The United Church of Christ Disaster Relief Ministries is actively supporting those in need in Houston from Hurricane Harvey and preparing for those impacted now by Irma.

You can help by donating to the cause. Our Church is collecting and sending your monetary gifts to the UCC right now. 

Please make checks payable to :First Church of Christ Congregational in Bethany" memo "disaster relief". 

See or email Craig Massicotte with any questions.   [email protected]

So that we're all the on the same page: 

When: From now until November 30, the end of Hurricane Season

Where: First Church Parish Hall

What: Emergency services:

Coffee and hot water, charging capabilities, coffee, flushing toilet, running water, and if the outage extends beyond 24 hours, hot soup and stuff--we have a generator and propane cooking.  We may have internet capacity--hard to predict 

Who: Folks in Bethany /Ruth MacDonald main contact 203 695 1067

Why: because we're Christians--that's what we do.  We live in hope, not expectation.  

The best case is that we never have to activate this service.  But if we need it, the capacity is at the ready. 

*There will be a brief meeting for the Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, September 24th following service. All are welcome! Contact Donna with any questions.  201-530-4820

The 2017 Christmas Bazaar is on Saturday, December 2nd and you can participate! We have need for someone to fill the following roles: Christmas Ornaments/Crafts table, Breakfast and/or lunch items for sale and to work the kitchen, Candy table, and perhaps a jewelry table? 

If you are able to give of your time, please E-mail Donna at  [email protected].

Beginning October 1st 2017

Have you ever found yourself saying "I wish I knew more about the Bible"? Do you open the Scriptures and find yourself overwhelmed by all the numbers, headings, and footnotes covering the page? 

This fall, our churches' small groups will spend eight weeks reading Messiah, a simplified reader's version of the New Testament which presents the text without any of the distracting, confusing, or esoteric additions which have turned the Scriptures from stories into reference materials.

Each week, you and your group will gather to talk about that week's readings in a book club format. This is not a 'Bible Study' with Greek words, commentaries, and a list of hyper-specific questions. Rather, your group will come together for a conversation about your reactions to what you read, with the same four suggested questions every week: What stood out to you? What troubled or confused you? Did anything make you think differently about God? How might this change the way you live? Your group can engage any, all, or none of these questions, allowing the conversation to go wherever it leads.

Sign up today, and experience reading the Bible like you've never done it before!

Sign Up Here! 

This is it, our 20th year! Almost 20 years ago, our oldest son, Drew, was diagnosed with T1D. He was just shy of his 4th birthday. Since then, we have participated in fundraising efforts focused on finding a cure for diabetes. We are getting closer, but we're not there yet. In the meantime, T1D entered our lives a second time, almost 5 years ago, when our son Rob was diagnosed at the age of 17. Our determination to find a cure has only grown with time. Our hope is for our sons to live long, healthy lives without the need for insulin pumps or injections. Until that becomes a reality, we will help fundraising efforts towards that goal. 

We are proud of both of our sons. Drew will begin his second year teaching agricultural mechanics at Wamogo High School, and Rob will join the staff as a math teacher. They have bright futures ahead, one that would be made even brighter in a world without the challenge of living with diabetes. 

Please join us by registering to walk or sponsoring our team, The Z Team. This year's JDRF One Walk is on October 1, 2017 at Yale Bowl. Together, we can change the future for everyone affected by T1D.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person's pancreas loses the ability to produce insulin-a hormone essential to turning food into energy. It strikes both children and adults and is unrelated to diet and lifestyle. With T1D, there are no days off, and there is no cure-yet.

JDRF is the only global organization with the plan, influence, and ability to progressively remove T1D from people's lives. Through our fundraising efforts, we have the power to turn Type One into Type None.

To join my team, please click "Visit My Team Page" below. 

Visit My Team Page

I hope you will join us.  

Sincerely,

Andy, Donna, Drew, Rob, and Katy Zielinski

For Auggie, who is recovering brain cancer surgery, we ask God's healing presence.