FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC
115 South Main St.
PO Box 913
Wolfeboro NH 03894
(603) 569-1555
The Rev. Gina Finocchiaro
Senior Minister
cell: (207) 239-7796
home: (603) 515-0066
Krista Marschner
Office Administrator
Andy Campbell
Music Director
Dan Flaucher
Sexton
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Church Office Hours
Tuesday & Thursday
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
or by appointment
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Worship Schedule
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June 2nd - September 29th
Come and worship by the lakeside! Cate Park is located on the banks of the Lake Winnipesaukee by the town docks and across from the Post Office. Gather around the gazebo with your chair, your coffee, your dog, your friends. Worship is simple and relaxed. Come as you are!
10:00 am Worship
at 115 South Main Street
Our traditional worship service in our beautiful sanctuary. This service will be one with music and choirs, a children's message and church school.
Watch our Worship Services
Wolfeboro Community Television Channel 25
Sundays: 9:00 am, 3:00 pm,
9:00 pm
YouTube Channel
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Summer Music
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We have been fortunate this summer to have enjoyed special music from members of our church and visiting musicians. We heard Jenny and Lisa Cooper on 7/21, Julie Carbone played the organ on 7/28,
The FCCW women's choir sang "I Will Follow Him" on 8/4, and Nathan Beyreuther played our organ on 8/11.
Join us these last few weeks of summer to hear to hear Gina and Carol Nupp sing together on 8/18 and Bruce McCracken to sing on 8/25.
The Adult choir will resume rehearsals starting Wednesday, September 4th and The Bell Choir will resume on Monday, September 9th. Adult choir meets from 7:00 - 8:30 pm (Wednesdays), and bell choir 7:00 - 8:30 pm (Mondays) New members are always welcome!
Any questions?
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Weeding around the church
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If you happen to be downtown this summer and walking by the church, please feel free to pull a couple of weeds in the flower beds as you are walking along the sidewalk or walkways. Many hands make light work! You can put any weeds you pull in the back corner of the parking lot. Thank you!
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9/4 - Adult Choir resumes
9/8 - Rally Sunday
9/9 - Handbell choir resumes
9/21 - Antique Fair Fundraiser
9/22 - Confirmation classes begin
9/29 - Last day of Cate Park Worship
9/29 - Blessing of the Animals
10/4 - Italian Dinner Fundraiser
(Feel free to bring Gina your garden tomatoes to be made into sauce!)
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Celebrations
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JULY
1 - Michelle Dodge & Shamar Whyte (Anniversary)
2 - Ken & Corinne Brown (Anniversary)
4 - Gracie Bushman
5 - Bonnie Fuller
8 - Bruce Crowther
Fred & Helen Fernald (Anniversary)
10 - Beth Fitch
11 - Joan Arsenault
Nate Cloos
Bruce & Elaine Crowther
(Anniversary)
12 - Suzanne Scott-Kelley
13 - Bob Simmonds
Barbara Wood
14 - Jan Moodie
James & Janet Patterson
(Anniversary)
15 - Norm Farwell
18 - Barbara Baker
19 - Robert Waldron
20 - Paul & Edie DesMarais (Anniversary)
23 - Norm & Peg Farwell (Anniversary)
Stephen & Joan Arsenault
(Anniversary)
25 - Steven Metz
29 - Laurie Vachon
30 - Jimmy & Ali Hayford (Anniversary)
31- Rob Vachon
AUGUST
2 - Jim Hulm
4 - Peggy Carlson
5 - Jack Kay
6 - Henry Hudson
7 - Lucia Miller
9 - Langston Whyte
10 - Krista & Taylor Hudson (Anniversary)
11- Holden Vachon
12 - Emmett Hayford
13 - Vivian Dion
14 - Kyleigh Bechard
Hugh Crawford
Hugh & Peg Crawford (Anniversary)
15 - Catherine Ling
Ella Roman
16 - Marie Hebert
Katie Ling
Steve & Norma Metz (Anniversary)
Jonne & Nicole Ronquillo
(Anniversary)
17 - Ali Hayford
Alexandra Hopkins
18 - Jeremy Osgood
19 - Krista Hudson
21 - Chris Campbell
Laura & Ed Cooper
(Anniversary)
22 - Bob Nelson
23 - James Cook
James Patterson
24 - Martha & Robert Demaree (Anniversary)
27 - Laurie Butcher
Liz Scott-Kelley
28 - Scott McCracken
30 - D.J. Desaulniers
Not on the list? Our database is incomplete and we need your help!
Please send your date of birth (you don't have to send the year), anniversary dates and any special announcements that you would like to let your church family know about.
PLEASE call or email the Church Office with the information. Call 569-1555 or email Krista
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Friends of Music Concert
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FCCW hosts a classical piano concert, presented by the Wolfeboro Friends of Music, on Tuesday, August 20 starting at
7:30 pm. The visiting artist is Diane Walsh, of Portland, Maine. The program includes works by Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, Debussy, and American composer William Bolcom. Tickets are available at the door for $15; youth through H.S. admitted free. Enjoy refreshments at intermission and conversation with artist and friends.
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FCCW Photo Website
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Albums:
Service
Sacraments
Children in the Service
Music
Events
Miscellaneous
Old to new Church
If you have photos you would like to share please send them to
Bruce McCracken
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Chancel Flowers
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Would you like to donate flowers for the cancel in the sanctuary?
Consider donating a flower arrangement for the beauty of the sanctuary at Sunday service. You may give it in memory of a loved one or to celebrate an anniversary, birthday, or holiday. You make take the arrangement home after worship or have a deacon deliver it to a shut in. Please call the office or contact Gayle Gosselin at 493-5390 for more information.
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Email Prayer Chain
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Members of our congregation's prayer chain receive prayer requests by confidential email. Anyone wishing to participate who does not use email may receive a phone notification.
To join: Call or email Krista at the FCCW office
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Ushers
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Want to get more involved in church life? Ushering or leading worship are great ways to help our church. Ushering is fairly simple and requires little more than arriving early on the Sunday you're serving. Leading worship requires only a few minutes of your time during the service. Generally, ushers serve about four times a year, but there is no requirement for frequency. Whatever fits your schedule would be helpful. If you think this might fit your schedule,
contact
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Fellowship
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The Church Family Care Board needs your help! If you are willing to "host" a coffee hour please select a Sunday of your choice and sign up at the back of the sanctuary. Having 3 or 4 people "team up" makes the work lighter. On these cold mornings, a hot beverage is a welcomed treat...food is optional! If you are unfamiliar with the church kitchen and would like some assistance, a member of the Family Care Board will be happy to assist.
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Are you looking for a way to serve? Here is an opportunity to join an amiable group of people and help our mission in the village of Kpenoe, Ghana.
Sewers, cutters, pressers & beaders meet on
Fridays in the chapel from 9:30 am - 1pm. If are interested in joining our group, please call Meg Geoghegan at 569- 4886. New members are always welcome.
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Helping Hands Prayer Shawl & Veterans Lap Robe Ministry
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Do you knit? Do you crochet? Would you like to learn? Come and sit with us, every
3rd Friday from 10:00 - 11:30 am
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as we make prayer shawls for members and friends of FCCW and lap robes for veterans in Hospice. Beginners and advanced knitters are welcome!
For more information please contact Corinne Brown at (603) 569-0029 or Dotti Kay at (603) 569-6467
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Food Donations
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If you are interested in donating food to the LIFE Ministries Food Pantry, "End 68 Hours of Hunger" or GWAVCoop please place your food in the donation box or wagon by the foyer door (parking lot side).
LIFE Ministries Food Pantry is looking for non-perishable food items
End 68 Hours of Hunger is looking for peanut butter, jelly, canned pasta, chicken noodle soup, macaroni, fruit in plastic cups, granola bars, cereal, tuna, pop tarts, horizon chocolate milk, and peanut butter crackers
GWAVCoop is looking for granola bars, apples, fruit cups, and other individually packaged healthy snacks.
Thank you!
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Tag Sale
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TAG SALE, Saturday, August 24th 9am-2pm at the "Little White Church".
Proceeds to benefit the Wolfeboro Centre Community Church. Come find some treasures and visit with some friends!
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ANTIQUES, COLLECTIBLES AND APPRAISAL DAY
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The fundraising committee of FCCW will be holding an Antiques, Collectibles and Appraisal Day at FCCW on
Sept. 21, 2019. This will be an all-church and community event drawing attendees and participants from all over the lakes region. We plan to sell tables to both dealers and individuals who have antiques and/or collectibles to sell. In addition the church will man and sell several tables of such items as are donated.
WE WILL NEED YOUR DONATIONS. These cannot be garage sale items.We will need to review items donated to make sure they qualify as antiques or collectibles, appropriate for this sale.
You may be surprised as to what you have. The following are suggestions to spark you imagination:
* pottery vases
* pedestal cake stands
* vintage linen tablecloths (lace and 50's types) or aprons
* vintage kitchenware - OJ glasses, pitchers
* tools, garden items, old watering cans
* old fishing gear, minnow buckets
* statues
* brass and other metal buckets bins
* Wooden boxes or
chests
* sterling silver
* ANY jewelry - costume or the real deal (cuff links, men's watches)
* vintage hats, gloves, evening bags, purses or old designer clothes
* small pieces of furniture ranging from Danish modern to arts and crafts & early Americana etc.
* little tile tables or small smoking stands
* old lamps and light fixtures if they have age and/or character
* little berry bowls of pressed glass or other glass items
* old college and school banners, pennants, baseball cards
* architectural ornaments, weather vanes, small pediments, an old gate, plant stands
* desk items - rolodex, old pens, paper weights
* Hudson Bay or Pendleton blankets or old quilts. Even quilt tops.
* old sporting equipment - wooden tennis or squash rackets of a few decades, old baseballs, footballs, boxing gloves, signed baseballs, fencing equipment.
If you have something you are willing to part with, and you think it is a possibility, please call. Thanks for looking!!
At this event, for a fee, an appraiser will be on hand all day to give information and value estimates to people who have items to bring in for appraisal.
It is a big undertaking, and we need the help of many people. Whether you have a little time or a lot, we would appreciate what you can give. There are many jobs ahead of time and all along the way so even if the day is a conflict, we could use your help. For any information, ideas, and offerings to become involved, please contact Patty Mac Hewitt at 781-929-7859 or 603-569-6090.
 HELP NEEDED! - The food committee has met for the antique fundraiser and we will be selling baked goods, soups, breads, desserts and beverages all day long to the public and vendors. We need help making soups and baked goods. Be on the lookout for a sign up sheet and recipes to cook/bake starting on August 18th in the gathering space! We are also looking for fall pantry items to sell such as jams, jellies, pies, pickles, home grown garden items and baked goods (cookies, brownies, cakes, breads, etc.). Feel free to ask Phyllis Schamber if you have any questions.
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RALLY SUNDAY & PICNIC
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Once you start seeing the school buses running again, it means the start of Sunday School too!!
Mark your calendars!
Sunday, September 8th is the first day of Sunday School and a day to celebrate the beginning of a new church year of programs and ministries at FCCW.
Bring your backpacks to church on Rally Sunday for a 'blessing of the backpacks' and stay for an all church potluck. All are welcome! C
hurch family, guests and visitors!
Lend a Hand for the Picnic!
Volunteers are needed in various areas to assist the Family Care Board with this event. If you can help, please look for the sign-up sheet in the Gathering Space or email
Peg Crawford
to let her know what you can bring! S
andwiches or a salad/side dish are needed. Desserts and drinks will be provided.
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Sunday School -
We offer childcare in the
nursery for babies and toddlers and church school classes for students in preschool through 6th grade from September through June. On the first Sunday of each month, all children are invited to participate in Youth Chapel - their own worship service, and then join their families for Communion. All other weeks the children will start in worship and after chancel steps will head to their classrooms with their teachers for the remainder of church.
PreK-Grade 2 - meets in the preschool room on the first level
Grades 3-6 - meets in the Chapel on the 2nd level
Acolytes Needed -
We are looking for children and youth (2nd grade and older) to acolyte - carry light down the aisle at the beginning of worship, light the candles, and then carry the light out from worship into the world.
There will be acolyte sign up on September Rally Sunday after church for those interested - experienced or new!
Teachers Needed -
Are you interested in sharing the story of our faith with the youngest members of our community? We have a place for you! Our Sunday School and Nursery program are in need of teachers and helpers. Classes start on Rally Sunday, but we are in need of teachers in the winter and spring as well as substitutes during the year. No experience is required and we will find a place for you no matter how much time you can share. Please contact Katie Ling if you can help out this school year. Thank you for considering the youngest members of our faith community!
Confirmation Class -
Confirmation classes will be offered for youth 8th grade through 12th grade over the course of the school year. Classes will start on Sunday, September 22nd. Be on the lookout for more information about times and scheduled dates. If you are interested in joining please contact Pastor Gina or Krista in the church office.
 Wolfeboro Serves -
Pastor Gina, Pastor Bill (from All Saints Episcopal), and Maria Found (from Brewster Academy) invite you to join a service-focused, social-justice centered youth group for students in grades 7 through 12.
We will meet once a month, and gather to put our faith into action. We are determined to be ecumenical (and happy to be interfaith, if you bring friends from other traditions!), welcoming, useful and inspired. Be on the lookout for our first meeting and event!
Children's Playgroup
- A time of sharing and community for parents and children of varying ages. The playgroup will meet Monday mornings at 9:30 am in the Nursery or at The Nick on sunny days during the summer.
If you know a parent who might enjoy fellowship with other parents during this time frame, please invite them to come to the group! Get the latest updates about where the group will be meeting or for special events on their Facebook page First Congregational Church playgroup
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WOLFEBORO READS
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Pastors Bill and Gina encourage you to select a few books from our summer reading list to enjoy over these next months. We will reconvene in September to share reflections from our readings and to embark again on a common read.
A list was sent out early this summer via constant contact to your email and also has been printed out and in the gathering space.
Wolfeboro Reads Fall 2019 Dates
September 10, 17, 24
Where the Crawdads Sing
, by Delia Owens
October 8, 15, 22
The Second Mountain
, by David Brooks
November 5, 12, 19
There, There
, by Tommy Orange
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CELEBRATION & BIBLE SUNDAY
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On
Sunday, June 16th
our youth took leadership of the service as ushers, worship leaders, actors, and singers. We celebrated scholarship recipients, teachers, and bible recipients. It was a wonderful service full of joy and fun.
Following the worship service, the Family Care Board hosted a "Pot Luck Picnic." Members, friends and guests enjoyed good food and fellowship!
 Congratulations to our Bible recipients - Sarah Grace Bushman, Abra Fernald, Cole Hikel, and Henry Hudson.
Scholarship Recipients - John Campbell, Helen D'Angelo, Maggie Harwood, Kristy Meyer
Graduating High School Seniors - John Campbell, Elizabeth Cook, Thomas Cook, Kristy Meyer
Graduating College Seniors - Kyleigh Bechard & Cassidy Ridings
Thank you to our teachers during the 2018/2019 school year - Kate Barber, Paula Bechard, Ali Hayford, Amie Edmunds, Helen Fernald, Bethany Fitch, Mike Hewitt, Taylor Hudson, Catherine Ling, Katie Ling and Margaret Marschner.
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CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATING SENIORS & SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
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Kyleigh Bechard |
Kyleigh Bechard - Graduated from University of New England on May 18th with a B.S. in Animal Behavior.
John Campbell - Graduated from Brewster Academy on May 25th and will be attending UNH in the fall to study Theater and Education as well as Psychology.
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| Elizabeth Cook |
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Elizabeth Cook - Graduated on June 15th from Westover School in Middlebury, CT and will be heading to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY to study Environmental Science.
Thomas Cook - Graduated on June 15th from The Greenwood School in Putney, VT and will be attending Champlain College in Burlington, VT to study Education.
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Thomas Cook |
Helen D'Angelo - Is a rising junior at George Washington University studying Exercise Science.
Maggie Harwood - Is pursuing her RN at Curry College.
Cassidy Ridings - Graduated from Plymouth State University on May 11th with a B.S. in Youth Development and Education.
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CHURCH FAMILY NEWS
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Libby Barton and Tyler Winton were married at FCCW on Saturday, June 22nd. Congratulations to them both!
Janet Simmonds passed away on 6/20/19 and her memorial service was on June 30th.
Martha Charnock
passed away on 8/6/19 and her memorial service will be held on a future date this fall.
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FCCW ANNUAL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
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On Sunday, June 24th FCCW received annual reports from the boards and staff and welcomed a new group of individuals to the boards and committees that are responsible for getting the daily work of the church done. These volunteers are responsible for making sure the lights are on, the coffee is hot, and the outreach happens.
In short, there is no church if no one volunteers to help out! As the new church year starts, we would like to thank those who rotated off of church boards this year for all of their hard work and dedication. Some of these volunteers have served for multiple terms of services and many years in a row. Please join us in thanking them for their service.
Marie Hebert - Moderator
Elizabeth England - Asst. Financial Secretary
Nancy Harwood - Diaconate
Mike Turner - Diaconate
Ben Fitch - Properties
Steve Curtis - Properties
Margaret Marschner - Faith in Action
Jane Batchelder - Faith in Action
Richard Thayer - Faith in Action
Carol Nupp - Faith in Action
Phyllis Schamber - Church Family Care
Karen Hardy - Church Family Care
Beth Roark - Christian Nurture
Jack Kay - Endowment & Trust Funds
A list of the new board members is available in the 2019 Annual Organizational Report.
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FAITH IN ACTION UPDATE
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Thank you to all those who have participated and donated to special offerings this spring and summer!
We were able to send $580 to Church World Service for clean up buckets sold in honor of fathers around Father's Day this past June.
For every $75 collected, volunteers with CWS are able to fill a bucket with supplies such as sponges, mops, soaps, household cleaners, gloves, trash bags & laundry detergents. These buckets will be sent out to areas that have had natural disasters. In the past few years buckets have been sent to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria or last year to Southern California after wild fires raged though communities there.
 We also collected
$310.75 during the month of July towards the UCC special collection Strengthen the Church offering.
Strengthen the Church's goal is to reimagine and build the future of the UCC. With our support, churches are encouraged to purposefully strengthen their presence and impact on their communities. This may be through supporting new programs in existing churches, helping plant new churches, strengthening the outreach missions of churches and encouraging increasing involvement of our youth and young adults in ways that speak to them.
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Ali and Emmett Hayford coming into the finish line
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On August 1st, friends and members of FCCW participated in Run for Hope, a 5k run/walk to support Hope House here in Wolfeboro.
Our FCCW team raised over $1,700!
Over 180 people from the community ran or walked the 5k and raised over $21,000 which will be used to help pay for the housing and social services to people experiencing homelessness, including at it Hope House in Wolfeboro.
Hope House
provides a home and hope for homeless families in the Governor Wentworth Regional School District.
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BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP
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Central New Hampshire VNA & Hospice coordinator Dan Kusch and Pastor Gina are offering several different types of support groups this upcoming winter. All the support groups are free of charge and will meet at FCCW.
To register for any of these groups, learn about specific dates, times, locations and/or more information, please call or email Dan Kusch.
Phone: 603-569-2729 or
Next Step - Offers participants of our past grief support groups an opportunity to continue to connect and share ongoing support. Meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday at 4 pm in the Quimby Room. Next meeting will be on September 10th.
Parent's Circle - Grief Support for parents who have lost children at any age to any circumstance or reason. All are welcome. We encourage you to come as individuals or together. We will meet monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Quimby Room. Next meeting will be on September 10th.
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DINNER BELL
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Dinner Bell is a program that offers a free meal at All Saints Church on Thursdays at 5 pm.
We are looking for volunteers to help every 2nd week of the month from 3:00 - 6:00 PM. We need 2 people to setup, serve, and clean up. You can call the church office for more information. 569-1555 or
kristafccw@gmail.com
Dates to consider -
9/12, 10/10, 11/14, 12/12. Sign up at the back of the sanctuary.
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