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Newsletter of Barrington Congregational Church United Church of Christ
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Church office hours: Mon - Fri, 9:30 - 12:30 and 1:30 - 4:30 unless otherwise noted
Thurs, Jan 16
Community office hours CANCELLED (Brendan is sick)
7 pm M&J sponsored speaker event on 'Medicare for All', Sanctuary
Fri, Jan 17
Dale on call for pastoral emergencies
Sun, Jan 19 Celebration of Beloved Community
10 am All Ages Worship, Nursery Care available
Mon, Jan 20
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Office Closed
Tues, Jan 21
11 am Staff meeting, Dale's office
7 pm Deacons Meeting, Library
Wed, Jan 22
7:30 - 9 pm Choir rehearsal, Vestry
Thurs, Jan 23
1:30 - 3 pm Women's Faith Group, Library
3 - 5 pm Community Office Hours, The Coffee Depot in Warren
Fri, Jan 24
Dale on call for pastoral emergencies
Sun, Jan 26 'Who So Ever Will' Sunday
Brendan's last day at BCCUCC
10 am Worship Service, Church School
Immediately After Worship: Annual Budget Meeting, Sanctuary
After Budget Meeting: Special Coffee Hour to say farewell to Brendan, Fellowship Hall
1 - 5 pm RIAUCC event 'Racial Justice and Our Faith' youth event (Confirmands attend), Seekonk Congregational UCC
Mon, Jan 27
11 am Bereavement Group, Library
11 am Lay Visitation meeting, Room 6
3 - 5 pm Barrington Interfaith Partners (BIP) meeting, Library
7 pm Vision 2020 meeting, Room 6
Tues, Jan 28
11 am Staff meeting, Dale's office
11:30 am Book Group, The Coffee Depot in Warren
Wed, Jan 29
Noon Deadline for eBridge
7 - 8:30 pm 'Perspectives on God' by Rev. Dale Azevedo, Temple Habonim
7:30 - 9 pm Choir rehearsal, Vestry
Thurs, Jan 30
6 - 8 pm RI Assoc UCC Special Meeting, Vestry and Sanctuary of BCCUCC
Fri, Jan 31
Dale on call for pastoral emergencies
Sat, Feb 1
1 pm Wedding of Brendan Curran and Daniel Watts, Sanctuary
(Private reception follows in Fellowship Hall)
Sun, Feb 2 Contemporary Heroes and Heroines
8:30 am CEYM meeting, Library
10 am Worship Service with Communion, Church School
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Deadline for the next eBridge is Noon on
Wednesday, January 29th, 2020
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Be sure you get to see ALL of the eBridge.
Some platforms - including gmail - only show part of it with a link at the bottom to the remainder.
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No Community Office Hours today
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Unfortunately Brendan is sick so today's Community Office Hours has been cancelled.
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Speaker Event "What is 'Medicare for All' and why does it matter?"
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Our Mission and Justice Team is sponsoring this community event open to all,
TODAY
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Thursday, January 16th
at 7 pm in our sanctuary. J. Mark Ryan MD and James Cowen, MD, will give a 45 minute talk followed by Q&A. They are the leaders of the RI Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), and they will explain single payer, the public option, other proposals, and why the differences matter. All are welcome.
More information
.
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This Sunday, January 19th
is our next All Ages Worship. In honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we will be celebrating Beloved Community. Once again we have great interactive ideas planned for the service that people of all generations will hopefully find engaging and meaningful. Some of our kids will help lead worship along with adults of all ages. Don’t miss out as we explore the themes of togetherness, respect, and the diversity of God’s creation. See you Sunday!
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Pledge envelopes for 2020
are available for pick up on Sunday mornings from the table in the narthex, or from the church office during the week. If you didn’t request a set of envelopes but would like some, please contact our financial secretary, Pat Stoddard, who will be happy to assign some to you. Pat can be contacted at (401) 246-0111 x 102 or
pat@bccucc.org
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144 Envelopes Fundraiser continues for the 2020 Mission Trip
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Thank you to everyone who has already made a donation. The bulletin board with all the envelopes (with amounts ranging from $1 to $144) will be at coffee hour throughout the month of January. We invite you to take an envelope with a dollar amount that appeals to you, and then return it containing your donation to the church office. Checks should be made payable to ‘BCCUCC’ with ‘Mission Trip’ in the memo line. We look forward to our mission/service trip to Puerto Rico where we will be repairing cement roofs to help provide safe shelter for those in need. With the recent earthquakes in Puerto Rico, there's even more need for volunteer groups to go down and help with the restoration. Many thanks for contributing to this fundraiser and supporting our mission trip.
You can also make a donation to the UCC Disaster Relief Fund which has already sent aid to Puerto Rico - read more later in this newsletter under 'Can you help', or
click on this link.
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Our new church photo directory has been produced and it contains contact information for all of the current active households at BCCUCC. An email was sent out to those included in the directory with links to digital versions of the directory. Paper copies are also available for pick up after church during coffee hour throughout the month of January, or from the church office.
Because of the cost of producing it, we ask that you take only one printed copy per household, please.
If you/your family isn't included in the directory and you consider yourself to be active here at church, please contact the church office at
office@bccucc.org or (401) 246-0111.
We would like to get to know you and also get your contact information so it can be included in our database. Thank you.
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Fellowship Hall Arch Project update
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Thanks to some very favorable weather and good engineers and workmen, the arch repair work inside Fellowship Hall is completed. There are still some finishing touches outstanding which will be completed in-house. The hall was professionally cleaned on Wednesday which means that coffee hour can take place in there this Sunday. Many thanks to Paul Dennis and the members of B&G for overseeing this project, and to everyone who made a donation to help pay for the work that needed to be done. Thanks also to Pat Stoddard and Kate Colby for moving everything over to the vestry for last Sunday's coffee hour, and then back again for this Sunday!
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The church office will be closed on
Monday, January 20th in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
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Due to the repair work in Fellowship Hall, no Children's Clothes and Toy Swap, and no Women's Clothes Swap were scheduled for January. They will resume in February.
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Please join us in saying goodbye to Brendan
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Brendan’s final day at BCCUCC
will be
Sunday, January 26th
. Please plan to join us that day! There will be a special coffee hour (following the budget meeting – see below) when we’ll say farewell to Brendan and thank him for his 5½ years of ministry with us. Please plan to be there! The budget meeting isn’t expected to take very long, so we do hope everyone will stay for the coffee hour afterwards to say goodbye to Brendan and Dan.
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Our church’s Annual Budget Meeting will be held on
Sunday, January 26th
in the sanctuary immediately after worship. All church members are encouraged to attend, and child care will be provided.
The proposed budget will be emailed to the congregation prior to the meeting.
Warrant for the ANNUAL Budget Meeting
Barrington Congregational Church, Barrington, Rhode Island
Sunday, January 26, 2020
The annual budget meeting of the Barrington Congregational Church, UCC is hereby called to take place in the sanctuary following the regular 10:00 a.m. worship service on
Sunday, January 26, 2020
. The business to be transacted is as follows:
ARTICLE I: To call the meeting to order.
ARTICLE II: To review and vote on the proposed church budget for January 1—December 31, 2020
ARTICLE III: To consider any other business that may properly come before the meeting
ARTICLE IV: To adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully submitted:
Greg Voigt,
Clerk
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Wondering what'll happen after Brendan leaves?
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A Reverend and a Rabbi walk into a bar......
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...(so to speak) ....and they begin to talk about God and how each of their communities of faith worship, wonder, and think about God. They discover similarities and differences.
Rev. Dale Azevedo will present
Christian Perspectives on God
on
Wednesday, January 29th
from 7 – 8:30 pm at Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington.
Rabbi Andrew Klein will present
Jewish Perspectives on God
on
Wednesday, February 5th
from 7 – 8:30 pm at Barrington Congregational Church, UCC. All are invited to attend both sessions.
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Special Meeting of the RI Association of the Southern New England Conference of the UCC
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On
Thursday, January 30th
a special meeting of the new RI Association UCC (formerly the RI Conference UCC) will take place here at Barrington Congregational Church, UCC.
6 - 6:30 pm - Apple Pie and Fellowship in the Vestry
6:30 - 8 pm - Worship and Association Meeting in the Sanctuary
The Agenda for this meeting will include approval of the 2020 Budget for the Rhode Island Association.
We look forward to building off our past as we discover a new vision for ministry together in the Southern New England Conference. This gathering will be our first opportunity to catch a glimpse of all God has in store for us. All are welcome to come join us! Register here:
https://riauccmeetingjanuary2020.eventbrite.com
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Make sure that you see ALL of the eBridge.
Some platforms - including gmail - only show part of it with a link to the remainder. Click on that link at the end of what's visible, to see the rest of the newsletter!
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Information about all of the groups that meet regularly, is found later in this email....scroll down to find it!
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Looking ahead to February
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You are invited to Daniel and Brendan's wedding ceremony
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Rev. Brendan Curran and Daniel Watts are getting married before they leave Rhode Island and move to Oregon. They are grateful to the church and to Rev. Dale Azevedo for hosting and officiating the service. They are excited for this joyful day and invite the congregation to witness the marriage ceremony in the sanctuary at 1:00 pm on
Saturday, February 1st.
The ceremony will be followed by a private reception in Fellowship Hall for friends and family who received a formal invitation in the mail. They wish they could have invited everyone to the reception, but this was not possible. They are grateful for your understanding.
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On
Sunday, February 9th,
the Puerto Rico mission trip participants will be hosting a Valentine Cocoa Cafe. Anyone who is able is encouraged to
bring a baked good to church that can be sold
, and purchase something that someone else made. In addition to our yummy home-made baked goods, we will be
selling warm cocoa
with whipped cream and your choice of topping(s), both of which will be set up in Fellowship Hall. Please stop by and meet our friendly mission trip participants who will be tending the table. The mission team thanks you for your continued support!
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The Membership Team is recruiting greeters for 2020. Greeting is an easy way to participate in the ministry here at Barrington Congregational Church, UCC. No experience is necessary and greeters can be individuals, couples or families! Greeters arrive at church 20 minutes early and welcome everyone as they come up the stairs to the sanctuary. Sign-ups for all of 2020 are available at coffee hour. Worried about forgetting? Make sure to include your information so that the team can send you a reminder. Thanks to everyone willing to do this important and welcoming ministry.
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Sign up to help with coffee hour in January or February
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Volunteers are being asked to help the assigned teams with coffee hour on a Sunday in January or February, and can help with providing food, serving or clean up. You can either sign up in Fellowship Hall during coffee hour on a Sunday, or contact Jane Tonn at
jtonn2@cox.net
or 289-2349.
Those who signup will receive an email reminder the Wednesday before the Sunday that they have volunteered to help.
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UCC launches emergency appeal for Puerto Rico
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Following the recent earthquakes in Puerto Rico, the United Church of Christ (UCC) has provided disaster relief and has also launched an emergency appeal to continue aid to the region.
Learn more and also where you can give online. Or go directly to the link below to make a donation:
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'Sacred Journeying:
A Someday Minister Living Out God's Call in Global Community'
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Many church members know Gabrielle Sclafani who was raised in our church and is the daughter of church member and deacon Carol Strakosch. Gabi graduated from seminary last spring and is 'in care' at our church as she seeks ordination. She is spending a year working in Germany as part of her road to ordination, and you can follow and support her adventures via her blog:
www.sacredjourneying.home.blog. Gabi writes very eloquently and has a lot of good things to say!
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'From the River's Edge': The Pastors' Blog
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If you missed any earlier blog posts they are all on the church website
at this link
. There are also links to the most recent ones from the homepage of our website
www.bccucc.org
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Custodian position available
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Our lead custodian Paul Dziedzic is retiring after working at the church for a little over nine years. His last day will be Friday, February 7th.
The church is looking to fill this part-time, paid position. Anyone interested or knows of anyone who might be interested, should get in touch with Paul Dennis, chair of our Buildings and Grounds Team, at
wrbtwks@aol.com or (401) 243-3493; or contact the church office at
office@bccucc.org or (401) 246-0111. Thank you.
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Regular Weekly and Monthly happenings
(listed alphabetically)
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The group next meets
Monday, Jan 27th at 11 am in the library. The group is open to anyone (not just church members) who has lost a loved one at any time. For more information, contact the facilitator Betsy Brenner at
jsbeeb@aol.com or 245-8031.
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The Book Group next meets on
Tuesday, January 28th
at 11:30 am at the Coffee Depot, 501 Main St, Warren. We will be discussing
Before the Fall
by Noah Hawley. “On a foggy August night, a private plane flying from Martha's Vineyard to New York City crashes into the ocean 16 minutes after takeoff, killing nine of the 11 persons aboard. As the narrative weaves between the aftermath of the crash to the backstories of those who died, conspiracy theories abound. Hawley (
The Good Father, 2012
) ramps up suspense as the investigation into the crash proceeds, along with the level of the commentary by ALC headliner Bill Cunningham, who goes to illegal ends to gather information. A pulse-pounding story, grounded in humanity.” For
information about the group, please contact Helen Schall at
helenschall@hotmail.com
or 245-4724. All are welcome!
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With Brendan leaving, the future of Community Office Hours is uncertain. The session on January 16th has been cancelled as Brendan is sick. His final session will be
Thursday, January 23rd from
3–5 pm at
The Coffee Depot, 501 Main Street, Warren. Anyone from the church or community is welcome to stop by and chat with Brendan in this more informal setting.
At this time, there are no Community Office Hours scheduled beyond January 23rd.
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East Bay Kids Clothing and Toy Swap
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Please note that there are NO kids clothes swap in January as Fellowship Hall is unavailable due to the repair work being undertaken (see above).
Held on the 3rd Saturday of the month, the next one won't be until
Saturday, February 15th from 9:30 - 11:30 am in Fellowship Hall. Trade in clean clothes, shoes, and gently used toys, and get new (to you) items! Size newborn to age 12. Give what you can, take what you need. $3 - 5 donation at the door, but no-one turned away. Open to the community.
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Knitting for Others Group will meet
Tuesday, February 4th from 7 – 9 pm in the Living Room at Atria Senior Living, 147 Bay Spring Ave, Barrington. The group meets monthly - on the 1st Tuesday - makes a variety of different items to be given away (prayer shawls, hats for children in Head Start etc) and can provide patterns and help. All knitters and crocheters are welcome, especially new faces! For more information about the group, contact Nancy Arena at 246-0212 or
Nancy.Arena@outlook.com.
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NAMI RI Family Support Group
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NAMI RI (
National Alliance on Mental Illness
) holds a monthly support group at our church for family members of people with mental illness. Open to anyone in the community the next meeting is
Thurs, Feb 6th
from 6 – 7:30 pm in Room 6. For more info contact NAMI RI at
info@namirhodeisland.org
or call (401) 331-3060
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The Women’s Faith Group has it's next regular meeting scheduled for
Thursday, January 23rd
from
1:30 – 3 pm in the church library. They are reading T
he Windows of Malabar Hill
by Sujata Massey,
Copies are available for purchase from the church office for the discounted price of $13.
The group welcomes women of all ages from BCCUCC as well as other churches and fai
th traditions. For more information contact Jane Tonn at 289-2349 or
jtonn2@cox.net
.
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'From the River's Edge' - the pastors' blog
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Make sure that you see ALL of the eBridge.
Some platforms - including gmail - only show part of it with a link to the remainder. Click on that link at the end of what's visible, to see the rest of the newsletter!
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In the event of bad weather
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In the event of bad weather....
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We will always do our best to notify you of cancellations, especially if we ever need to cancel Sunday worship. Be sure to check your email, Facebook, and the TV and radio stations. There's also a link to the RI Broadcasters list of cancellations on our church website
www.bccucc.org under What's Happening>Snow and Event Cancellations, or
click here
However, in the event that we lose power and/or internet connection we will be unable to post these notifications. Also please note that if there is bad weather during office hours, the office may need to close without notice.
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Chess Classes offered at BCCUCC for children and adults
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USA Chess Kids Inc
(a non-profit organization) is renting space at the church to teach chess to children and adults (beginners and advanced players). Classes are available for ages 8 - 18 on Mondays and Tuesdays, and for adults on Wednesdays. All classes are from 5 – 6:30 pm in Room 6 and players may attend once per week. Cost for 4 months of classes is $720 for children and $800 for adults. For more information contact George Sammour, Chess Life Master, at (401) 732-4028 or
usachesskidsvip@gmail.com
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Both adult and children’s nametags are stored in the racks in the vestry hallway. Please pick up yours as you come into worship and wear it through coffee hour. As you leave put it in one of the collection baskets - to be returned to the nametag rack ready next time.
Need a nametag?
Sign up in the vestry hallway or at the back of Fellowship Hall
or email the office a
t
office@bccucc.org - be sure to indicate if you want a clip, pin or string style of holder
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Newly made nametags are placed in the specially labeled basket on the sideboard in the vestry hallway for you to pick up.
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Older Sermons available on line - current ones not available
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The company that hosts the sermons on-line has made some changes so the sermons from Dale and Brendan have not been posted since mid-November. However past sermons of theirs thru 11/17/19 can be listened to again at the following link
Sermon Archive. We hope to resume posting the sermons at a future date.
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Please 'Like' and 'Comment' on our posts to keep us visible!
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Help us stay visible on Facebook by both liking AND commenting (in 5 or more words) on our posts! That way the Facebook algorithm allows our church’s page (
www.facebook.com/bccucc
) to show up in more people’s feeds.
You can also find us on Instagram at
BarringtonUCC.
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Make sure your emails are reaching us!
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Keep up to date with what's happening at church!
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Please notify Christine with information about meetings/events etc. so the calendar can always be kept up to date. Contact her at
office@bccucc.org or 246-0111.
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Feedback wanted:
We hope you enjoy reading the eBridge and find it informative. Your feedback/comments/suggestions (good and bad!) are always welcome.
Email them to Christine
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