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News and Notes - February 21, 2018
Last Sunday
... On the first Sunday in Lent, Alida's sermon asked us to think about this question: What do we want to be known for?? You can read, listen or watch online at: Sermon - text ... Sermon - audio ... Sermon - YouTube
This Sunday:
Stories from India! At
both services, the participants in this year's India mission trip will share reflections on their experience of poverty and hope on the other side of the world. Please join us for this special Sunday, as we hear the stories of God's love in action!
W
orship at 9:00 and 10:30, church School at 9:00.
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Sign up to receive our Lenten Devotional daily emails!
Each day in Lent, from now until Easter, receive a morning email with a brief devotion written by a member of our church family. Note that
we're going paperless this Lent! -- the daily devotions will not be in print
, so receiving them by email is the only way to read these wonderful reflections written by your church friends.
Please click here to be added to the Devotional mailing list!
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Dogwood Festival positions available!! We've got some openings in our Dogwood Festival leadership, and would love to get YOU involved! This is a wonderful way to get to know people in your church, and a great opportunity for anyone who's wondering "how can I help this great church?!"
We are looking for: A co-chair for our very fun
Children's Games area ... Chairs for our
Kate's Clothes area (lots of worker bees ready to go, we just need a couple coordinators!) ... a Co-Chair for the
Parking area. Want to know more?? Just drop a note to our awesome Dogwood Festival coordinators: Michele Whelan (
[email protected]) and Brenda Steele (
[email protected]).
The Festival takes place this year on May 11-13!
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Thursday Bible Study in Lent
Join us on Thursdays at 10 a.m. or 7:30 p.m.! Each week, we're looking at one of the stories in David's
Water Into Wine.
TOMORROW, February 22:
"Tracy Lee", The Power of the Cross. David will be reading the story, then we'll talk about it!
March 1:
"Jesus at Auschwitz", When the Best Meets the Worst.
March 8:
"The Communion of Saints", Dreams, Roots, and Mountains.
March 15:
"A Church of Christopher Hitchen", Atheism and Faith.
March 22:
"He and She", A Study of Heaven and Sorrow.
And on Maundy Thursday, March 29th, 7:30pm:
A Reading of "Jesus' Iftar" presented by Ward Horton, actor and GHCC member.
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SPF
, (our high school youth group) meets on Thursday nights from 6-7:30pm in the Len Morgan Youth Barn. Last week was Open Topic week, and wow, what topics we covered! This week, it's a fun Games Night!
JPF (for 6th and 7th graders) ...
We'll see you this Sunday, 2/25, at 5 pm in the Barn for Fun, Pizza, and great games!! Don't miss it!!
YPF (for 4th and 5th graders)
will have their February meeting THIS Sunday, 2/25 from 2:00 to 3:30! See you in the Barn!
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Our 5th Annual Chili Competition
Cook-Off Dinner on
Sunday, February 25th! Bring a pot of your prize winning chili to be entered into competition or just round up your family, friends and favorite
cowboy hat and come for dinner. Either way, you won
't want to miss the fun! The schedule of events is: 5:00 p.m. ChiliSet-up, 5:30p.m. Viewin', smellin'
,
& reviewin', 5:45 p.m. Dinner! $6 adults and $4 for children.. Don't delay, let us know you are coming!
Click here to Check in with the Church Office to RSVP
Lenten Garden Workshop Event will be held on Sunday, February 25th
following BOTH worship services in the Memorial Room. Kits will be available for you to make your own living dish garden filled with the symbols of Easter, or you may purchase a kit to make at home. Complete kits are $20 each ($15 without the saucer).
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The Annual 'Evening for Appalachia' will be on Friday, March 2!
Silent and Live Auctions, reflections on the 2017 trip, fun and fellowship, and a chance to help our SPF teens go and do God's work in Appalachia this summer! An evening of FUN, amazing people, and FABULOUS auction items! Donations of goods, services, vacation homes, tickets, very much needed! Click here to purchase tickets to this awesome event!!
Church Ice-Skating Party!
A FREE favorite family event for all in the midst of winter! Sunday, March 4th from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
at Longshore in Westport. The rink is ALL OURS for an hour!! Skates available there, come at 5:15 to borrow some, or bring your own.
Sports Worship is Back!! Sunday, March 11, at 6:30pm, f
eaturing
Our House Band,
Our Stories,
Our Faith...
For ALL Good Sports.
Women
of
the church! SAVE THE DATE for our annual GHCC Women's Retreat.
With Alida leading, we'll be in Darien, at beautiful St. Birgitta's retreat center, from 9 to 3 on Saturday, April 28th. Cost will be $35. Make a note of it in your calendar!
It may be winter outside, but spring is just around the corner... and that means THE DOGWOOD FESTIVAL!!
Save the dates... May 11, 12, 13!!! Look for much more information to follow!!
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Alida's recruiting for ASP!!
We need
90
adults to accompany our 225 teenagers (the MOST ever!) to West Virginia June 30-July 7, for a life-changing week of service through the Appalachia Service Project. It's a week of home repair for families in need - but you do not need to be a skilled carpenter!! All we need is your willingness to work alongside our teens. Please take a look at the Adult Leader information on the ASP page of our church website ... and if you like what you see, click on the online adult advisor registration!! And of course contact Alida with any questions!
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Registration is NOW open for all GHCC members for this year's Vacation Bible School Program
which will be held August 13-17, 2018 from 9:30 to noon each day. The cost for the week is $60 per child. The program is open to children ages 4 years through 5th grade as of Fall 2018.
Click here (and scroll down the page) to register online!
Registration is now underway and spaces filling up fast!!! We will open registration to the community on February 20th, so please do not delay if you are planning on attending!!
Last year, all available spaces filled up BEFORE March 1st, and many folks found themselves on a long waiting list!
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Special Author Talk with Gretchen Evans, author of 'Leading from the Front'!
Gretchen Evans, daughter-in-law of our own Bob and Janice Evans, served in the US Army where she rose to the rank of Command Sergeant Major, the highest non-commissioned rank in the military. Along the way, she served as a Counterintelligence Agent and Paratrooper, serving many combat deployments, largely with the 82nd Airborne Division. She was awarded the Bronze Star and has 22 other medals and awards. PLEASE JOIN US to hear Gretchen speak about her book and her experiences in the military on Wednesday, March 7th at noon at GHCC with a luncheon to follow in the Parlor! It is free of charge, but books will be available for you to purchase. If you would like to attend the event, please let the Church Office know !!
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An Evening of Choral Music...
The Duke University Chorale and the Chamber Singers of the Fairfield County Children's Choir, Tuesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. at GHCC
.
Admission to the concert is free, but they will gladly accept donations to support the operations of these fabulous choirs. Please join us for this wonderful evening of music!
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Dogwood Festival Sponsorship
! One important element of our Dogwood success is the funding that we are able to generate from sponsorship. Sponsors include banks, realtors, auto dealers and other local and regional businesses with whom we may deal on a regular basis. We ask all church members to please consider any business entities with whom they may have a relationship or connection who would be appropriate to serve as a Dogwood Festival sponsor. Our sponsorship levels range from $5,000 down to $250, with corresponding levels of visibility and recognition, so there really is something for everyone. If you think you might have a viable sponsor candidate, please contact Karen Mitri or Mike Mitri
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Summer Camp at Silver Lake! Registration is now underway for summer camp at the Silver Lake Conference Center - A Ministry of the Connecticut Conference, United Church of Christ. This is a Christian Outdoor Ministry Program, owned and operated by our own Connecticut Conference. Spaces fill up very quickly, so if you think you might be interested, please do not delay! There are programs suitable for all youth ages 8-18, the costs are quite reasonable for an overnight camp (most weeks run about $500) AND scholarships are available.
If you are interested in learning more, you may visit their website at
www.silverlakect.org
or speak with Marcia Carothers!
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An American Story: Finding Home in Fairfield County:
On View in the Spaght Gallery in the Fairfield Museum,
from February 8 - July 23, 2018. This exhibition highlights the experiences of refugees and immigrants who have built new lives in Fairfield County. The exhibition also honors the 100th anniversary of the
Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants
(CIRI), founded in 1918 to help new immigrants in their journey to making a home in Fairfield County.
Click here for a listing of programs related to An American Story! |
Prayer Concerns
:
We invite you always to be in touch with your prayer concerns; you can also click here to contact Rachel, our ministerial assistant and prayer chain leader. We also welcome new members of the prayer chain (members of our church family who commit to pray regularly for those in need). Just let Rachel know!
Ongoing prayers are asked for Kate Richards, George and Susie's daughter, as she continues at Yale-New Haven following her bone marrow transplant. Praying for her to be able to come home soon! In Kate's honor, look for our special bone marrow/blood drive coming on March 23.
We ask your prayers with Joanna Patterson's father, Bill, who suffered a heart attack earlier this week -- pray for his recovery.
Our prayers of love and sympathy with Tracy, Bruce and Chase O'Such, on the death of Tracy's father earlier this month.
Healing prayers are asked for Bronwyn Prohaska's mother, Mary, recovering from surgery last week.
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