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Meetings and Services
this Week:
Wednesday, February 13th:
-8:30 a.m. Hunger Action Team Breakfast
-9:30 a.m. Wednesday Morning Book Discussion
-7:00 p.m. Choir
Saturday, February 16th:
-2:15 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
-3:30 p.m. Thank You & Dedication Organ Concert
Sunday, February 17th:
-8:30 a.m. Worship Service
-10:00 a.m. Worship Service
-:11:30 a.m. GHH Meeting
-Scout Sunday
-Sunday School
-Coffee Hour
Sunday, February 17th to Saturday, February 23rd:
-Church Painting Project
Monday, February 18th:
-7:30 p.m. Board of Christian Education
Tuesday, February 19th:
-9:30 a.m. Knitting Circle
-11:15 a.m. Bible Study in the Parish House
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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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Thank You & Dedication Organ Concert
Saturday, February 16th
Join us for a Thank You & Dedication Concert of our new organ this Saturday, February 16th
at 3:30 p.m. It will be a "Musical Journey" through the ages. Bruce Gale, our Minister of Music, will demonstrate many of the features on the organ through a variety of musical styles. He will include music beginning with classical and moving through the years with some old standards, theater organ music, broadway, and pops. (There may also be some surprises throughout the concert!). A reception will follow in our Fellowship Hall. All are invited and welcome to attend.
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Scout Sunday
Sunday, February 17th
Scout Sunday is a Sunday in February that recognizes the contribution of young people and adults to scouting. This Sunday, February 17th we will be honoring Scout Sunday at the Gilead Church. All scouts are invited to wear their uniform to church and be recognized for the contributions that they make to scouting and to our community.
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Church Painting Project
Sunday, February 17th-Saturday, February 23rd
It's hard to believe, but it's been 10 years since our church's building addition and renovations were completed. Due to some issues with the concrete, which has impacted the flooring, the Trustees will be doing some remediation work and replacing the flooring in March. Before this is done, Gilead Helping Hands, the Trustees, along with other volunteers will be painting the Fellowship Hall and adjacent hallways. Can you help? If you can give two hours (or more) to help paint sometime between Sunday, February 17th and Saturday, February 23rd, it would be greatly appreciated. It will be an all church effort and many hands will make it happen! There is a sign up sheet along with instructions available. Please consider signing up to help. If you have any questions, please contact Mark Tierney at
860-841-3214 or via e-mail at [email protected].
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Youth Group Game/Movie Night at AHM
Friday, February 22nd
On Friday, February 22nd members of the GCC Youth Group and friends will meet at AHM Youth & Family Services (25 Pendleton Drive, Hebron) for a time of fellowship from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Please bring a snack or drink to share. We will have games and a selection of PG or G movies, but feel free to bring some too. Hope to see you there! Call or email Mrs. Cohen with questions. (
[email protected]
or 860-228-5188/860-455-6459).
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Pizza & Game Night
Friday, February 22nd
The Fellowship Committee invites the congregation to enjoy pizza and games on Friday, February
22nd at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Pizza, salad, and coffee will be provided. Please bring a snack, dessert, or drink to share along with any favorite games to play. Minute to Win It games will be set up and ready to go for those who like fast paced fun! A sign-up sheet is available under the name tags in the hallway. Please contact Annette Langevin (860-228-1313) with any questions.
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Confirmation Class Bake Sale
Sunday, February 24th
Our Confirmation Class will be helping with our potluck coffee hour on Sunday, February 24th and hosting a bake sale too. They invite you to come and purchase some delicious home made treats and support them in their mission project. Their mission project is to educate middle school students at RHAM MS about the negative impact of substance abuse. They will do this by sharing facts about the consequences of substance abuse in Easter eggs, which will also contain candy. We look forward to seeing you at coffee hour!
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Hebron's Got Talent 2019!
Thank you for supporting our 6th Hebron's Got Talent event! We were able to raise $6,589 for the children's scholarship programs of AHM Youth & Family Services and Hebron Parks & Recreation. These scholarships encourage the positive growth and development of children in our local community and affords them the opportunity to pursue their passions and talents despite financial constraints.
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Confirmation Class at Silver Lake
This year's Confirmation class along with Pastor Denise and Jeff Brown attended a retreat at Silver Lake this past weekend.
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Valentine's Day Cards
The Women's Fellowship would like to invite you to celebrate Valentine's Day by sending a card to one or all of our members and friends listed below:
Bea Anderson Ed Meincke
Colebrook Village 274 Burrows Hill Road
55 John E. Horton Blvd., Apt. 106 Hebron, CT 06248
Hebron, CT 06248
Peter Carbone Lynn Owens
Cherry Brook Healthcare, Rm 216 15 West Street
102 Dyer Avenue Columbia, CT 06237
Canton, CT 06019
Jean Derby Maralyn Porter
564 East Street 20 Martin Road
Hebron, CT 06248 Hebron, CT 06248
Glen Hadley Ruth Rathbun
665 Horizon Lane Marlborough Health Care Center
Melbourne Beach, FL 32951 85 Stage Harbor Road
Marlborough, CT 06447
John Hibbard Lynn Sansone
1072 Gilead Street 436 Burrows Hill Road
Hebron, CT 06248 Hebron, CT 06248
The Karahja Family Dottie Taggart
24 Church Street P.O. Box 63
Manchester, CT 06040 Hebron, CT 06248
Lorraine Kreeger
20 Jan Drive
Hebron, CT 06248
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Sunday School Mission Project
"
The Oak Inside the Acorn
is the story of the miracle inside each of us. For within every child is the special person God created,
just waiting to grow
."
Dear Families,
The theme for our Sunday School program this year is, "Precious In God's Sight". During upcoming Sunday School classes, we will be reading the book The Oak Inside the Acorn and exploring how young people are precious children of God, dearly loved and wonderfully made with unique gifts and talents. What's more, children will explore and develop their own personal mission project using those special gifts and talents to be an expression of God's love and hope to their community and beyond.
We need your help!
Please support your child's mission project by brainstorming along with them how they can use their talents to bless others and helping them with their project. It should be something that "speaks" to them and that they are passionate about. Examples might include:
- Making and selling dog biscuits to support an animal shelter
- Playing their instrument for the senior center
- Making cards & sending them to brighten someone's day
- Tutoring another child
Young people are invited to bring an offering to class every Sunday. Funds that are collected this year will support these mission projects and small scholarships are available if your child's project needs funding.
We also hope you will share a photo of your child's mission efforts which we will share in a special video presentation during our year end celebration, Children's Sunday, on
June 9, 2019.
Photos and questions regarding the mission projects can be sent to Stephanie Haines at
[email protected]
.
All Sunday School Mission Projects should be completed by - APRIL 28th.
Thank you for your support!
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Lenten Dinner Circles
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Heb. 13:2
The angel sightings in the halls of Gilead Church have been too many to count. Lenten Dinner Circles will offer an opportunity to get to know some of them by enjoying a meal together.
Dinner circles are generally comprised of eight (8) people. Four couples; three couples and two singles, or any combination totaling 8. The time and place depends on the group. Options may include a Sunday brunch, an evening meal, pizza ordered in.
A sign-up sheet is below. A question and answer sheet to clarify many of the questions you may have is available on the table underneath the name tags over at the church. You can also contact Jean Dejewski ([email protected]) or Margot Sheehan ([email protected]) who are helping to get the Dinner Circles started.
This year, instead of asking what can I give up for Lent? How about asking, how can I deepen my relationships with God and others? Join us!
Dinner Circle Registration
Name:______________________________________________________
Email:______________________________________________________
Phone:_____________________________________________________
Address:____________________________________________________
Are you interested in:
_____Having a children's table available
_____Having an adult only evening
Where would you like to have dinner?
_____Restaurant
_____Participants' Homes
_____Church
_____Other
Are there any food allergies or food preferences that would be important for your fellow mates to know?
What days of the week work best for you?
Would you be willing to lead a dinner circle? _____yes _____no
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Coffee Hour Survey Results
The Fellowship Committee would like to thank everyone who completed the survey on coffee hour. We received 35 responses, which included some great feedback and creative ideas. The Fellowship Committee will be discussing them. Watch for more information as we seek to make coffee hour easier and friendlier for folks to host. If you have any thoughts or ideas that you didn't share in the survey, please feel free to speak with Annette Langevin (860-228-1313).
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Mission Trip Teambuilding Workshop
A mission trip teambuilding workshop was held this past Sunday. It was a time to get to know those going on this year's mission trip and bond together.
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Silver Lake Summer Camp
Silver Lake has announced its offerings for the summer 2019 conference season. B
rochures are available underneath the name tags and one is hanging on the bulletin board. Details and registration are also available at www.silverlakect.org along with downloads of the forms needed for registration.
Also, our Women's Fellowship has once again agreed to pay the $150 deposit for any young person from our congregation who would like to attend Silver Lake. Please speak with Karen Voghel (860-508-3326) if you would like to take our Women's Fellowship up on their offer.
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Offering a Word of Peace
It's been our tradition at the Gilead Church to sing the response "Go in Peace" following our Benediction. This response offers up the prayer that the peace of God be with us always. In an effort to be a welcoming and hospitable congregation, our Deacons are inviting everyone to share a word with someone near you following the singing of this response. It could be a simple "Go in peace" or "God be with you". We hope this time might allow you to meet someone new or to connect with a well known friend. If you have any questions or any feedback, please speak with any one of our Deacons or with Pastor Denise.
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Faith and Film Series
Friday, March 1st
Join us on Friday, March 1st at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for our Faith and Film Series. We will gather for a potluck supper followed by watching and discussing a mystery film. Come and be surprised. It will be rated PG. Bring a dish to share and join us!
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Youth Group Monthly Meeting
Members of our Youth Group met this past Sunday for their monthly meeting in our Fellowship Hall. They made Valentine's Day cards for some of our members and friends.
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Mardi Gras Brunch and One Worship Service at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, March 3rd
The Youth Group will be preparing and serving an all Church Mardi Gras brunch on Sunday, March 3rd. This is the last Sunday before the beginning of Lent, so we invite you to come and eat and enjoy some eggs, sausage, baked French toast, fruit and fellowship before the Lenten journey begins. The brunch will begin following the 10:00 a.m. worship service. A free will offering will be received. All proceeds from the breakfast will benefit the 2020 Youth Group Mission Trip. Also, there will be one worship service at 10:00 a.m. this day. The Modern Riffs will be with us at this service. All are welcome! Please join us!
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Sunday School Cancellation Policy
If inclement weather should happen and forces cancellation of Sunday School, our Sunday School Superintendents will contact Sunday School teachers. Parents please check your personal e-mail or web sites
www.nbcconnecticut.com
or
www.wfsb.com
for cancellation information. If Gilead Church is not listed there will be Sunday School. Worship will never be cancelled as Pastor Denise lives so close to the church. Please, however, use your discretion and always stay safe
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Fernando Martins Collects 200 Pairs of Shoes for Souls 4 Soles
A BIG THANK YOU to all members of the church! Thanks to Gilead's generosity, Fernando far exceeded his goal of 50 pairs of shoes and managed to collect 200 pairs! On Monday, February 11th Fernando and his mom, Michelle, headed to Peekskill, NY to a Souls 4 Soles drop off point where Shari, a volunteer from Soles 4 Soles, met them to load the shoes into a designated warehouse. Thank you all so much for making this drive such a HUGE SUCCESS!
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We are in need of ushers for our 10 a.m. service in 2019. To sign up, please contact Phyllis Kurz (860-228-2469) or you can signup online:
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It's easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.
Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact Phyllis (860-228-2469) and she can sign you up manually.
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Message from the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ
Dear Partners in Christ:
The vision of a body united -- in purpose, in mission, in vision -- is one that inspired the birth of our denomination. All of our spiritual impulses reverberate in an effort to call us into a more perfect union. Throughout our shared history as a people of faith and as a part of the Body of Christ, we have challenged ourselves to widen the circle of inclusion. Widening the circle has always come with growth pains as we shed old skins and welcome those whom we had previously thought unwelcome. And, with each new articulation of a more fully expressed Body of Christ we have realized new joy. Through it all we remain focused on the call to be one and committed to meeting the challenges inherent in that call.
We are now living in and through a season when the threats to unity are legion. Talk of walls that mark refugees as threats, labels like 'terrorist' that attach too easily to Muslims, overt racial bias that normalizes fear and hatred, a pandemic of abuse to women with the trigger reflex to forgive the men who author that abuse have turned America into a land many of us no longer recognize and that too many of us are finding harder and harder to reconcile with our faith.
Now more than ever, the Holy Spirit of the Living God and the Risen Christ is seeking to partner with anyone committed to unifying the human community. The gospel mandate to love our neighbor as we love ourselves resonates deep within us. It calls for the better angels among and within us to always resist impulses to hate, to condemn, to vilify, or to castigate. In such a time as this, the United Church of Christ's call to fulfill the prayer of Jesus, that they may all be one, stands as an urgent mandate to disciples who envision a just world for all.
United with you in God's service,
The Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ
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Wednesday Morning Book Discussion Group
The Wednesday Morning Book Discussion Group is currently discussing "Educated" by Tara Westover. This book is the story of the author's journey to become educated beginning with life in a family living apart from mainstream society. It takes her to her first formal education experience at age 17 and then on to higher education.
The group meets on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. at the home of Judy Brown and Deena Watson (130 Charles Lane). If you have any questions about this group, please contact Sandy Hooker (860-228-9856). All are welcome!
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Thank You
Hello Helping Hands,
Now that we are a majority of the way through a fairly wet winter, I wanted to thank you again for the tremendous work you did in replacing my roof last summer. Throughout the plentiful precipitation we've has this fall/winter, I haven't had a single problem. Not only that, but a leak above my windows, that I thought was unrelated, is gone!
Thank you so much for the help you give to members of the community!
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Repairs on the Church
The Trustees recently engaged a company to repair issues we've had with the roof as well as drainage along the patio side of the church. The issues caused some significant water damage. The damage has now been repaired and the drainage fixed, so water will flow more easily away from the building. If you have any questions about the work done, please feel free to speak with Terry Lukow who is Chairperson of our Board of Trustees.
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Upcoming Sunday Worship Servers
Ushers for this Sunday:
Ann and Gary Sarra
Ushers for next week: Candace Smith and Brian Lemire
Deacon of the Day for this morning: Teresa Olio (8:30 a.m.), Gary Sarra (10:00 a.m.)
Deacon of the Day for next week: Bill Cox
Liturgist: Steve Petro Acolyte: Benji Morrissey
Call to Worship: Ian Fagan
Coffee Hour Hosts for this morning: Lynn Lukach and Bonnie Tarbox
Coffee Hour Hosts for next week: Potluck with Confirmation Class hosting and selling baked goods
to raise money for their mission project.
Greeter for this morning: Elaine Aubin
Greeters for next week: Janet and Dave Kline
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Scripture Reading and Prayer for the Week
Matthew 5: 1-14
Hope of the poor, friend of the persecuted, advocate of the suffering, O God, we praise you, for you have been our help. Turn our tears to laughter and give us what we need to love. Then, keep us faithful that we may never be satisfied until all have what they need. May all people receive your blessings, through Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, and in whose name we pray. Amen.
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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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