This Week
Wednesday, November 7
- 9am Music Committee Meeting
- 7:15pm Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, November 8
- 4:30pm Women's Bible Study in the Parish Hall Library
- 7:00pm Housatonics Rehearsal
Friday, November 9
Sunday, November 11
- 9:15am Mindfulness at the Scoville Memorial Library
- 10:00am Worship with Choir, Sunday School, Nursery Care, Youth Discussion Group
- 11:00m Veteran's Day Service at the Salisbury Town Hall
- 11:00am Christian Action
- 11:15-12pm Prayer Workshop in the Meeting House
- Mural Painting with John Shin, Hotchkiss student, in the Parish Hall after Worship
Monday, November 12
- 11:30am Salisbury Duplicate Bridge Club
- 3:30-5:00pm Parish Hall Library in use
Tuesday, November 13
- 5:15pm Bell Choir Rehearsal
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Reflection on Transition
From The Leadership Team
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3
The leadership team is beginning the process of finding the interim minister for our church. We sought advice from Rev. Ryan Gackenheimer to help us structure our thoughts in the lead up to a conversation with Rev. Tamara Moreland. UCC guidelines for the interim search can be found on the UCC website (
www.ucc.org/ministers_search-and-call
), and as a first step, we are assembling a short church profile which will help Rev. Moreland as she identifies potential candidates. In our conversation with her, she expressed optimism about finding appropriate candidates for our church’s needs. While we cannot predict a timeline for this effort, in part because the candidates themselves might be finishing their service elsewhere, the leadership team is reassured by Rev. Moreland’s guidance and oversight and confident that we will be well served in this search.
Now that we’ve had time to process the news of Diane’s departure, fear and trepidation has given way to hope and excitement.
Several weeks ago, Diane’s sermon explored appreciative inquiry, a method of identifying an aspirational place an organization or individual wants to be, and then taking stock of all that is right and good with that organization or individual. In doing so, one starts from a place of positive energy and the gap between what is and what is desired is less daunting.
The team has used this approach in our preliminary work and it has been incredibly comforting and motivating. All of the cumulative results of Diane’s work in our congregation; our church board and committee leadership; members who volunteer at events, contribute in ways large and small their time, talent, financial resources, and prayers and attend services have brought us to a perfect place to embark on this transition.
Meeting with Ryan and Tamara has put this moment of the church’s history into context. We are all being called in a new way, we have the capacity to handle this transition with grace and optimism that our collective hard work will pay off, and that continued growth is our future.
While we will miss Diane’s ministry, we are grateful for her presence and guidance over the past eight years. Because of all we have done as a congregation during that time, we can exuberantly shout, “We got this!”
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No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
I am writing to you from the Parliament of World’s Religions in Toronto, Canada. I am here, along with 10,000 other people representing 220 religions of the world. We are gathered together under the banner “The Promise of Inclusion and the Power of Love.” Each of the speakers, so far, has interpreted this powerful theme from their personal perspectives....
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This Sunday, November 11, Pastor Diane's sermon will be "Everything She Had".
Readings:
Psalm 127
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Mark 12:38-44
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From Barbara Collins, Director of Religious Education
This Sunday, November 11, there will be Nursery Care and Sunday School (age 4 - Grade 5). Thanks to Linda Estabrook for helping in the Sunday School last week. The Youth Discussion Group (Grades 6-12) will meet with Erin Swett in the Parish Hall Library.
Worship will end at 10:50 so that we can go as a group across the street for a short observance of the 100
th
Anniversary of Armistice Day (now Veterans’ Day).
Please personally pick up your children so they may join you there.
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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 this Sunday, November 11.
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From Jack Bowman, Minister of Music
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This Sunday the choir has a special anthem, Craig Courtney’s
Lord, Listen To Your Children Praying. For several weeks the congregation sang the refrain of this anthem as a prayer response after the Pastoral Prayer. Feel free to hum or sing with the choir on the part that you know.
The other music this Sunday was selected to help us celebrate Veteran’s Day and to remember those that gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Blessings on all, Jack
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There will be two more opportunities on November 11 & 18 to participate in a Prayer Workshop led by Laura Hawks. Workshop will be held in the Meeting House from 11:15 - 12:00. All are welcome.
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There will be an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service on Tuesday, November 20 at 6:30pm in the Meeting House. All are Welcome.
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Collection for the Astor House
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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.
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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.
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Community Dinner November 18
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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If you would like to provide flowers for a Sunday service
, please contact Linda Estabrook at
(860) 824-5896
by Wednesday of the week the flowers will be donated. You are welcome to provide flowers in memory of or in honor of a loved one.
Simple bouquets and garden flowers are encouraged - there is no need to spend a lot of money!
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Where/in what ways do you feel most connected to something greater than yourself?
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The Coffee Hour sign up
is in the Parish Hall. If you have never served at Coffee Hour and would like to “learn the ropes,” please sign your name in the column marked “helper” and you will be paired with an experienced Coffee Hour server. If you have served before, please sign up for a Sunday or two and consider inviting someone new to join you!
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Click above to access our secure site
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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.
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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.
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Please take a moment to visit our website:
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"America's Housing Crisis" Presentation
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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
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Silver Lake Fall Action Weekend
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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...
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⭐️
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
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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
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