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Meetings and Services
this Week:
Wednesday, March 15th:
-9:30 a.m. Wednesday Morning Book Discussion Group
-6:00 p.m. Confirmation Class
-7:00 p.m. Choir
Friday, March 17th:
-11:00 a.m. Memorial Service for Carl Glass
Saturday, March 18th:
-10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Maplefest Craft Fair in the Fellowship Hall
Saturday, March 18th - Sunday, March 19th:
-10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Maplefest at Wenzel's Sugar House
Sunday, March 19th:
-8:30 a.m. Worship Service
-10:00 a.m. Worship Service
-Sunday School
-Coffee Hour
Tuesday, March 21st:
-9:30 a.m. Knitting Circle
-11:15 a.m. Bible Study in the Music Room
-7:30 p.m. Board of Christian Education
-7:30 p.m. AA Meeting
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Reverend Dr. Denise M. Esslinger
Minister of Mission and Faith Formation:
Stephanie Haines
Minister of Music:
Bruce Gale
Administrative Assistant:
Sally Fritsche
Worship: 8:30 AM
Worship w/Sunday School: 10:00 AM
Summer Worship:
9:00 AM
Gathered: 1748
Meeting House: 1838
Fellowship Hall: 2008
We are an Open & Affirming Church
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Ministry Quicklinks:
More About Us
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Maplefest - Saturday, March 18th and Sunday, March 19th
The Hebron Maplefest is coming up this Saturday, March 18th and Sunday, March 19th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Our Women's Fellowship and Youth Group will once again be selling maple pudding cake topped with vanilla ice cream at the Wenzel Sugar House (522 East Street) on both days.
We will also be having the Craft Fair at the Church on Saturday, March 18th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please come and check out all of the talented artists and interesting crafts. We will be having a raffle and volunteers are needed to help. If you are interested in assisting with the raffle, please e-mail Beck Cook at beckycook@comcast.net. Thanks to Becky Cook for helping to coordinate this event!
Attention Men of Gilead! Your hospitality and sandwich-making expertise is needed at this year's craft fair during the Maple Fest. Experience the wonder of Men's Fellowship in the Church's Kitchen on Saturday, March 18th from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Please Email Tim Fellman at fellmantim@yahoo.com for details.
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"Happening - A Christian Experience" - Retreat for 10th-12th Graders
"Happening" is a spiritual retreat for high school students which will be held on Friday, May 5th to Sunday, May 7th at the Episcopal Conference Center of RI in Pascog, Rhode Island. The weekend is planned and led by youth and is spent in a relaxed, fun, and safe environment where youth can share their faith in a Christian atmosphere. The schedule is balanced to include a wide range of activities such as active discussions, low-key reflection time, informal musical jam sessions, and high-energy creative activities. Sue Parker will be taking youth from our church. If you are interested in attending, please speak with Sue. The deadline for signing up is Sunday, March 19th.
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Lenten Potluck Dinners and Solace Services
During the Season of Lent, our Deacons invite you to join in a time of food, fellowship and contemplative worship. On Thursdays, March 23rd and April 6th you are invited to gather in the Fellowship Hall at 5:30 p.m. for a potluck dinner. (Please bring something to share. Drinks will be provided.) Then at 6:15 p.m. we will move into the Sanctuary for a "Solace Service". Solace means to give comfort, console, soothe calm. The service, which will last approximately 30 minutes, will include an extended period of silence for reflection and contemplation. We will also have a Solace Service on Good Friday, April 13th at 7:30 p.m. with no dinner preceding the service that night. We hope these gatherings will nurture your spirit and faith during this season of reflection and preparation for Jesus' death and resurrection.
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Family Game Night - Friday, March 24th at 6:30 p.m.
The Fellowship Committee invites all who enjoy food, fellowship, and fun to our 3rd Annual Game Night on Friday March 24th at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Pizza, salad, and drinks will be served up with "Minute to Win It" games like "Stack Attack" and "Face the Cookie." Bring a dessert to share as well as a favorite game to play. Please sign up under the name tags so we can be sure to have enough pizza for all! See Annette Langevin with any questions.
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Bolokada Conde Joining Us for 10:00 a.m. Worship Sunday, March 26th
Bolokada Conde has been performing and teaching in the United States since 2004. He has conducted percussion workshops all over the U.S. and Europe. And he's traveled the world, France, Italy, South Korea, Canada, Mexico and more. Over the years he has started West African Drum and Dance troupes in California, Illinois, Tennessee, Boston and most recently South Carolina and they can carry on the traditions of his Malinke culture.
Bolokada also pays close attention to the needs of his family and friends who still live in his home village of Morowaya in Guinea, West Africa. He is conscientious about helping them with things that will make their lives better. With some help from his friends, he has been able to build an access road, a school, a home for his family, a mosque, and after a failed attempt to bore a well, he successfully drilled a well in January 2016. It is the first time this village has ever had access to clean water. The 850 people living there share this well and stand in long lines waiting for a turn to pump clean water for their family. He is committed to drilling a second well for them. If you would like to make a donation to help move this project along, please feel free to do so. There will be a donation container and some tee shirts to try on in the entryway after the service on March 26th.
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One Great Hour of Sharing - Sunday, March 26th
On Sunday, March 26th, we will be receiving our special One Great Hour of Sharing offering. Through One Great Hour of Sharing, United Church of Christ members reach out in the name of Christ to:
Build sustainable communities.
OGHS supports self-help programs in more than 80 nations to build sustainable communities that enable people and communities to stand against and rise above hunger, disease, illiteracy, and other forces of injustice that deny and destroy dignity.
Respond to disaster.
OGHS provides emergency and long-term assistance to people in the aftermath of hurricanes, tornados, storms, floods, tidal waves, fires, explosions, technological disasters, civil strife, war, or other natural or human-caused events. On average, OGHS responds to a disaster once every 2.5 days.
Minister to refugees.
OGHS responds with advocacy and help, hope and hospitality for people who have been uprooted from their home of origin. More than 30 million of the world's people are uprooted at any given time.
One Great Hour of Sharing is part of a network of service and caring that is efficient, effective and faithful. Administrative costs are typically less than eight percent annually. The partnership is shared with nearly 6,000 United Church of Christ congregations across the United States and Puerto Rico, where this remarkable miracle connecting UCC members to the world truly begins. The One Great Hour of Sharing offering is administered through Wider Church Ministries of the United Church of Chris to respond to the humanitarian needs of the world. If you should have any questions, please contact Stephanie Haines at (860) 228-3077 or visit www.ucc.org/oghs_about.
This Sunday, March 19th envelopes for One Great Hour of Sharing will be in the front and back of the Sanctuary.
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"Holy Conversations"
A time for listening for God and to one another
On two upcoming Sundays, our Pastoral Relations Committee invites you to join them for a time of "Holy Conversation." This will be a time for listening and sharing with one another as we look at where we've been and where we feel God is leading us. The three gatherings will be right after church from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will include a light lunch. Our plans for each discussion are as follows, but we are open to going where the spirit leads:
April 2nd-Who We are Today and Who is Our Neighbor?
April 23rd-Who is God Yearning for Us to Be and What is God Yearning for us to Do?
All are invited to join in these times of discussion. Attending all the sessions is ideal, but if you cannot make them all, we invite you to attend those you can. We will meet in the classroom off of the Fellowship Hall, which is at the Parish House end of the hall. Please either sign up on the sheet underneath the name tags or contact Margot Sheehan (margotsheehan44@gmail.com) to let us know you'll attend. Thank you!
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Easter Flowers - Last Day to Order Sunday, March 26th
Easter Memorial / Flower Order Form
_____ In lieu of plants, I would like to make a donation to the Church
Memorial Fund (suggested donation is $10).
______ I would like to order a 5" pot Pansies at $5.25
______I would like to order a Spring Pot at $9.25
______ I would like to order a 6" pot Easter Lily at $10.75
______ I would like to order a 6" pot Oriental Lily at $10.75
TOTAL NUMBER OF PLANTS - ________ TOTAL $ AMOUNT -________
Please "X" one of the following:
Plant(s) will be picked up: ______
Plant(s) are being donated: ______
(Please note: Dedications made in memory or honor of loved ones will be
listed the same whether flowers are ordered or a donation is made to the
Memorial Fund.)
Given in Honor Of: ___________________________________
___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Given in Memory Of: __________________________________
____________________________________________________
Purchased by: __________________________________
Please give order form w/payment of cash/check to Katie McClaine
or send order/payment to: Katie McClaine, 860 Gilead Street, Hebron, CT 06248
(860-460-3221)
***(Checks payable to: Gilead Congregational Church)
***Please provide separate payments if you are ordering both flowers
and making a donation to the Memorial Fund. Thank you!
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A Walk Through Holy Week - Sunday, April 2nd
On Sunday, April 2nd, children will have the opportunity to experience the meaning of Easter during their regular Sunday School classes. Children will be invited to actively participate in and encounter the week leading to Jesus' resurrection through a very special event. The story of Jesus' journey to the cross will be experienced and brought to life in a multi-sensory, hands on way for youth. Each child will also receive a special gift to take home as a reminder of the miracle of Easter. You won't want to miss this special event! We hope to see you there. This event is brought to you by the Board of Christian Education. If you should have any questions please contact Kathy Lukow at klukow@comcast.net.
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Easter Dinners
This Lenten season help to bless a family with an Easter Dinner. The Board of Missions, Hunger and Heating Subcommittee, will be collecting items to assemble 45 Easter meals for Hebron Interfaith Human Services and those in need. Hams, eggs, daffodils and a special prayer card created by our Sunday School children will be provided, but we are in need of the following:
Dessert Mix (brownie or carrot cake with non-perishable tub of cream cheese frosting)
Bread Mix (white, whole grain or banana)
Condiments (mustard or mayonnaise)
Potatoes (a bag full - closer to the March April 9th date)
Fresh Carrots or Green Beans (closer to the April 9th date)
Easter Candy (Peeps, jelly beans or chocolate bunnies)
Egg Dying Kits
Please sign up for an "Easter Dinner" item outside of the Sanctuary. Our Confirmation Class will be collecting and assembling the dinners. All items are due by Sunday, April 9th. Thank you for your support!
If you have any questions please contact Bob Owens (860) 228- 9541, Donna Wertenbach (860) 646-5850, or Alice Marien (860) 228-4416.
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Nature and Adventure Day - Saturday, March 18th from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
AHM Youth and Family Services is introducing the first ever Nature and Adventure Day at this year's Hebron Maple Festival. Michelle Hamilton, AHM's Executive Director shared: "Nature and Adventure Day is an event that will become an exciting new local annual tradition for children, teens and adults. We are extremely excited to offer this new program as part of the Hebron Maple Festival."
The Nature and Adventure Day will include a host of indoor and outdoor activities. The program will run from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday March 18 and will include a multitude of fun and environmental educational activities, including a visit from Cookie the Barred Owl.
There will be a Reptiles and Amphibians display and a display on learning about Animal Bones and Furs. Children will be able to make their own Plaster Cast Animal Prints. Birdhouses, created by longtime AHM volunteer John Soderberg, will be sold to benefit the AHM Children Trust Fund scholarship program. Local photographer, Kim Carino, will be displaying a gallery of nature and landscape photography. An exhibit of Native American life will be presented by the Institute of American Indian Studies Museum and Research Center. Guests can also meet Cookie the Barred Owl from the Glastonbury Center of the Audubon Society. There will also be guided trail hikes as part of a partnership between AHM and the St. Peter's Episcopal Church. Throughout the day topics for those hikes will include: Native Flora and Animal Signs and Footprints.
Purchase tickets at the door!
Tickets are $5 per person for adults, $4 for seniors, and $3 for children 14 or younger.
Nature and Adventure Day will take place at
25 Pendleton Drive, Hebron.
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Youth Group Sleep Over/Movie Night - Saturday, March 25th
Youth in grades 7 and up are invited to the Youth Group AHM Movie Night/Sleepover, which will be held at AHM (25 Pendleton Drive, Hebron) on Saturday, March 25th beginning at 7 pm.
Bring a friend and a snack and/or caffeine-free drink to share and join us for a fun night of fellowship. Feel free to bring a game or movie to share (Rated PG-13, PG or G).
Please let Mrs. Byrne (hnbbyrne@comcast.net) or Mrs. Cohen (twstuff99@gmail.com) know if you will be there so we can be sure to have enough food for a light breakfast. Pick up time is 9 am on Sunday morning. If you plan to bring a friend, please be sure their parents fill out the Youth Group Permission & Medical Release Forms (available on the GCC website - GileadChurchUCC.org, select "About Us", "Policies and Forms," "Medical Release Form" and "Youth Group Permission Form"). Hope to see you there!
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Silver Lake Summer Conference
Silver Lake has announced its offerings for the summer 2016 conference season and registration is open.
The Silver Lake summer brochure is now available underneath the name tags and is also available online at www.silverlakect.org along with the downloads of forms needed for registration.
Also, our Women's Fellowship is once again offering to pay the deposit for any young people in the congregation who would like to attend Silver Lake. Please speak with Karen Voghel (860-649-2939) if you are interested in taking advantage of our Women's Fellowship generous offer.
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You're Designed to SHINE!
A Mother & Daughter Retreat
April 22, 2017
"Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing." - Isaiah 40:
The starfish is a symbol of the amazing truth that we are all stars God has designed to shine. It is our hope that this retreat will help you to discover new treasures that will encourage and equip you, wherever you are on your journey. Please join us for a retreat created for ocean stars (girls) ages 6th grade and up. Adapted from the book by Christina DiMari, You're Designed to Shine! we will have time to share, to be creative and to participate in individual and group activities around the topics of:
- Exploring where God is calling you in your life
- Discovering the unique way you were made to shine
- Identifying and traveling with a supportive pod of friends
- Recognizing pearls for your journey
- God's gifts and promises to us
- Riding the wave of God's plan for your life
The retreat will be facilitated by Stephanie and Skylar Haines, 9 am - 3 pm on April 22nd at Mercy by the Sea Retreat Center in Madison, CT. Lunch will be served. The cost is $20 per participant. Please sign-up on the sheet provided outside the Sanctuary before April 9th and indicate any special dietary needs. Stephanie and Skylar are available to answer any questions you may have at (860) 228-4785 or Haines.family12345@gmail.com.
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Sympathies
Our Church family expresses its deepest sympathy to Ginny, Fred, Jessie, Amy and the entire Huhn family on the death of Ginny's mother, Lois Field.
Also, our Church family expresses its deepest sympathy to family and friends of Carl Gloss. Carl passed away on Friday, March 10th. A Memorial Service will be held here at Gilead Church this Friday, March 17th at 11:00 a.m.
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Garden Swap - Seed Exchange
As the clocks move ahead this Sunday, please start thinking about what's going in your garden! March 17th is the traditional day to start your peas. Lettuces and other greens can go in soon after. We'd like to start the annual Garden Swap with a seed exchange and we'll throw in some peat pots and stakes for good measure. There may even be some starter plants already growing available for us to nurture. Please bring any extra seeds (in labeled envelopes) to the Fellowship Hall next Sunday and we'll start the long road to a summer harvest in style. Questions can go to Paul Miller and Bruce Langevin.
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Confirmation Class at Silver Lake for Weekend Retreat
This year's Confirmation Class spent this past weekend on retreat at Silver Lake. Thanks to Jeff Brown and Maggie Bierbaum for attending as our youth advisors.
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We are in need of Greeters to greet everyone as they come to worship on Sunday mornings for our 10:00 a.m. service. Simply arrive at 9:45 a.m., stand at the end of the hallway as you enter from the parking lot, and welcome everyone as they arrive. If you would like to be a greeter, please sign up on the sheet under the name tags. Thank you!
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3rd Annual Gilead Open Golf Tournament - August 14th
SAVE THE DATE.....The third annual Gilead Open Golf Tournament has been set for Monday, August 14, at the Blackledge Country Club. This year's entry fee is only $100.00, which includes 18 holes with cart, coffee/tea & muffins at registration, a bag lunch as well as a buffet dinner following golf. The committee will be looking to the membership for golfers as well as sponsors. Please feel free to speak with any of the committee members who are Ken Cook, Harv Desruisseaux, Tim Fellman, Glen Hadley, Jack Hooker, Steve Petro and Doug Stewart.
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Upcoming Sunday Worship Servers
Ushers for this Sunday:
Annette and Jenna Langevin
Ushers for next week: Cindy and Patrick Fagan
Deacon of the Day for this Sunday: Doug Stewart
Deacon of the Day for next week: Jon Kimball
Liturgist: Sarah Cohen Acolyte: Haley Saltonstall
Call to Worship: Rachel Cook
Coffee Hour Hosts for this Sunday: Amy Daniels and Candice Smith
Coffee Hour Hosts for next week: Potluck Coffee Hour
Greeters for this Sunday: Leslie and Greg Brand
Greeter for next week: To be determined
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Scripture Reading and Prayer for the Week
Romans 5: 1-11
Enduring Presence, goal and guide, you go before and await our coming. Only our thirst compels us beyond complaint to conversation, beyond rejection to relationship. Pour your love into our hearts, that, refreshed and renewed, we may invite others to the living water given to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (from Weekly Seeds at ucc.org)
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Contact Info
Sally Fritsche
Administrative Assistant
Hebron, Ct 06248
860-228-3077
Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until noon (Parish House)
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