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Weekly Update
November 21, 2019
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Please Note:
There is no longer elevator access to the sanctuary. If you are not able to use the stairs, we invite you to watch a livestream of the service on the big TV in the comfort of our parlor.
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Worship Services at the Masonic Lodge begin on
Sunday, January 5th, 2020
January 5th
is the first Sunday that our Worship Services will be held at the Masonic Lodge a few doors
.
Other Important Dates:
December 8 - 10am Nativity Play rehearsal will take place at the Masonic Lodge. The whole congregation is invited to join them after church for Coffee Hour at the Lodge so we can all acquaint and familiarize ourselves with our new, temporary church home.
December 14 - Christmas Concert at St. Christopher's Church at 3:00pm
Cookie Express 8am to noon
December 16- The week of December 16, our church office and staff will be moving to our temporary home at the Methodist Church. Hopefully everything will be up and running by the end of that week. Email, phone number and church office hours will remain the same.
December 22 - Nativity Play at Sunday Worship Service
December 24 - Christmas Eve Services are at 5pm and 7:30 pm here at our church
January 6 - Committee Chairs: Annual Reports are due to Mary Lou in the church office.
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Pastor's Message
Following a unanimous vote at Sunday's congregational meeting, members of the Board of Trustees have now executed a contract with Casavant Frères Organ Company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. The church's organ, which is currently at Casavan't factory, will now be fully rebuilt and brought back to Chatham sometime in fall 2020. At that time the instrument will be installed in the new pipe chamber that will be constructed in the coming months.
With construction now going at a fast pace, we can begin to shift our focus on preparing for our new space being built, the new organ, and a year-long celebration of First Congregational Church's tercentennial. And as the chimney comes down today (see pictures below) and tomorrow, leaders of committees, ministries, and boards have gathered to continue discussing all the many changes that we will experience in the next six to eight months while this important work is completed. A great deal of information will be coming out shortly regarding all the changes that we will experience during these months of transition. While change is never easy, the end result will be well worth the wait!
Faithfully,
Joe
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Support for Memory Loss
Please join us for a presentation by Dr. Molly Perdue
Friday, November 22 at 10 am
First Congregational Church of Chatham
650 Main Street at the Rotary
Dr. Molly Perdue, PhD, is co-founder and Executive Director of the Alzheimer's Family Support Center of Cape Cod. She is an educator, counselor, researcher, and advocate. The former Director of Family Services at Hope Health, she participated in a working group to create the Massachusetts Alzheimer's Plan and the Massachusetts Silver Alert Policy.
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Thanksgiving Sunday
An Intergenerational Service Celebrating Gratitude
I can't think of a better primer for the Thanksgiving holiday than gathering together in worship and fellowship with our church family. The young people will be leading worship and we will be looking at texts that explore gratitude and thanksgiving. Through our worship and our harvest dinner that follows we hope that both our hearts and stomachs are fed. Below is a beautiful prayer that I found that really sums up the gratitude that many of us feel around Sunday worship.
Thank you Lord God for the opportunity of worship, for the freedom to be amongst your family meeting together in your house, and in the warmth of your embrace.
Thank you that in worship we can put aside the uncertainties of this world and rest upon the certainties of the kingdom, for your promises are not changeable as those of a politician might be, but immovable and eternal.
Thank you that we can bring to your feet all the hurts and fears that trouble us, and leave them there, knowing that your strength and assurance are all that we require.
Thank you that as we draw near in worship, we are transported from a world of concerns and fears, to a place where we can be at peace in your presence, find healing, wholeness and refreshment.
Thank you Lord God for the opportunity of worship. Amen
And Dessert Auction!
Harvest Dinner ~ Sunday, November 24 after Worship
If you are able please bring a dish, but if you aren't we still long for your presence. Come! Break bread and enjoy fellowship with your church family. We'll even have a dessert auction where we will be auctioning off fancy and fun desserts. It gets quite competitive and always generates a lot of great fun and laughter.
Bring a Fancy Dessert
for our Dessert Auction!
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Cookie Express is
December 14
It's time to get serious about cookies!
Cookie Express puts the "fun" into fundraising- we'll do this excellent bake sale on Saturday, December 14 from 8:30 until we sell out.
Help needed:
8-12 people Friday afternoon to plate the cookies, set up the room, and this year- ferry the cookies from peoples' cars to the kitchen. This is always a fun time; plating cookies gives you time to chat and laugh.
6-10 people for the first shift on Saturday (8 AM to 10:15). This crew will set up and open the sale, and begin the cleanup (it goes quick!).
3-5 people for the second shift on Saturday (10:15 to 12:30). The sale slows, but there will still be plenty to do. We'll need 1 or 2 strong people to carry boxes to the attic once we're done.
1-2 people to deliver cookies to people who don't want to deal with the crowd. (Let us know if you'd like a box or two delivered!)
1.3 zillion bakers. We can't raise money unless we get a whole lot of cookies. Last year we raised $2700 after expenses. We estimate that was about 250 pounds of cookies. Yoiks! Please plan to bake!
This year's recipients will be the Homeless Prevention Council in Orleans, and Meds and Food for Kids which provides emergency food for severely malnourished children in Haiti.
Sign up at church, or shoot an email to your ever-loving chairperson:
alisonkaar@gmail.com
.
Thanks to everyone in this generous congregation. This is a busy season for everyone
with holidays and family commitments... and for giving to others. This busy season for Missions is possible because of each of you. We are called to be the Church. Thank you for answering the call!
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Learn Christmas Carols!
Beginning December 1st, all children, of all ages, are invited to the J2a room to sing and learn Christmas Carols before church, 9:15 to 9:45.
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A LIVING MEMORIAL FOR CHRISTMAS
Poinsettias and Heifer International
If you'd like to give a memorial poinsettia for Christmas, or make a memorial donation to Heifer International, you'll find the order form to download and print HERE
There will also be order forms available at the Information Station in the vestry.
Orders must be received by December 7.
If you bring your order to church when the office is closed, there is an office mail cubby in the closet opposite the office.
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The dove trees will be up this Sunday! Please take a dove and buy the present listed there. We'll be helping four of the most needy families in Chatham: nine children in total. We are again helping ten children in four local families receive a joyous Christmas. Individual Doves request clothing, toys and wishes, gift
certificates, and cash donations. There are 3 trees-
One tree has only doves listing cash donations while the others have gifts, clothing, etc.
The doves list requested items, but you may choose to give more. Some doves have $10 cash requested, but you may give any amount you desire- cash is preferred. These donations are used to buy food and gift cards for these families.
Return your bags of gifts
to the church parlor. If you are giving clothing,
if possible please include a gift receipt. If you are giving cash or a gift card, please bring it to the office. Be sure to label all donations with the number that is on the dove, or attach the dove to the bag/envelope.
The Chatham Children's Fund will deliver the gifts before Christmas, so we need to get the goodies here by Wednesday, December 11. Thank you! (If you won't be in church but would like to help out, please shoot an email to Beth Eldredge, eheldredge@yahoo.com).
Thank you for your continuing participation in this heartwarming mission.
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Come help decorate the church sanctuary for Christmas!
Saturday, November 30 at 10am
Thanks to Kiki Huber for coordinating decorating day again this year but she is in need of more helpers.
It's always a fun and festive activity to start off this special season so please consider joining in! We'll be decorating only the sanctuary this year. Many hands make for light work, and experienced hands can help others.
We need a couple of strong bodies to help set up our beautiful, big Christmas tree!
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Rescheduled date for
"Navigating the Teen Years with Cindy Horgan"
now will be held on Thursday December 5th 6:30-8:00 p.m.
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Attention Ministry and Committee Chairs....
Time to start thinking about Annual Reports!
It's that time of year again...
Please email your annual report to the
office by January 6th...earlier if possible.
chathamchurch1720@gmail.com
Microsoft Word files, rather than pdfs,
are preferred so
they can be more easily edited if necessary.
Thank You!
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News from Safe Church Committee...
Your Safe Church Committee continues to meet regularly. There have been several steps that have been accomplished which are outlined below. We will also be making announcements as to improvements that have been made to ensure the safety of our church and our members and friends.
- Safety Training with Officer Michael Anderson - late spring we offered a program with Officer Anderson from the Chatham Police force. He has worked with other churches in our community on recommendations for safety procedures.
- Church Monitors - church monitors have been established who will be on hand to walk the building, check on classrooms and help ensure the overall safety of our building on Sunday mornings.
- Safe Church Policy Manual - extensive work has gone into the manual and will be brought for review at the next Church council meeting. Following that review, it will be made available for the congregation.
- We've visited St. Martin's Lodge to establish safety procedures for when we are relocated.
Please remember to check in the pews for Evacuation cards in the case of an emergency. We will continue to keep you posted!
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Prayer List
Addison Pratt
Barbara Howard
Betty Blair
Bill Benoit
Beth Eldredge
Bob Harned
Bud Heidebur
Charles O'Connor
David Howard
Dudley Goetz
Emily Garfunkel
Emily King
Harrell Family
Harriet Larsen
Hugh Jones
Jim Gable
JoAnn Mets
John & Barbara Emison
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John Nostrand
Jackie Yaeger
Joshua L. Hartley
Kate Poskanzer
Ken & Kathy Campbell
Laurie Hill
Matthew Hamilton
Michael LaCava
Michael Wheeler
Mun Long
Nicholas Tucker
Peter Brenner
Rosemary Giasullo
Susan Beall
Ted & Mary Ann Fritsch
Walter Meier
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