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What's Up With Pastor Todd?
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The Gospel of John has a special feature the other gospels do not. In John Jesus makes a number of theological statements that begin with the phrase "I am": "I am the light of the world"; "I am the Bread of Life"; "I am the true vine"; "I am the resurrection and the life"; "I am the way, the truth, and the life." There are seven "I am" statements in all. Two are found in John chapter 10, part of which serves as the lectionary text for this coming Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter also known as "Good Shepherd Sunday." The "I am" statements of John 10 are: "I am the Good Shepherd," and "I am the gate for the sheep." I have heard many sermons and sung many hymns about the Good Shepherd. I have never heard a sermon or sung a hymn about the Gate, good or otherwise. So let's talk about the gate!
It's easy for me to understand why the Good Shepherd would get all the attention. The Good Shepherd invokes the romantic images of the "green pastures" and "still waters" that "restore my soul" in Psalm 23. The Good Shepherd feels accessible and relatable and comforting. The Gate seems a little weird: The gate for the sheep? What does that mean? However, my experience in life and in reading the Bible is that it's often the overlooked things that bring the biggest insights. So this Sunday we'll sing songs about the Good Shepherd, but we'll reflect on the Gate and our own calling to open the way to abundant life for all during this time of pandemic.
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Prayers and Parish Caring
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PRAYERS and Parish Caring
- Please email or call the pastor for personal prayer or to add your prayers to the prayer chain. Pastor Todd pastor@firstchurchgranby.org (860-990-1073).
- Marilyn Sponzo, Stephens Ministries Coordinator, will be working with Pastor Todd to coordinate pastoral care. Please feel free to contact her sponzomarilyn@gmail.com (860-729-9828).
- We are in the process of compiling a calling list to check in folks. Marilyn Sponzo and the Stephen's Ministers will look to converse with some of our members to help them to weather the storm at home.
- Linda Betsch will continue to coordinate meal preparation and delivery, as she has done in the past.
- Small errands and grocery shopping: Chris Saunders will coordinate this through the care group, deacons and other volunteers.
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Need
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Coordinator and Team
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Contact Info
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Personal Prayer and/or
Prayer Chain
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Pastor Todd
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860-990-1073
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Pastoral Care
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Marilyn Sponzo
Pastor Todd
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860-729-9828
860-990-1073
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Check in Calls
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Marilyn Sponzo
Stephen's Minsters
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860-729-9828
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Meal Needs and Coordination
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Linda Betsch Connections
Other volunteers
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860-920-2500
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Errand and Grocery Shopping needs
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Chris Saunders
Deacons
Care Group
Other volunteers
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860-653-9342
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REACHING NEW PEOPLE WORKSHOP
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REACHING NEW PEOPLE ZOOM WORKSHOP! MAY 3
Reaching New People Tune-Up Zoom workshop, Sunday, May 3, noon to 2pm.
The theme: "What's Next-Vitality Dynamics during the Coronavirus Crisis".
We will look at three key areas:
1) Reaching new people while we are sheltered
2). Stewardship issues, both short-term and long-term
3). What the "new normal" will look like moving forward (key issues around central purpose, organization/structure/
staffing, etc.)
Zoom Link
Time: May 3, 2020 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
All congregation members are strongly encouraged to attend. No prerequisites necessary. If you're interested in increasing your joy and deepening your spiritual life (and, as a by-product, growing the church) this is for you. How is this possible in this stay at home time? Show up and find out!
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FRIDAY CHATS WITH
REV. SANDRA FISCHER
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Grab your lunch and hop online to connect with your South Church and First Church Friends for support and encouragement during this challenging time. We can all be apart together...or together apart! Hope to see you soon!
Sandra Fischer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting Fridays at 12:00 noon.
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Join us for TGIZ (Thank God It's Zoom) SPEED TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday,
May 1 at 6:30 pm - 7:30pm
- This Friday at 6:30.
- Bring 5 multiple choice, true & false or standard questions
- Have a pen and paper available.
- Each round will consist of 1 question per "window" and we'll have just 15 seconds to answer - and a timer will be set!
We hope you'll participate in the fast paced Speed Trivia game!
Topic: Friday TGIZ
Time: May 1, 2020 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 796 058 656
Dial by phone:
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 796 058 656
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WEDNESDAY COFFEE BREAK WITH PASTOR TODD
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We are discontinuing Wednesday prayer group. Instead we will be offering Coffee Break with the Pastor on Wednesdays at 10am. Bring your own Coffee!
Plan on attending and look for the link in Tuesday's weekly update. |
Thursdays at 1pm, Joint Bible study with South Church via Zoom.
Plan on attending and look for the link in Tuesday's weekly update.
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Stay tuned for updates on events and new opportunities to stay connected as all of us adapt to new information on coronavirus and mitigation recommendations from local, state, and federal authorities.
The building is closed for all activities.
Please call with any questions.
Voicemail messages left at the church will be returned promptly.
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SUPPORT THE GRANBY FOOD BANK
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Collection for the Granby Food Bank: Saturday, May 2
Since FCC cannot gather at this time and collect food for the Granby Food Bank on the first Sunday of the month as is customary, there will be a no-contact, drive up & drop off collection of non-perishable food items
on Saturday, May 2nd, in the First Church parking lot
from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. The social distancing guidelines will be followed.
If you cannot stop by but would like to donate food items, please contact Beth Lindsay or Kerri Crough (
860-653-6801) to make arrangements to have the items picked up from your home (just leave them on your front step and we will pick them up). For those who would like to make a monetary donation, please send a check to FCC by
Wednesday, April 29th - Please indicate that it is for the Granby Food Bank. The need is great. Below is a list of items needed:
| * Baking ingredients |
* Boxed meals |
| * Canned fruit and vegetables |
* Canned meat products |
| * Cereal |
* Coffee |
| * Condiments |
* Household cleaners |
| * Juice |
* Meal starters |
| * Paper products |
* Pasta |
| * Peanut Butter |
* Personal care products |
| * Salad dressing |
* "Side dish" items |
| * Liquid Dishwasher Detergent |
* Laundry Detergent |
Also, the Waste Not, Want Not Kitchen is still serving meals at South
Church, 242 Salmon Brook Street, on Wednesday evenings 4:30 - 6:30 for takeout, only.
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HELPING ESSENTIAL WORKERS
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FCC wants to support essential workers with young families who are living in Granby. Many single parent and dual parent homes have parents working essential jobs outside of the home. At the end of these long days, we imagine the last thing on their minds is making dinner. We would love to send restaurant gift certificates to these families so that they can enjoy a night together without the stress of planning and preparing a meal. In an effort to support small businesses, we are seeking donations to purchase gift certificates from area restaurants. We will aim to provide a $50 card to each family, however a donation in any amount is greatly appreciated. We are also happy to include a message from you with your name, or simply from FCC. You may also consider sponsoring a card in memory of a loved one. I will be donating one in memory of my grandmother, Alice. If she were alive right now, she would be cooking meals for everyone. :)
We are working with Granby Social
Services to identify families to benefit. If you have a family in mind, please let us know.
Please contact Heather Dobbert at 860-819-1528 or via email
as soon as possible, if you are interested in making a donation.
Thank you!
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On Wednesday evening, members of the Vitality team met on Zoom to discuss a couple of project ideas. Among topics discussed was how to connect with people who are quarantined in nursing homes and can't receive visitors.
We had an idea to collect drawings, artwork, short poems, illustrated writings, etc. - basically anything colorful, cheerful, and creative that could fit on a single sheet of paper. The collection of original work would be digitized and sent electronically to area care facilities where they could be printed and distributed to residents or otherwise displayed. I contacted the Recreation Director at Meadow Brook. She liked the idea and said she would be happy to receive and distribute the artwork.
People can send their creative works to Ann Wilhelm by mail, or by
email
as a PDF attachment, and I will collate and digitize the collection for sharing. For this first collection of works, let's focus on themes of spring, May flowers, Mother's Day, and of being in this together (#alonetogether).
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Face Mask Relievers Available
Troy Chicoine has been busy with a 3D printer making stress relievers for face masks. He has donated some to friends working in hospitals and has also donated 2 dozen to the FCC face mask bin. See picture --->
They allow for a better fit of the mask and take the stress off of the ears. Please help yourself to what you need.
If and when the weather cooperates, Ann Wilhelm has offered to take small groups
on afternoon walking tours of the Wilhelm farm property as it awakes to spring.
Volunteers needed
Volunteers needed to make "check in" calls on church members. Contact
Pastor Todd for instructions. And we encourage anyone who is planning to do errands, grocery shopping, etc., to contact others who could use help in these areas. The less traffic outside the home, the better!
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Link to Don Shaw's Latest Article... "Where are they now?"
The article was published in the CT Mirror on April 28.
Spirited Readers - next ZOOM virtual meeting Meeting May 12
All are welcome!
Zoom link:
Spring Retreat will now be a Summer Retreat - July 17-19
Theme: Come to the Water! 
"All you who are thirsty, come to the water." Isaiah 55:1
at Mercy Center, Madison, CT
led by Rev. Donna Manocchio
Healing waters, deep waters, well waters, rough waters, still waters and waters of Baptism, we'll explore these waters and much more through times of creative worship, shared reflection, healing silence, community conversation, engaging with Scripture, and moments of relaxation and fun!
COME AND JOIN US!!
Contact Anne delCampo, 860-653-2946
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One Great Hour of Sharing - Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who was able to participate in this year's collection for One Great Hour of
Sharing. We have raised $1,075. to help people around the world recover from
disasters, both naturally
occurring, and man-made. Grants made at the end
of 2019 went to Syria, to provide blankets, heaters
and other winter assistance to refugees
there; to Gaza, to provide psychological counseling for women
and children impacted by bombings in their home towns; and, to the Congo, to provide shelter, clothes
and sanitary supplies to people impacted by heavy rains and flooding of hurricane proportions. Our
donation
from this year will be used to help other vulnerable people in need, and, the need this year is
likely to be tremendous.
Thank you!
Opportunity - Make Face masks
Consider making cloth face masks to donate to hospitals in need.
This link will provide the instructions/requirements for face masks acceptable to Hartford Healthcare and Trinity Healthcare:
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Southern New England Conference News
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FROM THE CONFERENCE: 5 things to share this week: here
UCC COVID-19 Resources:
We want you to know about two helpful resources from the United Church of Christ for ministry in the COVID-19 pandemic:
T
he briefing separates facts from falsehoods and fear, supplying valuable information for the duration of the pandemic crisis. This resource is prepared by Barbara T. Baylor, MPH, Temporary Health Liaison serving on UCC's Wider Church Ministries - Humanitarian and Development Team.
Themes explored to date include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people of color, people experiencing homelessness, and children. Other recent topics have included the global impact of the disaster, COVID-19 and the U.S. healthcare system, recently adopted stimulus packages, and strategies for coping with stress.
This is Barbara Baylor's second time on the UCC national staff. She previously served for 18 years as Justice and Witness Ministries' domestic policy advocate and minister for health care justice in Washington, D.C.
Want to subscribe to the Daily Briefing? Send your email to disasters@ucc.org and please put "UCC SUBSCRIBE DAILY BRIEFING" in the subject line.
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Contacts
Church Office
Hours: Closed Until Further Notice
Church Office Phone: 860-653-4537
Church Office Fax: 860-653-4538
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Like First Church on Facebook!
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