each one of you is that you can at least try and take some time for yourselves. Without renewing ourselves we really can't minister fully to each other. We all such busy lives that I hope you take some time to slow down and as they say "smell the flowers"....or take time with your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews etc. While take a lot of our energy, I know for myself, just simply watching them explore God's wonders in the end tend to allow me to slow down and look at the world from the eyes and ears of a child.
Just a few things to take note of. In this newsletter you will find a "Sunday School Registration" form. Please fill one out for each child in your household, even if they are past the Sunday School age. It will help me keep track of ages, talents, etc. If you need more forms, there are some on the table in the fellowship area along with a box to put them in THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Save the date now. Rally Day will be on September 12, and all Sunday School activities will begin for the program then. I hope to see everyone on that day.
At the suggestion of Debbie Kaynor, our first activity for the program year will be assembling School Kits for Church World Services. Church World Services (CWS) is an arm of the United Church of Christ. CWS School Kits give children in impoverished schools, refugee camps, or other difficult settings some of the basic tools for learning. To assemble each kit we will need: One pair of blunt metal scissors (rounded tip), three 70-count spiral notebooks or notebooks totaling 200-210 pages, (NO LOOSE-LEAF OR FILLER PAPER), one 12" ruler, one hand-held pencil sharpener, one large eraser, six new pencils with erasers, and one box of 24 crayons (ONLY 24, PLEASE).Many of these items will soon be on sale, as you begin to see the "Back to School" sales. In August I will set out a box in which to collect your donations. CWS kits are very specific, so please NO SUBSTITUTIONS. For more information on CWS, you may go to www.churchworldservices.org. Thank you all in advance for your support of this effort by our children.
Shalom, Louise
NEWS FROM THE WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP
The Women's Fellowship would like to get the church year off to a joyful start with a big picnic on the grounds after worship on Rally Sunday, September 12, 2010. We are asking for volunteers to bring supplies for grilling and pot-luck side dishes. The "Sundaes on Sunday" church school tradition will be a part of the event with "make your own" sundaes for all. A couple of simple activities, such as croquet or other outdoor games, will be made available. We will be asking everyone to work together to make this a festive day.
Congratulations to the recipients of the Women's Fellowship scholarships for Silver Lake. They are Maddie and Gabrielle Halsey and Ben and Connor Sandstrom. We wish you a rewarding and fun experience. We'll be excited to hear all about it!
Start saving your items, and hold the date for the next Clothing Boutique. The WOMEN'S FELLOWHIP SWAP SHOP will be held on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 14 and 15. Our last sale of clothing and accessories was a huge success.
BIBLE STUDY
Discovering the Bible: September 2010-May 2011.
In August we will begin sign-ups for the full-year Bible course offered by Kerygma. The classes will be conducted on Sundays following coffee hour and will be open to all. The Kerygma study utilizes a variety of learning methods and styles and encompasses the full spectrum of Bible text. While no one class or curriculum can adequately give us all we need to know about our sacred text, the Kerygma curriculum offers an overview of its major themes with insightful and often inspirational components. Participants will be encouraged to come as often as possible, allowing a deepening of appreciation for The Word. The cost for the Student Study Guide is $20. The hope and expectation is that we can collectively raise our Bible IQ through this next school year!
Blessing of the Animals
Sunday, September 26th we will have a special service of worship at our usual time, 10AM< Sunday morning. The focus of our service will be God's love and nurture of all of God's creatures, great and small, two-legged, four legged and even finned. Anyone wishing to have an animal or pet blessed as part of this service is invited to bring them along to take part in our celebration of God's creation.
BOARD OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE
Summer Second Mile Offering - Christian Activities Council
The CAC's mission as an organization is to "break barriers and build communities." All of its programs align with this mission, providing comprehensive resources that span the essentials of daily living and strive to help break the cycle of poverty in which many within Hartford-area communities dwell. Their programs address community development, youth education, housing counseling, mission education, and universal health care.
Youth Education: Adventures in the City is a summer program organized and sponsored by the CAC that brings academic and enrichment opportunities to disadvantaged children in Hartford's inner city. Now in its 28th year, the program is offered over a five-week period every summer to kids in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. 300-500 students attend each year.
Community Development: Over the past 50 years, the CAC has invested significant resources in community development, mostly within Hartford's North-end neighborhoods. Their focus has been on affordable housing for low-income families, the elderly and those with special needs.
Housing Counseling: The CAC is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency that offers professional housing counseling and training to Hartford-area residents in the low to moderate income brackets. Its specialists work with prospective homebuyers, renters and homeowners on a range of housing-related matters such as homebuyer education, credit counseling and debt management, and budgeting and money management,
Mission Education: The CAC's mission education programs offer specialized training and workshops for individuals, organizations and churches that seek tools for social and economic advocacy, advancement, self-development and collaboration in urban settings. Collectively known as the Metropolitan Training Advancement Institute (MTAI), these programs encompass social transformation and empowerment of the poor, leadership development, conflict resolution, economic advancement, urban education on the systemic realities that sustain poverty, and effective urban ministry.
Universal Health Care: The CAC is a catalyst for universal health care in the State of Connecticut. In conjunction with the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCC) and with funding from the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, the CAC has reached out to UCC congregations around the state to raise awareness of health care issues and to mobilize forces to help shape a system of quality, affordable health care that leaves no one out.
PREACHING THIS SUMMER
July 11th - - The Rev. Deb Moyer
July 18th - - The Rev. Deb Moyer
July 25th - - The Rev. Mark Diters (With an assist from ASP)
August 1st - - The Rev. Joseph Bradley
August 8th - - The Rev Joseph Bradley
August 15th - - The Rev. Joseph Bradley
August 22nd - - The Rev. Deb Moyer
August 29th - - The Rev. Mark Diters
Fall Schedule
Second Fridays: Beginning September 10th, we will be hosting a variety of programs and fellowship opportunities on the 2nd Friday of each month. There will be open mike nights, round table discussion forums, and special presentations and performances by musical choirs and instrumental ensembles. Keep your schedules open for these evenings, they will not disappoint!
FROM THE CHURCH COUNCIL
The Church Council has formed an ad-hoc committee to develop both a short-term (1 - 1 1/2 yrs)a longer-term (up to 5 yrs) mission for our congregation. Mark Diters will chair this effort, and the other committee members are Kim Dickson, Morrill, Eric Sandstrom, Barbara Shaw, and Rich Hollant, ex officio. The deadline for this committee to present the short-term mission to the Council is at our December 2010 meeting.
A short summary of the responses to the church survey this past spring is available on the table in the lounge. The Council and other boards, as appropriate, have discussed the issues related to their work, with changes being made to address problems that church members brought to our attention. Thank you all for your candid comments and your participation.
Klein, for the Council
BEGINNING WITH END LIFE
Advance Directives &Who Knows? Those who took part in our End Life study last spring have committed to gathering again in the fall. We will spend some time looking at the various forms of establishing ways to best express how to make our wishes known regarding our health care expectations as we go forward. All are welcome, whether or not you took part in our class this spring. The evenings we will gather have yet to be determined, but look for the dates early in the fall.
A GRADUATE
Let's all offer a clap and a big "congrats" to Gabi Aldrich graduating from High School this past June!
SUMMER SUNDAY
MORNING "PICK-UP" CHOIR
During the summer, mid-week choir practice has been suspended. But, each Sunday, anyone who is interested is invited to come at 9:10 to rehearse one or two simple pieces, which will be sung as responses or as an anthem during that morning's service. Our aim is to provide an accessible, enjoyable contribution to the summer worship experience. Come and bring a friend! For more information, call Director of Music, Dick Silbereis.(860.523.8222).
PRAYER CONCERNS
Please extend prayers of support, comfort, and healing for Prudence Cleary recouping from heart surgery. And similar prayers for Alice Ewing at rehab at Saint Mary's, and for Cathy Ferentini's mom, Linda.
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