This Week
Wednesday, November 14
  • 11am Noble Horizons service
  • 7:15pm Choir Rehearsal

Thursday, November 15
  • 4:30pm Women's Bible Study in the Parish Hall Library
  • 7:00pm Housatonics Rehearsal

Friday, November 16
  • 7:45am Men's Bible Study

Saturday, November 17
  • 11:00am Memorial Service for John Arnold

Sunday, November 18
  • 9:15am Mindfulness at the Scoville Memorial Library
  • 10:00am Intergenerational Worship Service of Thanksgiving; Nursery Care for children under 4
  • 2pm Community Dinner in at Center Congregational Church,Torrington

Monday, November 19
  • 5:30-6:30pm Bereavement Group

Tuesday, November 20
  • 1pm Investment Committee
  • 5-7:15 SOAR in kitchen
  • 6:30pm Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Transition News
Active Waiting
From The Leadership Team

We are just a few short weeks away from a new season in the life the church. That season we call Advent. Fundamental to Advent is waiting and anticipation. We are excitedly waiting for God to come into the world in a new and almost unimaginable way through the birth of Jesus. This waiting however, is not the kind of waiting we so often think of today, when one is anxiously sitting around looking at the clock essentially doing nothing.
Instead this is an active kind of waiting. An anticipation that requires our involvement, our energy, and our awareness. John the Baptist says “Make straight the way of the Lord.” There is work to be done as we wait on the beloved one to come into the world.

It is very appropriate that we as the church are entering into this season of active waiting as our church is very much entering into this time of life in the larger context of saying good-bye to our deeply loved settled minister, Pastor Diane. And is preparing to do the active work with our next pastor who will be our interim. The interim is not a person we see for just a moment. In fact, they are the one who will be walking with us in the life of our church for the next several years, leading worship on Sundays, officiating funerals, weddings, and baptisms, join us in meetings, visiting folks, offering pastoral care, and so much more. 

This next phase of our life as church is often around two years in length. It is very common for the Interim to be with a church for 2 years, give or take some months. I would invite you to not look past this next leader in our midst but rather, live into this time of active waiting, doing the work we need to do to make that path accessible for our next settled minister as we continue to live, worship, and grow as a community with the leadership of our Interim, who will probably be joining us some time in the first third of the new year.

Blessings,
Rev. Ryan Gackenheimer


UCC Transition Protocol: www.ucc.org/ministers_search-and-call
Deacon's Message from Mary O'Neill
Deacons Message from Mary O’Neill
I hope you enjoy this poem at the closing of autumn. It reminds me of the perfection of the place in which we find ourselves. No confusion, no questioning, no judging, just being—still.

Grace
By Wendell Berry
The woods is shining this morning.
Red, gold and green, the leaves
lie on the ground, or fall,
or hang full of light in the air still.
Perfect in its rise and in its fall, it takes
the place it has been coming to forever.
It has not hastened here, or lagged.
See how surely it has sought itself,
its roots passing lordly through the earth.
See how without confusion it is
all that it is, and how flawless
its  grace  is. Running or walking, the way
is the same. Be still. Be still.
“He moves your bones, and the way is clear.”
WORSHIP NOTES
Sermon & Readings
This Sunday, November 18, we will have a very special intergenerational Thanksgiving Worship Service with hymns of Thanksgiving & Gratitude. Come with a joyful heart!

Readings:
Psalm 126
Joel 2:21-27
Matthew 6:25-33
From Barbara Collins, Director of Religious Education

This Sunday we will have an ALL-AGES WORSHIP SERVICE . The format of the service will be kid-friendly. I hope you will attend this special Thanks-giving celebration and give your children the experience of worshipping with the whole church. There will be nursery care for the youngest ones (under age 4).
Click to read... Sunday School News
Youth Discussion Group
Erin Swett, LCSW, leads our Youth Discussion Group on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month. All youth grades 6-12 are invited to participate! Our next Youth Discussion Group will be Sunday, November 25.
From Jack Bowman, Minister of Music
This Sunday we celebrate Thanksgiving which is obviously a secular holiday with a long tradition in this country. However, we as Christians have reason to be thankful and should always take time to express our gratitude for the many blessing that have been bestowed on each of us.

Our anthem is an arrangement of “We Gather Together” by John Ness Beck. The choir starts with an introduction and then the congregation joins the choir on the familiar words to this traditional hymn.

The organ prelude is J.S.Bach’s famous arrangement of “Now Thank We All Our God” and the postlude is Sigrid Karg-Elert’s powerful setting of the same tune.

Join us Sunday to celebrate our many blessings.  Jack
OPPORTUNITIES
Service of Thanksgiving
There will be an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service on Tuesday, November 20 at 6:30pm in the Meeting House. All are Welcome.
Collection for the Astor House
Christian Action is already looking ahead to Christmas! In addition to the Giving Trees which will be set up in the sanctuary December 2 nd, this year we will be assisting the Astor House in Millerton. Astor Services for Children & Families is a community based, non-profit organization that provides children’s mental health services, child welfare services, and early childhood development programs. Astor provides support for pre-schoolers, children with behavioral and emotional health problems, children at risk of placement in foster care and families that need assistance in developing the skills necessary to raise their children in an environment filled with increasing challenges. Currently, they serve 33 families.
Astor has told us that the most needed and appreciated items for their clients are very basic: toilet paper, paper towel, bar soap, feminine products, diapers, xmas wrapping paper. So Christian Action will be collecting such donations beginning immediately, to deliver to Astor House in time for their Christmas Open Collection evening where clients come and are able to choose their own necessary items.
Please bring donations to the Church hallway and place in the painted bench. Deadline for Donations is December 16.
Giving Trees
This year the Christian Action committee will have 2 “Giving Trees” for the congregation to choose gift ornaments from.

The first tree supporting the 2018 SIMPLY SMILES CHRISTMAS PARTY will be up in the sanctuary from November 18 th-25 th.  The ornaments will have a link to their TOY REGISTRY where one can choose specific gifts for children and arrange to have them sent directly to the Cheyenne Reservation in time for their XMAS party at the Reservation on December 7 thThe link: simplysmiles.org/christmasparty2018
 
Deadline for the registry is Monday, November 26 th

The 2 nd tree supports Women’s Support Services in Sharon, CT. This tree will be up in the sanctuary from December 1-16 th. Ornaments will be for various gift cards and the like for the WSS staff to be able to lend additional client support in times of individual need.  Ornaments should be returned with the donations and placed in the box by the tree – DEADLINE DEDEMBER 16 TH .
Church Clerk
We are need of a church clerk to take minutes during the monthly Council meetings and keep our records up to date.
Do you feel called to serve in this capacity? Please contact Betsy Beck, Moderator, with a ny questions and/or interest: betsyfbeck@gmail.com or 860-364-0622.
Community Dinner November 18
Here’s a fun & worthy one-afternoon/early evening volunteer opportunity! The SCC Board of Christian Action will be providing a great Thanksgiving dinner to a needy population of 100 at the Center Congregational Church in Torrington on Sunday, Nov. 18th. We need drivers for transport & delivery and servers to work in the kitchen & community room. We’ll meet at the Lakeville Hose Company to pick up the food prepared by our fire fighters at 2 p.m. Torrington UCC volunteers will meet us at their church, and we’ll serve dinner at 5 p.m. We should be back in Salisbury by 7:30. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Joanne Hayhurst at 860-435-2801; joannehayhurst@gmail.com. Thank you!  
Silver Lake Opportunities
November 30-December 2, 2018
Two retreats: one for 4th-6th graders, one for 7th-8th graders
Hayrides, Christmas Cookies, Caroling, Low Ropes, Campfire, Friends, Fun....

Learn more here: Christmas at the Lake
Bible Study
Men's Ecumenical Bible Study meets on Fridays 7:45am. All men are welcome.

Women's Bible Study meets on Thursdays at 4:30pm in the Parish Hall Library. They are studying Genesis. All women are welcome, no previous experience necessary.
The Corner Food Pantry
We have an ongoing collection for The Corner Food Pantry. Please place your donations in the bins located in the vestibule or the Library Street hallway.

Beginning in January, we will have a quarterly collection during Worship.
Pick One Up at Church!
The Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service has provided us with these important FILE OF LIFE cards, for anyone who would like to take one. Fill it out with important medical information and keep in the magnetic pocket/holder on your refrigerator. In the case that you are ever in need of emergency services, the EMTs will take this card and be better able to treat you, with this information handy.
Pick one up in the Parish Hall or church office.
STAYING IN TOUCH
Church Office Hours
Pastor Diane's office hours are Monday -Thursday 9:00-5:00 or by appointment.

Kathy Wiggins, Administrative Assistant, is in the office Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30-3:30.

Melissa Adam, Financial and Communications Assistant, is in the office Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00-2:00.
Please contact the office if you would like to add a name to the prayer list. Names may be added at any time by calling the office 860-435-2442 or emailing kwigginsscc@gmail.com . Please make sure you have permission from someone to add their name to this public list.


Please take a moment to visit our website:
IN THE COMMUNITY
Simply Smiles Christmas Party
The Simply Smiles Gift Registry is open! Gifts for the Reservation Christmas party can be purchased through November 26.

Share your blessings and buy a gift for a child:
"America's Housing Crisis" Presentation
Chris Estes (son of Duane Estes) will speak on "America's Housing Crisis" On Friday, December 7, 2018 at 7:30pm at the Hotchkiss School. This event is sponsored by The Salisbury Forum. Click here to learn more
Silver Lake Fall Action Weekend
Lend a hand at Silver Lake this fall. Help us get ready for the winter and complete small repair projects. Get out in nature, meet new friends, connect with old friends. 

Click here to learn more...
⭐️  You can  VOLUNTEER  at the  Simply Smiles Home for Children in  Oaxaca, Mexico!   ⭐️
Next week-long volunteer opportunities available:
  • January 12-19, 2019
  • January 19-26, 2019
The Congregational Church of Salisbury, United Church of Christ
125 Main Street, PO Box 392, Salisbury, CT 06068
 Phone (860) 435-2442 
 email: salisburyucc@gmail.com