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All the latest news from Barrington Congregational Church, UCC
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NEW in this email:
- Bulletin and Announcements for May 31st live-stream worship service
- Death of a church member
- Dale's latest blog
- 'The Cross and the Lynching Tree' - video sermon and discussion
- National Gun Violence Awareness
UPDATES:
- BCCUCC Virtual Trivia Challenge CANCELLED
- Jubilation Sunday - more information
- Zoom info for Annual Meeting
- RIP Medical Debt update
Previous emails have been posted to our website
at this link.
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Church Office is CLOSED until further notice
There are still no in-person worship services, meetings or activities at church until further notice. However, many things are happening virtually.
Thurs, May 28
4:30 - 6 pm Happy Hour via Zoom
Fri, May 29
Linda on call for pastoral emergencies
Sat, May 30
Sun, May 31 Jubilation Sunday!
10:45 am Coffee Hour via Zoom
(Cancelled - BCCUCC Virtual Trivia Challenge)
Deadline for KLF Scholarship applications
Mon, Jun 1
7 pm Bible Study with Linda (via Zoom)
Tues, Jun 2
11 am Staff meeting via Zoom
1:30 pm Worship Technology Team meeting via Zoom
Thurs, Jun 4
4:30 - 6 pm Happy Hour via Zoom
Fri, Jun 5
Dale on call for pastoral emergencies
Sat, Jun 6
Sun, Jun 7 Baccalaureate Sunday
10 am Live-streamed Worship Service with Communion, Recognition of High School Graduates, and awarding of the KLF Scholarships. Watch at
www.facebook.com/bccucc or on our website
at this link (No in-person worship)
After Worship BCCUCC Annual Meeting via Zoom
(NO Zoom coffee hour this week)
Please note that looking ahead, cancellations and suspensions of meetings may not yet be noted in the on-line calendar as we don't know what the future holds.
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This Sunday, May 31st is Jubilation Sunday!
This is the day we celebrate our church school – all the children and adults who make our church school the special place it is. Of course, this year has been a little different, but we are ready to celebrate our creative, amazing children this Sunday during an all-ages worship service. We will have musical contributions from the Sing and Celebrate! Choir, and some of them will also be adding their voices to our adult choir. We will have a special Godly Play message and a virtual art exhibit with pieces from our children and adults showcasing their talents and interpretations of Pentecost. Yes,
this Sunday is also Pentecost
– the day we celebrate the birth of the church.
So wear your red
as you watch us from home (no in-person worship) and celebrate with us this Sunday!
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We hope you can join us live, but if not, you can watch a recording later at the same links.
Resources for this week's worship service are at the following links:
No Hymn sheet this week
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Linda Hartley's ordination service
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Deadline for submitting prayers to be included in worship is
8 am Sunday morning.
Leave a message on the church’s answering machine (401) 246-0111 or email to
dale@bccucc.org
or
linda@bccucc.org
. Please be sure that the person you are lifting up is comfortable with them reading your prayer to the whole community, and consider using first names only
.
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BCCUCC Virtual Trivia Challenge CANCELLED
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Unfortunately, the Virtual Trivia Challenge scheduled for Sunday, May 31st has been cancelled due to insufficient sign ups. We thank the Colby family for all the time and effort they put into creating it.
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Long time church member, Marjorie Stumpff passed away peacefully surrounded by family at the home of her daughter, Margo Williams, on Friday, May 22nd. The family felt very blessed that Marjie was able to be with them for the last few days of her life and that they were able to hug her and hold her hand during that time. Our thoughts and prayers are with her son Jeff and daughter Margo, and to all of Marjie's family and friends. Cards may be sent to:
Jeff Stumpff, 153 Tiernan Ave, Warwick RI 02886.
Margo Williams, 178 Love Lane, Warwick RI 02886.
An obituary and information about arrangements are not yet available.
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"Behind the scenes and moving forward....."
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In last week's eBridge, Dale responded to the question he keeps being asked "When will we be able to worship in person again?" In his latest blog - emailed out yesterday - he elaborates further on this question and writes about how we as a church are moving forward as we try to answer it. He also gives a behind the scenes look at what - and who - is involved in putting together the Sunday virtual worship services. If you missed it
here is the link to Dale's latest blog
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Our church's annual meeting
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Annual Meeting is June 7th
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Our church's Annual Meeting will take place on
Sunday, June 7th immediately following the 10 am worship service. This year it will take place virtually via Zoom (login information will be included later). In addition to the regular business of the meeting, we will be voting on a slate of nominees for a Search Committee for a new Associate Minister for Congregational Life. There will also be a report from the Vision 2020 and Beyond Team. All church members are encouraged to attend as we need a minimum of 45 members to reach a quorum. The warrant with the agenda is below, together with the Zoom information needed to attend.
Warrant for the ANNUAL Meeting of Barrington Congregational Church, Barrington, Rhode Island
The annual meeting of the Barrington Congregational Church, UCC, Barrington RI, is hereby called to take place virtually on
SUNDAY, JUNE 7th, 2020
following worship via Zoom. The business to be transacted is as follows:
ARTICLE I: To call the meeting to order.
ARTICLE II: To receive and vote on the slate of nominees for officers, ministry teams, and delegates.
ARTICLE III: To receive and vote on the slate of nominees for a Search Committee to fill the position of Associate Minister for Congregational Life.
ARTICLE IV: To hear a report from the ‘Vision 2020 and Beyond’ Team.
ARTICLE V: To consider any other business that may properly come before the meeting.
ARTICLE VI: To adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully submitted:
Greg Voigt
Clerk
For security reasons the Zoom information is not included in the version that goes on our website or Facebook page. It was included in the email sent to the congregation.
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Some teams still have vacancies... could you fill one?
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At our Annual meeting we will be voting on the slate of nominees for officers, ministry teams and delegates (see ARTICLE II above). Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to fill a position for next year. However, t
here are still some teams with vacancies that need filling, to start in July. The Membership, Stewardship and Finance teams are all looking for additional people. If you’re interested in serving on any of these teams or to learn more, please contact Elizabeth Azevedo at
eazevedo17@gmail.com
or 860-301-2915
a.s.a.p. Thanks.
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Annual Report will be published soon
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Christine is busy working on putting together the church's 2020 Annual Report. Once completed, it will be emailed to the congregation ahead of the Annual Meeting - probably on Monday. After then some printed copies will be made available for pick up outside the church office for those without email.
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Linda Hartley will be offering a four-week Bible study on Monday evenings beginning
June 1st
. Each Monday we will be looking at one of the less-well-known figures in the Bible beginning with Rahab’s story in the book of Joshua. Over the course of our four weeks together, we will look at four different individuals whose faith led them through life’s challenges. Maybe their stories will inspire you and your own journey of faith. Each session will focus on a different individual, so if you can’t make it to all the sessions, that’s okay. Join us for the sessions you can. We will meet
via Zoom
from
7:00 to 8:00 p.m
. on
June 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd.
If you are interested in joining us for our first meeting on June 1st, you may want to prepare by reading Joshua chapters 1 and 2 prior to that evening.
For security reasons the Zoom information is not included in the version that goes on our website or Facebook page. It was included in the email sent to the congregation.
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Baccalaureate Sunday is June 7th
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We will have a very special (virtual) worship service at 10 am on
Sunday, June 7th. During the service our high school graduates will be recognized, the Kathleen Lynne Fodor Scholarships will be awarded, there will be another handbell solo from Pat Stoddard, and the choir will sing a rousing anthem! We hope you'll join us for worship online, and then join us via Zoom following the service for the church's Annual Meeting (see earlier).
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Altar Flower donors needed in June
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There are a number of openings on the Sundays in June for people to donate the cost of the altar flowers. Each arrangement costs $30 and donors may choose to cover the cost of either one or both of the vases. The flowers can be dedicated in memory, celebration or honor of a person or a special event. If interested in any of the Sundays in June, please contact Jen Melker at (617) 877-1278 or
jkmelker@gmail.com. Thank you.
With the 'stay at home' order lifted, the Chancel Team will now be able to pick up and deliver the flowers - while observing social distancing and other safety measures.
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No longer able to get together in person, this group of knitters has been meeting virtually each month. Their next get-together is scheduled for
Tuesday, June 2nd
at 7 pm via Zoom. All knitters and crocheters are invited and new faces are very welcome – so do join in!
For security reasons the Zoom information is not included in the version that goes on our website or Facebook page. It was included in the email sent to the congregation.
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Deadline for KLF Scholarship applications is May 31st
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Two scholarships are awarded each year - one to a high school graduate going on to further education, and one to a student already in college. Graduating high school seniors and college students
who have been confirmed and are members of this church are eligible to apply.
Application deadline is this Sunday, May 31st and the scholarship winners will be announced on Baccalaureate Sunday, June 7th. Applications forms are available
at this link, or at
www.bccucc.org under Get Involved > Information for Church Members.
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Last call for graduation information for newsletter
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Information about graduates in our church family will be included in next week's eBridge. So if you have someone in your family graduating this spring (from high school, college, tech, grad school etc) that you'd like included, please send the information to the church office at
office@bccucc.org
by Sunday, May 31st.
Information needed is name of graduate, high school or college from which they’re graduating, what college or further education they will be attending, or what degree they are getting, and any future plans if appropriate. Thank you.
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From your Mission and Justice Team
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'The Cross and the Lynching Tree'
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On
Sunday, May 31st
, at 6 pm EST, The United Church of Christ invites you to a live viewing of Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr’s cinematic sermon preached at Trinity UCC, Chicago Sunday, May 17th entitled,
The Cross and the Lynching Tree: A Requiem for Ahmaud Arbery
. Immediately following the live video a panel discussion with four respected thought leaders, racial justice advocates, and UCC pastors will discuss the impact of historical and present day acts of racism and violence towards African Americans and how the Christian Church can be actively involved in dismantling racism.
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National Gun Violence Awareness - wear orange in support!
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In recognition and support, the front of the church will once again be lit up in orange for the weekend of
June 5 - June 7
(Friday night thru Sunday night). Supporters are encouraged to wear orange to remind everyone of the need for legislation on gun safety, background checks, and the banning of assault weapons.
More info
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R.I.P. Medical Debt Update
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Another huge thank you to all who helped the Mission and Justice Team reach their $4000.00 goal for R.I.P. Medical Debt. As of May 15th, the Southern New England Conference has reported a total of $138,894.20 which will eliminate 13.8 million dollars of debt in the three states that make up our Conference. Individuals who qualify for this debt relief must meet three criteria.
- Earn less than 2x the federal level (varies by state, family size)
- Debts are 5 percent or more of annual income
- Facing insolvency - debts are greater than assets
The Mission and Justice Team will update you as more information becomes available.
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The Earth Day Network is reminding us that we can now buy the Earth Day Forever stamp to continue our celebration of Earth Day's 50th anniversary on April 22, 2020:
Use the Earth Day Forever stamp whenever you send mail. You’ll also be raising awareness about our environment.
The Earth Day Forever stamp features USPS Stamp Development Art Director Antonio Alcalá’s painting of Earth with small green lines surrounding the planet, rendered in gouache (a type of watercolor using opaque paint) on watercolor paper.
These are Forever stamps, staying current even if postal rates go up, because Earth Day will always be Every Day.
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Opportunities to get together (virtually)
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After worship coffee hour on Sundays
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We host a Zoom coffee hour after church each Sunday
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Beginning shortly after the ‘livestream’ worship ends,
around 10:45 am
, all are invited to log onto zoom and chat with your fellow church members and friends. We hope to see you there - but you'll have you bring your own coffee!
For security reasons the Zoom information is not included in the version that goes on our website or Facebook page. It was included in the email sent to the congregation.
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BCCUCC Happy Hour on Thursdays
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All are invited to stop by the BCCUCC virtual Happy Hour with Dale every Thursday anytime from 4:30 - 6 pm via Zoom. So grab your favorite beverage sit down with your computer, tablet or smartphone, and hang out with your church friends for a while. You’re welcome to drop by (virtually) for as long or short a time as you’d like – we miss you and hope you’ll join us!
For security reasons the Zoom information is not included in the version that goes on our website or Facebook page. It was included in the email sent to the congregation.
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'Llama Pajama Time with Andrea'
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If you're not able to watch live, you can always watch a recording later on the
live-stream page of our website.
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New to Zoom? Here's what you need to know
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Zoom is pretty easy to set up and use. If you are using a tablet or smartphone (iPad or Android) there are apps to use. You should be able to find the app “Zoom” in your App Store.
If you are using your computer (ideally with a camera, like most laptops have) when you click on the link from your weekly church email, it will take you to a website and ask to install Zoom on your computer. Say “yes”. It is a very small and pretty quick download and install.
Once installed, whenever you click on a zoom link it will automatically launch zoom and log you into the meeting. If it doesn’t log you into the meeting automatically, you can manually type in the meeting ID into the Zoom app (on computer, smartphone, or tablet) and then the password, and it will take you to the meeting.
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Some of you have been hand delivering contributions to the office. While we appreciate your doing so, please do not enter the building, for your safety and for the safety of the limited staff that must work from the office. We encourage you to either mail your contributions to the church or leave them in the "church mailbox", located at the top of the steps leading to the office - on the wall on your left. The US mail and the church mailbox are checked daily by a staff member. Thank you.
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Stay connected with each other - and call the ministers if needed
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During this time of separation, we are all encouraged to keep in touch with each other. If there’s someone in the church you’d like to reach out to - maybe someone living alone - but you don’t have their contact information, please call the church office and leave a message (401 246-0111 x 101) or email
office@bccucc.org
Christine will then get their contact information to you.
If you’re in the hospital, a nursing home or rehab, or you’re simply staying home, but would like a visit with a minister, please don’t hesitate to call them and they’ll be happy to visit with you over the phone. Their numbers are Dale (401) 246-0111 x 103; Linda (401) 246-0111 x 104. Leave a message and they'll get back to you.
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Church Offering - please continue to give if you are able
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Thank you to those of you who have been mailing in your contributions to the church. If you are financially able to do so at this time, we encourage you to mail in your regular contributions or use online banking if that is available to you. This will allow our cash flow to remain stable and for the church to be able to pay its bills and meet payroll. We appreciate your efforts! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Financial Secretary, Pat Stoddard, at
pat@bccucc.org or 246-0111 x 102. Thank you.
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Ways to watch our live-streams
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We are doing our live-streams using Zoom and 'Facebook Live' and there are two places to watch it online:
- On the church’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/bccucc
- On the church's webpage www.bccucc.org at the 'BCCUCC live-stream' link from the home page, where the feed will be embedded.
For Facebook live, simply go to
www.facebook.com/bccucc
to watch. You don't need a Facebook account to see it. If you do have an account, search for the church's Facebook Page which is 'Barrington Congregational Church UCC'. If you 'Like' our page you should then get our news feeds, and also be able to comment on our posts and the live feeds.
If you're not able to watch live, you can watch a recording later, on the
live-stream page of our website.
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The office is closed but you can still reach us
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Following recommendations, the church office will be closed for the foreseeable future. However you can still be in touch with the ministers and staff. You can either send an email or leave a message on the answering machine at the person's extension. Both emails and voice mail messages will be checked regularly. Our contact information is:
As Dale said in one of his blogs "
if you need support, strength, or help in these days, please don't wait for Linda, me, or someone else from the church to call you. Reach out to us. We're still here and we'll be there for you in the ways that we can!
"
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