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Newsletter of Barrington Congregational Church United Church of Christ
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Some new articles in this edition of the eBridge .....
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A note from the Endowment Team
Warrant and info about the Annual Meeting
Valentine making
Community Dinner Fundraiser
Altar flower donors needed for February
Update from the Renewal Team
Racial Justice Awareness event
Sliding with Faith
Thank you from the staff
A new church directory
New England Women's Celebration
Family Footnotes
Celebrating Beloved Community - photos
Information in some other articles has been updated.
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Be sure you get to see ALL of this eBridge.....
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Some platforms will only allow you to see the first portion of the eBridge, then there's a message saying 'Message clipped' and a link to view the entire message. Make sure you don't miss anything by clicking on that link. Thanks.
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We hope you enjoy reading the eBridge and find it informative.
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Church Office Hours are Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm and 1:30 - 4:30 pm unless otherwise noted.
Thurs, Jan 18
3 - 5 pm Brendan's Community Office Hours, The Coffee Depot in Warren
Fri, Jan 19
Sun, Jan 21
Youth Day
10 am Worship Service, Church School
6 - 8 pm Senior Youth Group / Mission Trip meeting, Library
Mon, Jan 22
Tue, Jan 23
11 am Staff meeting, Dale’s office
7 pm Book Group, Library
Wed, Jan 24
7:30 – 9 pm Choir rehearsal, Vestry
Thurs, Jan 25
3 – 5 pm Brendan’s Community Office Hours, Coffee Depot
Sat, Jan 27
11 am Memorial service for Douglas Tonn, followed by reception in Fellowship Hall
Sun, Jan 28
Contemporary Heroes and Heroines
10 am Worship Service, Church School
After worship Annual Budget Meeting, Sanctuary
Tue, Jan 30
11 am Staff meeting, Dale’s office
Wed, Jan 31
Noon Deadline for Feb 1 eBridge
7:30 - 9 pm Choir rehearsal, Vestry
Thurs, Feb 1
3 - 5 pm Brendan's Community Office Hours, The Coffee Depot in Warren
Sun, Feb 4
Celebration of Holy Communion
8:30 am CEYM meeting, Library
10 am Worship Service with Communion
10 am Children's Communion in Library then Church School
11:15 am Valentine making at Coffee Hour
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The deadline for information to be included in the next eBridge is
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Thursday - Sunday Jan 18 - 21
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BCCUCC to host a 'Together as One' Focus Group
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On
Friday, January 19th
from 1 – 2:30 pm we will host one of the New Conference Focus Groups at BCCUCC. Over 20 people are already signed up to attend and you are welcome to come join them to give your input on what a new, unified conference might look like.
Learn more about the focus groups
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Junior Youth Group go jumping!
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JYG (for grades 6 – 8) will be joining other youth groups around RI on a trip to SkyZone trampoline park this
Sunday, January 21st
. We will be leaving from BCCUCC as a group at 12:00 pm and going first to Newman Congregational Church for a program and snacks, then onto Sky Zone for some jumping! Brendan Curran and Kathy Sullivan will be the chaperones for this trip. Please send RSVP’s to Brendan at
brendan@bccucc.org
. For more details
visit the RI Conference website
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Senior Youth Group / Mission Trip meeting......and others are invited
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SYG and all going on the Mission Trip meet in the Library this
Sunday, January 21st
from 6-8 pm. Pizza and juice will be offered. There will be a brief planning discussion regarding the mission trip before a screening of the documentary, “Broken Rainbow.” Our mission partners in Navajo Nation ask that we watch a series of documentaries to learn about Navajo history, culture, and issues before we go on our trip in June.
All who are interested in learning about our mission trip are welcome to join the youth group for this meeting and watch this award winning documentary.
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A note from the Endowment Team
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With 2017 having come to a close, we want to note our appreciation for several donors who made sizable bequests to add to our endowment funds. The 2017 bequests collectively totaled $650,000. It was an exceptional year. These former members believed growing our endowment would help the church endure and continue to do great works. We are truly grateful for these gifts given to the future of our church.
Currently, we receive annual proceeds of 4½% from our endowment funds and these earnings are used to
support our operating budget. Endowment dividends help maintain our church life, but do not provide the bulk of our income, and cannot replace the pledges of our members and friends. It is you all who keep our congregation able to minister to each other and our community on a day to day basis. Our endowment
can
however, with continued growth and thoughtful stewardship, provide resources to advance our wider mission. It can help us flourish.
Sincerely,
Kate Colby,
Chair, Endowment Team
Submitted on behalf of the Endowment Team: Kate Colby, Dick McWhirter, & Bob Mason
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Celebrating Beloved Community
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A special weekend with our friends at Temple Habonim
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Last weekend we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday by getting together with members of Temple Habonim. On Friday evening over 20 people from BCCUCC went to the Temple for the Shabat service, which was followed by a catered dinner. On Sunday morning, members of the Temple joined us for our worship service and coffee hour afterwards.
More info and photos.
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Birth:
James Vincent House, born December 19th, 2017 to parents Bryan and Theresa House. Grandmother is Louise House.
Death:
Douglas A. Tonn, husband of Jane Tonn, died peacefully at home on January 11th. A Memorial Service will be held on
Saturday, January 27th
at 11 am. A reception will follow in Fellowship Hall.
Obituary
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An update from the Renewal Team
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Our priorities moving forward
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In January, the Renewal Team, Church Council, and our new consultant, Steve Sterner, discussed the recommendations from the Church Assessment we received last fall. We determined which of these would be most valuable to our congregation and adopted a three-tiered hierarchy of priorities. To see what these priorities are and what our next steps will be, be sure to check out our
always updating web page. Something that became apparent to us during this process is that each of these priorities is worthwhile and that tremendous overlap exists among them. As a result, there will undoubtedly be opportunities to work through different priorities across the three tiers throughout the process.
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Our church’s Annual Budget Meeting is
Sunday, January 28th
in the sanctuary immediately after worship.
In addition to voting on the 2018 budget, the congregation is also being asked to vote on some proposed changes to the church’s By-Laws. All church members are encouraged to attend, and child care will be provided.
The proposed budget will be emailed to the congregation next week prior to the meeting.
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Warrant for the ANNUAL Budget Meeting
Barrington Congregational Church, Barrington, Rhode Island
Sunday, January 28, 2018
The annual budget meeting of the Barrington Congregational Church, UCC is hereby called to take place in the sanctuary following the regular 10:00 a.m. worship service on
Sunday, January 28, 2018
. The business to be transacted is as follows:
ARTICLE I: To call the meeting to order.
ARTICLE II: To review and vote on the proposed church budget for January 1—December 31, 2018
ARTICLE IV: To consider any other business that may properly come before the meeting.
ARTICLE V: To adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully submitted:
Pat Cordeiro,
Clerk
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A message from the lay staff
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Thank you to everyone who donated to the Staff Christmas Gift which was included in our first paychecks of 2018. Your generosity is much appreciated by us all, and we are fortunate to work in such a positive and caring environment. We look forward to continuing to support the work of the church in 2018 and wish everyone all the best for this new year.
With many thanks from Christine, Pat, Andrea, Marina, Paul and John
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Altar flower donors needed for February
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Each week the altar flowers are paid for by donors and a dedication of their choice is included in the bulletin. Flowers can be given in memory, celebration or thanksgiving of a person/event. If you'd like to pay for one or both arrangements some Sunday in February, contact Cheryl Muth at
jccbmuth@aol.com
or 433-2878.
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Valentine making -
college student addresses wanted
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On
Sunday, February 4
th
the congregation will have the opportunity to make valentines at coffee hour that will be sent to our homebound members etc and also to college students. If you have a college student, please send their name and school address to Kim Zeleznik at
kimberleyz@gmail.com
by Friday, February 2nd
.
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A new church directory (without photos) generated from our database will be emailed to the congregation in mid-February. Information included will be name, address, children’s names (of those still living at home), home phone, cell phone, and email address (adults only). We hope everyone will want their information included, but the database does allow for any of the phone numbers and email addresses to be unlisted. If you would like to take this option, please contact the church office
by February 5th
to make your wishes known (
office@bccucc.org
or 401 246-0111).
Also, if you are new to our church community and we don't yet have your information in our database, please be sure to contact the office by the deadline (see above) so that we can include you in the directory. Thank you.
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Loaves and Fishes Truck Run
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Some additional donations still needed
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Thanks to everyone who has signed up to help with the truck run to Emmanuel House and Crossroads in Providence on
Thursday, January 25th
. We have a full complement of volunteers to help with the prep and go out on the truck, and people have also signed up to bring many of the needed food and clothing items. However, there are still some items needed.
To register for donating items go to
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050a4aacae2aa75-mobile3
Questions, please contact Liz White at 401-245-0285 or
lizzyw2@aol.com
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or Jay or Phyllis Buckley at 401-245-1098 or
pbuckley6@cox.net
. Donations should be dropped off in the kitchen under the sign “Donations for Loaves and Fishes”
by Wednesday, January 24th.
Thank you for your continued support of this ministry.
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Superbowl Subs - we're taking orders!
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As a fundraiser for the 2018 Mission Trip to the Navajo Nation in Arizona, we will be taking orders for Superbowl Subs (made by the Senior Youth Group) for
Sunday, February 4th. Subs will be available for pick-up after church that day or can be delivered to your home that afternoon for an additional $1.00 per order. (Delivery to shut-ins is free). Cost is $8.00 per 6” Italian sub (with your choice of toppings) and it comes with a bag of chips. Orders will be taken at coffee hour and order forms are also available
at this link. You may also call in your order to Phyllis Buckley at 245-1098 or Kim Zeleznik at 247-4605.
Orders must be submitted by Sunday, January 28th.
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Save the date for a Community Dinner to be held
Sunday, February 11th
in Fellowship Hall from 5- 7 pm. Tickets will be on sale during coffee hour starting Sunday, January 28th and proceeds will support our 2018 mission/service trip to the Navajo Nation. Tickets are $10.00 a person. Children six and under eat for free! Come enjoy a delicious meal of soup, salad, and bread and support our youth.
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Racial Justice Awareness Confirmation Event
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On
Sunday, January 28th
the confirmation class will be attending a racial justice awareness retreat with other confirmation classes from throughout the RI conference. The retreat will be at Seekonk Congregational Church from 12:30 to 4:15 pm, and is open to all in Grades 8-12. Contact Brendan for more details
brendan@bccucc.org
. Additional info is
on the conference website.
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Sliding with Faith - JYG to go snowtubing
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On
Sunday, February 4th
from 12:30-4 pm, the Junior Youth Group (Gds 6 - 8) will be joining other youth groups from throughout the RI Conference for a snow tubing trip to Yawgoo. Contact Brendan for more details and to sign up at
brendan@bccucc.org
Additional info at
www.ricucc.org
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Information about all of the church groups that meet regularly - including who to contact - is available
at this link
. Meeting dates are in the calendar above.
All groups invite and welcome your participation.
Included below is additional information that some groups need for their next meeting.
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Meets
Thursday, January 18th
from 1:30 – 3 pm in the church library. The new book they’ve chosen to read and discuss is
Mudbound
by Hillary Jordan. Copies of the book are available from the church office at the discounted price of $13. The group welcomes women from BCCUCC as well as other churches and faith traditions. For more information contact Jane Tonn at 289-2349 or
jtonn2@cox.net
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Meets
Tuesday, January 23rd
at 7 pm in the library, to discuss
Celine
by Peter Heller. “This captivating, tender, brainy, and funny tale of the mysterious powers of beauty and grief, nature and family will leave readers hoping that Heller is planning a National Park series featuring this stealthy, irrepressible duo.” (Booklist). For more information about the group contact Helen Schall
helenschall@hotmail.com
245-4724. All are welcome!
What is the Book Group?
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Knitting for Others Group
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The group
will meet
Tuesday, February 6th
from 7 - 9 pm at the home of Elizabeth Azevedo, 7 Fireside Drive, Barrington.
All knitters and crocheters are welcome.
Participants work on a variety of items to be given away including prayer shawls and baby hats. Please
RSVP to Elizabeth at
eazevedo17@gmail.com
or 289-3780 so she knows how many to expect.
What is Knitting for Others?
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A chance to hang out with our ministers......
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Our Senior Minister, Dale Azevedo and his wife, Elizabeth would like to get to know you better! All members and friends of the church are encouraged to sign up and join them for monthly dinners at the parsonage (7 Fireside Drive, Barrington). They don't guarantee a gourmet meal, but do promise a comfortable table where all are welcome! For more info, or to sign up for a dinner in early 2018,
click on this link.
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Brendan's Community Office Hours
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Brendan will be
at
The Coffee Depot
, 501 Main Street, Warren, from 3 - 5 pm on
Thursday afternoons
for anyone from the church or community who would like to stop by for a visit in this more informal setting. All are invited.
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'From the River's Edge' - The Pastors' Blog
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Be sure to read the latest post from Rev Brendan Curran which should be posted to the website tomorrow,
Friday, January 19th.
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If you missed reading any posts you can find them all on the church website
at this link. There are also links to the most recent ones from the homepage of our church website
www.bccucc.org
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New England Women's Celebration
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Celebration X "A Seat at the Table"
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The New England Women’s Celebration takes place every 4 years at various locations in New England. It is held over (or near) the weekend of Mothering Sunday, the 4th Sunday of Lent, which is traditionally a time when the strict observances of Lent were relaxed for a day so church folks could return to the Mother Church of their roots. The purpose of the Celebration is to reach women in the pews and to involve them in learning and sharing their faith beyond the local church and Conference setting. It is organized by women from United Church of Christ (UCC) congregations across New England, however women from all denominations and religious traditions are welcome to attend. This year Celebration X will be held April 6th – 8th, 2018 in Portland, ME. Find out more at:
http://www.uccwomenscelebration.org/home
or contact Helen Schall for more information at
helenschall@hotmail.com
or 245-4724.
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In the event of bad weather......
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We will always do our best to notify you of cancellations, especially if we ever need to cancel Sunday worship. Be sure to check your email, Facebook, and the TV and radio stations. There's also a link to the RI Broadcasters list of cancellations on our church website
www.bccucc.org under What's Happening>Snow and Event Cancellations, or
click here
However, in the event that we lose power and/or internet connection we will be unable to post these notifications.
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Snow Shovelers needed - can you help?
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The church contracts with a company to snowplow the parking lots when needed, but they won't do any manual snow removal. We therefore rely on volunteers to shovel the walkways, steps, and handicap ramps around the church following a snowstorm. If you can help out please show up anytime with a shovel and do as much as you are able. You can also contact Jay Buckley at 578-6533 or
pbuckley6@cox.net. We have a few faithful volunteers, but they can't do it all, especially after a big storm - so additional volunteers are needed. Thank you in advance for your help and thanks to everyone who helped out last time.
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2017-2018 Calendar is available for viewing
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The church calendar is kept up to date and you can find it at
http://bccucc.view-events.com If you have any meetings or activities planned, please send them to
office@bccucc.org so that they can be added to the calendar. Also please notify the office or any errors or changes. Thank you.
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Sermons available on line
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If you miss church on Sunday or want to hear the sermon again, you can do so at the following link
Sermon Archive.
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