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Dear Church,
I want to share some additional important news with everyone.
As you know, I am off on
Sabbatical Leave from
April 2nd until June 30th. Gosh ! ...I know! Our plans have solidified now and Pam and I will be on our pilgrimage walk (160 miles) leaving April 5 for Portugal. We will spend the next month in Portugal, Spain, and I will visit my brother in London for a few days, and then my parents in Ireland for a week before returning to Massachusetts for a few days. Then I will be in Washington DC for a while attending the Festival of Homiletics. In June, we will be with Pam's family for a bit, and finally I will do a spiritual retreat, before returning to First Church - July 1st.
The
BIG NEW NEWS is that
The Rev. Debra Adams will serve the church as our
Sabbatical Pastor. Rev. Debra has great energy and a big heart, is a fantastic pastor and a good friend. She has attended worship a number of times over the recent months. You will probably recognize her. She has preached for us, and she recently came on as a consultant for us, to review our children's ministry program last Fall. She loves our church, and you have received her and welcomed her beautifully already. So it is good to have a familiar face to serve the congregation in my absence.
Secondly,
more BIG NEWS! One of Rev. Debra's recommendations for our Sunday School was to have someone fill the role of
Sunday School Administrator, to provide extra leadership, support for the teachers in the classrooms, connect with parents, and look beyond the classrooms at our church life for ways to better connect with our kids and parents. Starting this Sunday,
Siobhan McDonald will serve as Sunday School Administrator. This is a part-time role. Siobhan will be in church at least 2 Sunday's a month, while also working a few hours during the week on projects to enhance our programs, and reaching out to parents. In this role, Siobhan will bring her very special creativity and deep education experiences to add to the amazing efforts of our lead teachers Caitlin Falasca and Donna Leggett and all our great Sunday school volunteers.
Speaking of this Sunday -- Tomorrow!!
Snow is forecast for tonight - and roads maybe troublesome, depending on the timing of the snow fall and the aggressiveness of our towns' snow plough teams. Since I live next door, the church will be open, and we will have church no matter what. But please use your own best judgement to determine if it is safe and good for you to make it here.
Lastly but not least ... Patty Clark has the following news about a great concert for families of all ages!!
On
Sunday, March 11, at 3pm, First Church will present
"Three's A Crowd",
a concert for all ages.
Along with pianist, Beverly Soll and organist, Andrew Soll, we will be presenting Peter and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals, Babar the Elephant, and Rex: the King of Instruments, with lively narrations by Brittany Betts.
The music is awesome, the stories are delightful, and as the performers we couldn't be more excited to share this concert with the young at heart of all ages!
We hope you will join us at this free concert, and please bring along the youngsters in your life to enjoy the music, as well!
Here is a link to
the flier with more information. Please feel free to share it with friends, family, and students!
Pastor Ian
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