To view the live-streamed 10 AM service, please use one of the links below.
Youtube Link
Facebook Link
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How Souls Mature Study Group
Thursdays, February 23 - March 30 from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. in Church parlor
Our souls are like a chapel in our personality, where God meets us and we form covenants of shared responsibility. We will imagine through poetry and Scripture how we and God make decisions of faith in childhood, young adulthood, midlife and the elder years.
Our leader, John Afman, is a member of our church, and a retired pastor and marriage and family therapist. If you are interested in attending, please email Alison McCaffrey
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Adult Mission Trip: Action Team Needed
A new Action Team of 5-6 people is needed to begin making plans for an Adult Mission Trip in the 2023-24 program year. Please email Pastor Alison to join the planning team. alisonm@firstcheshire.org
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Our new musical group, “Music with friends,” is beginning to flourish! Throughout the fall, about a dozen people from our congregation joined with our chancel choir to offer music during worship. Included were church members, middle and high school students, families and children, people visiting our church for the first time, and chancel choir members. We would like to encourage and energize even more participation from our congregation.
To do so, “Music with Friends” will sing next on Sunday, February 19, and on the third Sunday of each month going forward (March 19, April 16, May 21 and June 18).
No preparation is required. All you have to do is show up to practice a simple song at 9:15 prior to worship. It’s simple, fun, and a great way to meet others in our church through the joy of music. To learn more about "Music with Friends," please contact Music Director, Joe D’Eugenio.
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“Secrets to Home Comfort and Saving the Planet” will be discussed by Cheshire resident Walter Gayeski, who has almost 25 years of experience making homes more comfortable, cost-efficient, and environmentally ethical. His talk, on Wednesday, February 1, at 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall, is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. The talk is sponsored by our Environmental Justice Team and Cheshire Creation Care.
Through renovating houses, conducting efficiency performance tests, and consulting with owners, builders, and architects, Walter Gayeski has developed sharp insights in home energy strategies. A recent retiree, he lectures part time at Connecticut technical high schools on building performance and healthy housing principals. He has served on Cheshire’s Energy Commission since 2008.
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CALL TO THE ANNUAL MEETING
A meeting of the First Congregational Church of Cheshire, United Church of Christ, is called by the Church Council for Sunday, January 29, 2023, and will commence at approximately 11:15 AM in the Parish Hall following a brief time of Fellowship. In the event of inclement weather, this meeting will be rescheduled for Sunday, February 5, 2023. Information will be available in the Bulletin and E-blast prior to the meeting. The meeting will commence for the purposes of:
1. Accepting the Annual Report for 2022
2. State of the Church
3. Extension of the governance pilot program for an additional year
4. Election of Church Council, Ministry Group Members and other church officers
5. Approving the budget for 2023
6. Brief presentation of proposed Environmental Justice covenant
7. Other business
Leah Sanders, Clerk
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Sunday Flower signup
Would you like to donate flowers for Sunday worship service in memory or in honor of someone? There is a signup sheet in the Parlor for you to fill in your name and contact info. Any questions, please contact Jane Brown.
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Fellowship/Coffee Hour
Caring Ministry invites all members of the congregation and their families to join together and host an after service coffee hour in the coming months. Guidelines and assistance will be provided to all hosts. To schedule a coffee hour, please sign up on Board in the parlor or email Jane Brown or by phone at 203-535-9193.
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Flower Delivery to Home-bound
Caring Ministry and Parish Care are once again able to deliver altar flowers to members unable to attend services. If you would like to participate in this uplifting program and help brighten someone’s day, please email Jane Brown or call (203) 535-9193.
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Reducing Plastic Pollution
When you wash your clothes, what goes down the drain and into sanitary sewers? Dirty water, of course, as well as the soap and other substances used in the washing process. But there’s more: microscopic bits of plastic from synthetic fabrics. According to the New York Times, “clothing, bedding, and other textiles shed microplastics in fiber form and (along with tire degradation and road runoff) are major contributors to global plastic pollution. These microfibers, which are stripped and carried off by friction and turbulence in the washing machine, enter our wastewater, eventually ending up in the environment.” You can’t see this pollution, but it’s there. So what can be done about it? According to experts, several things: (1) Do laundry less often. (2) Wash full loads. (3) Avoid the “delicates” cycle on your machine, because that process uses more water. (4) Line-dry your clothes when possible. (5) Consider installing a filter on your washing machine or using a laundry bag or lint-trapping laundry ball; here’s one source: https://www.coraball.com/ (6) When it’s time to buy a new washing machine, opt for a front-loading model, which causes less shedding. Scientists estimate that textiles produce 35 percent of the microplastic pollution in the world’s oceans in the form of synthetic microfibers. You can do your part to reduce this problem.
To learn more about our church’s Environmental Justice Team, email Anne McNulty or Karen Schnitzer.
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Calendar and Announcements
Sunday, January 29
10:00 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary
11:00 a.m. Fellowship
11:15 a.m. Annual Meeting, Parish Hall
Tuesday, January 31
2:00 p.m. Parish Care, Library
4:00 p.m. Staff Meeting, Chapel
Wednesday, February 1
12:45 p.m. Caring Crafts, Parlor
7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal, Music Room
7:00 p.m. Secrets to a Comfortable Home, Parish Hall
Sunday, February 5
10:00 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary
11:00 a.m. Fellowship, Parish Hall
11:15 a.m. 300th Anniversary Committee, Chapel
5:00 p.m. Stepping Stones, Whiting House
5:00 p.m. Middle and High School Youth Group Top Chef
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Other Important Information
A reminder that the Prayer Net Prayer Ministry Team stands ready to pray for any requests. Simply email Alison the prayer request and she will send it on to our prayers in complete confidence unless otherwise noted. Let us support one another with the power of prayer.
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