Weekly Newsletter
Week of November 13th - November 19th
Gilead Congregational Church, UCC
ChurchPhoto

Meetings and Services this week:

Wednesday, November 13th: 
-8:30 a.m. Hunger Action Team Breakfast
-9:30 a.m. Wednesday Morning Book Group
-7:00 p.m. Choir

Thursday, November 14th:
-7:00 p.m. Trustees

Sunday, November 17th:
- 8:30 a.m. Worship Service 
- 10:00 a.m. Worship Service with New Members Joining
-Sunday School 
-Coffee Hour

Monday, November 18th:
-7:30 p.m. Board of Christian Education 

Tuesday, November 19th: 
-9:30 a.m. Knitting Circle
-11:15 a.m. Bible Study in the Music Room
-7:30 p.m. AA Meeting

God is Still Speaking
  About Us:

Pastor:
Reverend Dr. Denise M. Esslinger 
 
Minister of Mission and Faith Formation:
Stephanie Haines 
 
Interim Minister of Music:
Carol Geyer
 
Administrative Assistant:
Sally Fritsche

Worship w/Sunday School: 10:00 AM

Summer Worship: 
9:00 AM 

Gathered: 1748
Meeting House: 1838
Fellowship Hall: 2008
 
We are an Open & Affirming Church
 
Stewardship Season: A Wonder-Full Life!

In the classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a crisis of money creates vastly diverse reactions from several characters. In our stewardship season worship, during the month of November, we’ll continue to look at these characters as well as hear the words of Jesus in order to reflect on what it is that constitutes a wonderful life. As your Stewardship Committee, we hope this time will help us to reflect on the role that money plays in our lives and will lead us to a place where we see our use of money as a spiritual practice that can lead us to greater serenity, harmony, truth, compassion, gratitude, love and joy. 

On this coming Sunday, November 17th, we’ll be taking a look outward and asking the question if our money practices align with our Christian vision. Do we reap love and generosity or bitterness and resentment? In other words, are we more like the Baileys or the Potters of the world? When our practices-no matter how incremental or seemingly simple-are serving the vision, we can live with a sense of wholeheartedness that energizes us, those around us, and the world. We “truly live.”

If you’d like to watch “It’s A Wonderful Life,” copies are available on the table just outside of the Sanctuary. Please note your name on the sign out sheet. You can also get a copy by calling the Church Office (860-228-3077). 

This week you should also receive our annual stewardship information in the mail. The mailing includes our letter, information and a form related to the option of electronic giving, our 2020 Church budget, a frequently asked questions sheet, and a pledge card. We hope all of this information will be helpful to you as you consider your pledge for 2020. On Sunday, November 24th, we'll be dedicating our pledge cards during our worship services. We invite you to bring your completed cards to worship with you then. If you are not able to be with us for worship on the 24th, we invite you to return your completed pledge cards to the Church in the mail (672 Gilead Street, Hebron, CT 06248) before then and we will include them in our dedication.

If you have any questions about our stewardship season, please feel free to speak with a member of our Stewardship Committee (Mark Bierbaum, Micheal Bierbaum, Lisa Cox (Co-Chair), Charles Daniels, Lauren Henry (Co-Chair) and Bruce Langevin).
Hebron Interfaith Thanksgiving Service 
Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 7:00 pm

Our Hebron Interfaith Thanksgiving Service will be held at St. Peter's (30 Church Street) on Sunday, November 24th at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend and join in an evening of reflection and song. Houses of worship participating in this year's service include, Church of the Holy Family, Gilead Congregational Church, UCC, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, and United Brethren Synagogue. During the service, there will be an offering to benefit Hebron Interfaith Health Services. Please join us for this special service. All are welcome!     

HELO Pie Sales 

It is pie season! If you would like to order a homemade apple or pumpkin pie for the holidays, please see Amy Huhn. All proceeds will benefit HELO, an orphanage in Les Cayes, Haiti. The cost of pies is all donation based. Pick up dates will be Wednesday, November 27th or Monday, December 23rd in the Fellowship Hall from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. If you have any questions please contact Amy at (860) 462-0919 or pvault1459@gmail.com

Finding God in Contemporary Issues

Our “Finding God in Contemporary Issues” discussion group will resume meeting in January. We’d like to give more people the opportunity to join us, so will meet after worship on the 4th Sundays of the month. We’ll meet in one of the classrooms off of our Fellowship Hall starting around 11:30 a.m. and going until about 1:00 p.m. We’d also like to hear from you about the topics or issues that you feel are important and would like to gather to discuss and hear different points of view. You can share your thoughts by talking with John Jenkins or Margot Sheehan who co-facilitate this discussion group, or by calling (860-228-3077) or emailing ( gcc@gileadchurch.net ) the Church office with your ideas, or you can write them down and put them in the FGICI box that is located right outside of the Sanctuary. Slips of paper and a pen for your suggestions are by the box. We look forward to hearing from you and hope you will mark your calendars and plan to join us for our first gathering on Sunday, January 26th. 
 
Advent Celebration
Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 11:30 am

Please join us Sunday, December 1st from 11:30-12:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall as we celebrate the beginning of the Advent season! We will enjoy homemade soups, bread, Christmas music, games and crafts for all ages! Adults and children are invited to make a precious keepsake ornament, cards, fresh evergreen swags, and much more! This event is a wonderful way to start the Advent season and is offered to you by the Board of Christian Education. We are need of crockpots of soup to be enjoyed that chilly day. If you would be willing, please sign up outside of the Sanctuary. Please contact Stephanie Haines (860) 228-3077 if you should have any further questions. Let's start the Season right! 
Christmas Pageant
Sunday, December 8, 2019

Please join us Sunday, December 8th during our 10:00 a.m. worship service for our wonderful Christmas Pageant. See the story of Jesus' birth come alive through the sweet voices and imaginations of our children. This year's pageant is titled "The Real Story: A Christmas Comedy". We are excited to have Joe Zuzel as our pageant director. All Sunday School children are invited to participate . We will hold a dress rehearsal on Saturday, December 7th at 9 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Instrumentalists of all ages and abilities are needed as well. If you play an instrument and would be willing to bless us with your talent, please contact Joe Zuzel at joezuzel@hotmail.com . For questions regarding the pageant or to sign-up your child to participate, please contact Stephanie Haines at stephanie.haines@hotmail.com .  

6th Annual Women's Fellowship Cookie Sale
Sunday, December 8, 2019

The 6th Annual Women's Fellowship Cookie Sale is scheduled for Sunday, December 8th immediately following both the 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. worship services in the Fellowship Hall. We are in need of cookie donations. For those bakers who would like to support this event, there is a sign up sheet on the table underneath the name tags. Cookies may be brought to the church kitchen on Saturday, December 7th between 2:30-3:30 pm or prior to both services on December 8th. Please also plan to purchase cookies, sold by the pound, to support our Women's Fellowship on this day. Some Christmas decorations will also be available for purchase. If you have any questions, please contact Janet Kline, Pat Martin or Karen Voghel. Thank you!

Wednesday Morning Book Discussion
Wednesdays at 9:30 am

Our weekly Wednesday Morning Book Discussion Group is discussing " This Is How It Always Is" by Laurie Frankel. This is a story about a boy who grows up and says he wants to be a girl. The story focuses on how the family first "secrets" this information, but then shares and the impact on their family. The group meets on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. at the home of Judy Brown and Deena Watson (130 Charles Lane). If you have any questions about the group, please contact Sandy Hooker at (860) 228-985. All are welcome!  

Christmas Flowers/Memorial Order Form 
Deadline is Sunday, December 1, 2019

_____ In lieu of plants, I would like to make a donation to the Memorial
          Fund (suggested donation is $10)
_____ I would like to order Poinsettia(s) at $5.25 per 5” pot
            ____# Red, ____# White, ____# Pink, ____# Marble
_____ I would like to order Poinsettia(s) at $9.75 per 6 ½" pot.
            ____# Red, ____# White, ____# Pink, ____# Marble
_____ I would like to order a Poinsettia(s) at $16.25 per 7 ½” pot
           ____# Red, ____# White, ____# Pink, ____ #Marble

TOTAL NUMBER OF PLANTS - ____________
TOTAL $ FOR PLANT PURCHASE -___________
TOTAL MEMORIAL FUND DONATION - ___________
GRAND TOTAL $ AMOUNT -__________
Please "X" one of the following:
       Plant(s) will be picked up: __________
       Plant(s) are being donated: __________
Please note : Dedications made in memory or honor of loved ones will be listed the same whether flowers are ordered or a donation is made to the Memorial Fund.
Given in Honor Of: ________________________________________________
Given in Memory Of: ______________________________________________
Purchased by: _____________________________________________________

Please give order form w/payment of cash/check to Katie McClaine or send order/payment to: Katie McClaine, 860 Gilead St, Hebron, CT 06248 (860- 460-3221 )

(Checks payable to:  Gilead Congregational Church ) or e-mail completed order form to the Church Office at gcc@gileadchurch.net  and provide payment to Katie. Thank you!
  
    No flower orders accepted after the December 1st Deadline               
Advent Calendars Available

The Board of Christian Education is offering Advent Calendars outside of the Sanctuary starting on Sunday, November 24 th . There will be calendars for adults and youth. May this be a season for you of growing closer to God as we celebrate Jesus' birth and the abundant gifts he offers us! 
Getting Ahead Program Reflections 

Participants in the “Getting Ahead” program will graduate this week. The program was made possible by a partnership grant received from Foodshare through the ACHM Hunger Action Team and partial funding raised through our “Slice of Talent” auction. The educational and supportive program has taken place over the past nine weeks where those struggling with self-sufficiency in our local communities have had the opportunity to do some deep self-exploration, considering where they are and what they would like their future story to be. Each participant will be partnered with a mentor to help support them with the goals they have set for themselves. Thank you to the many mentors that volunteered at the Gilead Church!
In reflecting on the “Getting Ahead” program and her experience one participant wrote this reflection:

We are male and female. We may be of different sexualities or gender identification. We are of different ethnicities. We identify as humans and American. We are parents and we are childless. We are working and we are not working. We are underemployed. We drive nice cars and we drive heaps. We have different skin colors. We are single dads and we are single moms. We are also married. We are single and childless. We are divorced and widowed. We have wretched pasts. We have gentle pasts. We are living on our own and we are living with loved ones. We are apartment dwellers and house dwellers. We own and we rent. We are different, yet we are the same. And yes, we are all proud. We are fierce. We work to improve ourselves and our loved ones. We are warriors who fight. We fight stigma and stereotype. We are strong. It takes strength to admit we need help. It takes strength to cry. It takes strength to tell our stories. It takes strength and courage to stand up to our situations, and together we stand stronger and more courageous.

There is strength in numbers.

A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved; a joy shared is a joy doubled.

I have learned this lesson more in five weeks than I have in nearly 60 years of life.

Poverty does not discriminate, but it does not define us.
Minister of Music Search

We are in the process of interviewing candidates. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please feel free to share that the position description is posted on the home page of our Church’s web site ( www.gileadchurchucc.org ). Interested candidates can send their resume and cover letter to the church ( gcc@gileadchurch.net  or 672 Gilead Street, Hebron, CT 06248). If you have any thoughts or questions, please feel free to speak with a member of our Search Committee: Carolyn Bennett (Chair), Renee Ellis, Brad Franzese, Ciara Franzese, Jon Kimball, Laurie Larsen, Katie McClaine, and Ken Manthorne.

Bible Study
Tuesdays at 11:15 am

Our weekly Bible Study meets on Tuesday mornings from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Music Room. Rev. Bob Woodward leads the study. Please bring your own Bible. All are welcome!  

Fall Work Day 

The Trustees would like to thank everyone who came out in the cold this past Saturday, November 9th for our All Church Fall Work Day. Lots was accomplished both inside the Church and outside including a roof repair on the garage...and there was also some fun had with leaf raking!  
Coffee Hour Hosts Needed 

Members of the Fellowship Committee are asking members and friends to sign up for co-hosting coffee hour on Sunday mornings following our 10 a.m. worship service. You can sign up to host a coffee hour on the sign up underneath the name tags. We are also specifically looking for coffee hour hosts on Sunday, December 8th. If you have any questions, please contact Annette Langevin at (860) 228-1313.    
Confirmation Class Serves at Soup Kitchen 

On Friday, November 8th, four of our Confirmands served dinner at the Covenant Soup Kitchen in Willimantic with their Mentors. Pictured below are: Gage Haines, Jeff Haines, Jason Tew, David Kline, Amy Aston, Annette Langevin, Jared Langevin and Les Kurz.
Karahja's New Home 

The Karahja's, the Syrian refugee family that we helped to resettle three years ago, has purchased their first home! We gathered on Saturday and Sunday to help them get ready to move in. Thanks to the large work party of volunteers who worked both inside and outside to ready the house for the family.
Happy Birthday, Bea!

We celebrated Bea Stokes 95th Birthday this past Sunday, November 10th during coffee hour.
Upcoming Sunday Worship Servers 
 
Ushers for this Sunday:  Karen and Tim Fellman
Ushers for next Sunday: Michelle and Diane Pawlina

Deacon of the Day for this Sunday:  Gary Sarra
Deacon of the Day for next Sunday: Teresa Olio

Liturgist: Jerry Krasser
Acolyte: Benji Morrissey
Call to Worship: Marcus Parker

Coffee Hour Hosts for this Sunday:  Phyllis Kurz and Brenda Houghton
Coffee Hour Hosts for next Sunday: Potluck Coffee Hour

Greeter for this Sunday:    Joe Sheehan
Greeter for next Sunday:  To be determined

Scripture Reading and Prayer for the Week
1 Timothy 6: 17-19

Holy and Living God, transform our fears into awe-inspired wonder. Open us to your light, and to the rich possibilities that it brings us for a “wonder-full” life.  We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, in whom name we pray. Amen.
 
Contact Info
Sally Fritsche
Administrative Assistant
672 Gilead St
Hebron, Ct  06248
860-228-3077
  
Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until noon (Parish House)