Weekly Newsletter Week of October 16th - October 22nd

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Gilead Congregational Church, UCC

Meetings and Services this week: Wednesday, October 16th:  -9:30 a.m. Wednesday Morning Book Group -5:30 p.m. Confirmation Class Mentor Orientation -6:00 p.m. Confirmation Class -7:00 p.m. Choir Thursday, October 17th: - 7:00 p.m. Budget Hearing and Council Saturday, October 19th: - 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Relay for Life Sunday, October 20th: - 8:30 a.m. Worship Service - 10:00 a.m. Worship Service  -Sunday School  -Harvest Party -11:30 a.m. New Members Gathering -6:30 p.m. Youth Group Monthly Meeting Monday, October 21st:  -7:00 p.m. Garden of Remembrance Committee in the Fellowship Hall -7:30 p.m. Board of Christian Education Tuesday, October 22nd:  -11:15 a.m. Bible Study in the Music Room -7:30 p.m. AA Meeting 

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   More About Us Join Our Mailing List

2020 Budget Hearing Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.  All members and friends of the Gilead Congregational Church are invited to a special meeting this Thursday, October 17th at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish House for the purpose of reviewing the proposed 2020 budget prior to our Annual Meeting, which will take place following the 10 a.m. worship service on Sunday, November 3rd.

Relay for Life  Saturday, October 19, 2019  The Relay for Life event of Greater Windham is being held this Saturday October 19th at the Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) Sports Center in Mansfield.  Gayle Sylvester and I are Co-Captains of our Gilead Church team this year and we hope you will join us to support the fight against cancer.   The Relay will run this year from 10 a.m - 5:30 p.m . (please note the time change) and we hope Gilead will once again come together to support this important fund-raiser.   We look forward to your participation on the team this year. Whether you walk, donate or help with preparation, your help is greatly needed.  To join our team or make a donation to support it, please go to:  http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?team_id=2461156&pg=team&fr_id=93763&s_locale=en_US Please feel free to reach out to me or Gayle with any questions. We hope to see you on Saturday! Thank You!  Dawn Salan (and Gayle Sylvester) 

Harvest Party Sunday October 20, 2019 at 11:30 a.m.  The Fellowship Committee invites the congregation to our 5th Annual Harvest Party following the 10:00 a.m. worship service this Sunday, October 20th. Enjoy a time of fellowship, fall crafts for children and adults, games, and light refreshments. Youth helpers are needed. Please contact Annette Langevin (860-228-1313) with questions, ideas or to help!

New Member Gatherings Sunday October 20, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. Our Deacons will be hosting two gatherings for persons who are interested in exploring membership with the Gilead Church this Sunday, October 20th and Sunday, October 27th at 11:30 a.m. in one of the classrooms off of our Fellowship Hall. These gatherings will be a time to meet others and to learn more about our church. Those who are interested are invited to attend one of the gatherings. New members will be joining during a 10 a.m. worship service in November. If you have any questions, please speak with one of our Deacons or with Rev. Esslinger.

Third Quarter Giving Statements   Our Assistant Treasurer, Joan Cordier, has prepared giving statements through the third quarter of this year. They will be available this Sunday, October 20th in the front of the Sanctuary for you to pick up. We are grateful for your financial support of the ministries of the Gilead Church, and hope this update will be helpful. If you have any questions about your statement, please contact Joan Cordier (860-228-4718). Thank you! 

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.

"Getting Ahead" Volunteers Needed! Come Learn More - October 23, 2019 at 6:00 pm The Andover, Columbia, Hebron and Marlborough Hunger Action Team and Foodshare are currently offering the “Getting Ahead” Program to families in our communities struggling to make ends meet. The program engages participants in deep self-exploration as they identify their goals, write their own future story and understand the challenges they face as well as the strengths they already have within them. “Getting Ahead” is a framework that explores the challenges of living in poverty – living in crisis all of the time, making impossible choices everyday and never having the time or luxury of planning for a better future. It also explores the mindset of people living in the middle class and people living in wealth. Understanding the challenge of poverty starts with understanding one’s own mental model, and how it influences our perceptions of the world. Volunteer allies are needed to support participants through the program. Allies are asked to commit to at least one year of encouraging and connecting with their family. The commitment is minimal each month but sincerely valuable. There will be an informational meeting for interested volunteers to learn more on October 23 rd from 6 – 7:30 pm at the Gilead. Please call Stephanie Haines at (860) 228-3077 if you are interested in volunteering, would like to attend the informational session or learn more.

CROP Walk Results Thank you to the 54 walkers from the Gilead, Columbia and Andover Churches who took part in the Cropwalk and who raised $5,685 for Church World Service and Hebron Interfaith Human Services.  This year’s walk was dedicated to Donna Wertenbach who had a heart for this mission and supporting people locally and globally who are challenged with struggles for self-sufficiency. Thanks also to everyone who provided a dish for the potluck and to our Board of Missions Hunger and Heating Subcommittee who helpedorganize the walk.

Flags at the Gilead Church Our Board of Deacons would like to thank everyone who attended the "Listening Session" on Sunday, October 6th on the placement of our American and Christian flags at the Gilead Church. There were 71 people in attendance and we want to thank everyone who expressed their thoughts on the most appropriate placement of our flags. After taking a couple of days to reflect and pray, the Deacons met to discuss the session. The question "What is the most loving thing to do?" guided our discernment. Based on this, the flags have been returned to the Sanctuary. While we realize that this will not please everyone, the Deacons feel it is the best decision for our community of faith at this time. It was never the intent of the Deacons to cause the pain and hurt that moving the flags to the entryway has caused for some. We want you to know that we hear you, we care for you, and we don’t want you to feel that something you honor so deeply is being taken from you.  We hope and pray that we can begin to heal and continue to see in each other, no matter what our view, that we are one in the love of God that we know in Jesus Christ. If you have any questions or would like to speak with our Deacons further, please feel free to contact them: Bill Cox, Amy Huhn, Jon Kimball, Jim Ledbetter, Katie McClaine, Teresa Olio, Gary Sarra, Margot Sheehan, and Doug Stewart.

Wednesday Morning Book Discussion Wednesdays at 9:30 am  Our weekly Wednesday Morning Book Discussion Group is currently discussing "On to Lost Roses" by Martha Hall Kelly. This book celebrates the "unbreakable bonds of women's friendship" during a dark period of history. 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!   

"Slice of Talent": Pie & Talent Auction Friday, October 25, 2019 at 7:00 pm Gourmet Dinner? Rock Wall Restoration? Firewood? Sailboat Cruise?  Handmade Quilt? If any of these things pique your interest, then this is the event for you! The Gilead Congregational Church invites you to attend a “Slice of Talent” Pie and Live Talent Auction on Friday, October 25th from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at 672 Gilead Street in Hebron. The live auction will begin at 7:00 pm and the silent auction will close at 8 p.m. The entertaining R.J. Weston of Weston Antiques will be auctioning off local people and their talents. Please join us for an exciting evening of delicious homemade pies, live music, pie-eating contests, seasonal activities for kids AND MUCH MORE! All proceeds will benefit the Community Mental Health Fund and the “Getting Ahead” Program which helps families struggling with self-sufficiency. Tickets will be available on Sunday morning -- $5 for individuals and $15 for families. Tickets can also be purchased at the door. Call (860) 228-3077 for questions. Don’t miss this fun-filled event!  

Hunger Action Team Celebrates 5 Years!  The Andover, Columbia, Hebron, Marlborough (ACHM) Hunger Action Team has been gathering monthly for the past five years to network and explore how they can support families struggling with self-sufficiency in our local communities. The team consists of representatives from Foodshare, faith communities, schools, town administration, senior centers, food banks and social service agencies. Five highlights from working and collaborating together these past years include the start-up of the “Summer Picnics at the Library”, the “Community Car Repair Fund”, providing two “Getting Ahead” educational programs for local families, networking to see that school breakfast programs are in all four of our towns, and the development of a comprehensive resource guide for families. The group meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 8:30 a.m. at the Gilead Church. Volunteers and local organizations are always invited to join us!

Call to Annual Meeting Sunday, November 3, 2019  All members of the Gilead Congregational Church are called to the Annual Meeting to be held on Sunday, November 3rd in the Sanctuary following the 10:00 a.m. service of worship for the purposes of: Accepting the minutes of the previous Annual Meeting; Accepting the Annual Reports of Board and Committees; Electing Officers and Board and Committee Members; Approving the 2020 budget; Conducting any other business of the Church. We hope you will plan to stay for this important and informational meeting! Note: This year, in an effort to be a good steward of resources, there will be a limited number of paper copies of our Annual Report. The 2019 Annual Report will be posted on our Church's web site ( www.gileadchurchucc.org ) and we encourage you to access and read the Annual Report there.

Minister of Music Search  We wanted to share with the congregation that we have interviewed a couple of candidates for our Minister of Music position, but are still looking. 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!   

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. If you have any questions, please contact Annette Langevin at 860-228-1313.

Hebron's Got Talent Friday, February 7, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.  Applications are being accepted for the 7th annual Hebron’s Got Talent showcase which will take place on Friday, February 7, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the RHAM High School Auditorium. Ten acts will be chosen to compete for the $250 grand prize! Talent could include singing, dancing, musicians, comedy, magic or something surprising! You do not need to be a Hebron resident to apply. Local celebrity judges will provide their feedback on each act but ultimately, the winner is selected by audience applause! Applications can be picked up at Ted’s IGA Supermarket, AHM Youth and Family Services or the Gilead Congregational Church. Applications must be submitted by November 15th. All proceeds benefit the children’s scholarship programs of Hebron Parks & Recreation and AHM Youth & Family Services because every child should have the opportunity to explore and grow their own talents and abilities! Snow date is Friday, February 28th. Please contact the Gilead Congregational Church at 860-228-3077 with any questions.

Thank You  Dear Denise,   Thank you for the flower arrangement on my birthday. It was very much appreciated.  Maralyn Porter 

Upcoming Sunday Worship Servers    Ushers for this Sunday:  Jessica Peltier and Todd Helweg Ushers for next Sunday: Annette and Bruce Langevin Deacon of the Day for this Sunday:  Gary Sarra Deacon of the Day for next Sunday: Gary Sarra Liturgist: Dale Bland Acolyte: Maeve Flynn Call to Worship: Mason Daniels Coffee Hour Hosts for this Sunday:  Harvest Party Coffee Hour Hosts for next Sunday:  Potluck Coffee Hour Greeter for this Sunday:    John Jenkins Greeter for next Sunday:  Mark Biggs 

Scripture Reading and Prayer for the Week Luke 18: 1-8 O God, you write your sacred texts in scripture and on our hearts; you welcome us into depths of understanding.  Meet us now, we pray, and lead us deeper into you.  Help us never to lose heart.  Join our desire to learn with your willingness to teach us your ways of justice and joy.  For this purpose we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Contact Info Sally Fritsche Administrative Assistant 672 Gilead St Hebron, Ct  06248 860-228-3077 gcc@gileadchurch.net    Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until noon (Parish House)

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