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Associate Minister for Children, Youth, and Families -- Search 2024
First Congregational Church
Cheshire, CT
Nominating Information for the Search Action Team
Serving on the Associate Minister Search Action Team for our congregation is both a significant privilege and an important responsibility. The Search Action Team will be chosen by a special Nominating Action Team which is made up of the following: President, Past President, President-Elect, Worship Ministry Group Liaison and Chair, Faith Formation Liaison and Chair, and the Senior Minister. The team will review all nominations using criteria established by the Council. The criteria for membership on the Search Action Team include but are not limited to newer members, long time members, members with children, and members with various skills, all with a focus on diversity.
We are requesting that nominations for the Search Action Team be made by members of our church by May 10. Members are requested to not nominate themselves but instead to nominate an individual after confirming that he/she is interested and willing to serve.
The Nominating Form, which is to be signed by both the person nominating as well as the nominee, is available at the Welcome Desk and HERE.
The chosen Search Action Team will be comprised of 5 to 9 individuals. A proposed slate of the members will be developed by the special Nominating Action Team for approval by the Church Council. The Church Council will bring the slate for approval at a Congregational meeting on Sunday, June 23. Commissioning of the Search Action Team will occur on Sunday, June 30.
As our church goal is to expand the mission of Jesus Christ in Cheshire, we have modified the job description for the Associate Minister to include a focus on Children, Youth and Families. The description will be reviewed in more detail at a forum on May 5.
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The Children's Faith Formation News and Information is updated weekly! | |
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Community Conversation about Dementia,
Thursday, May 9, 7 PM, in the Sanctuary
Bring a friend to this much needed conversation with Erica DeFrancesco, from LiveWell, as she facilitates a conversation with two individuals diagnosed with dementia about the signs and symptoms they have and continue to experience, their experience with their diagnosis of dementia, and how to support individuals with dementia in the community! Learn about how YOU too can make a difference!
Erica has a background in Occupational Therapy and is the Director of Community Education at LiveWell. She facilitates educational programs for individuals living with varying forms of cognitive change and their care partners. She is especially passionate about changing the narrative surrounding dementia and helping others to recognize that you can live well with dementia, with the right supports and resources! A church member, Erica serves on the Caring Ministry Group.
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Got Old Sneakers?
First Congregational Church of Cheshire is working to protect the Earth and help Closer to Free Ride/Smilow Cancer Center at Yale all with one event.
We will be collecting USED SNEAKERS in any condition from April 21 through April 28.
How can old sneakers protect the Earth and help Closer to Free Ride/Smilow Cancer Center at Yale? There is a company called Got Sneakers? Any sneakers we send get reused or recycled and they will pay us money for the gently used sneakers we send them.
So clean out your closets and ask friends, family and co-workers to do that, too. Please tie the laces together so we have matched pairs. Bring your Bring your donations to church and there will be a large box in the parlor for them. Please remember this is only for sneakers. (No shoes, boots or cleats.)
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Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministry Feed the Need Charity Dinner on Tuesday, June 4 at 5:30 PM
Outreach Ministry Group would like to extend an invitation to attend GWIM’s annual Feed the Need Charity Dinner on June 4th at 5:30 PM at Aria in Prospect. GWIM (Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries) provides 8,600 plus meals per week to hungry friends and neighbors living in the Greater Waterbury Area through a soup kitchen, emergency food pantry and a children’s center.
Tickets are $50 per person and include dinner and dancing. If you would like to attend, please email Sharon Puhalla at or call the church office by May 3rd.
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Spring is here! Help celebrate the beauty of the season by dedicating sanctuary flowers to loved ones.
Please see the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the parlor to add your name.
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Butterfly Send Off
Beginning May 12, Mother's Day, the beautifully hand decorated Easter butterflies will be available each Sunday through June during Fellowship Hours for a suggested donation with all proceeds benefiting Chrysalis, a nearby shelter for victims of domestic violence. There are a few steps to get them ready and your help is welcome.
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Thank you to those who have signed up for Meals Ministry which is a great way to serve others!
You can still sign up!
Meal scheduling is organized through Take Them a Meal. The website provides easy recipes, tips for delivering meals, and even offers the opportunity to order a meal to be delivered. You prepare a meal when it is convenient for you whether once per month or once per year – whatever you can provide is appreciated.
Signup and information sheets are available at the Welcome Desk. You can also signup through Signup Genius.
Contact: Marianne Eagleson or by cell at (203) 710-4198.
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Inspirational Words of Wisdom: An Opportunity To Pay It Forward
Thanks to the support of our Caring Ministry Group, First Church plans to publish a spiral bound booklet of readings contributed by our congregation as a source of comfort and joy.
How can you help? By sending your favorite prayers, poems, meditations, quotes, lyrics, etc.—any words of wisdom which have inspired you on your spiritual journey.
Our church community is now being presented with the opportunity of supporting each other with words which have given us that extra boost of gratitude, encouragement, and hope when we needed it. Now is an ideal time to pass these words on.
Won’t you consider helping us make this a reality by sharing words of wisdom created by you or others, so that all of us may be inspired by them?
Guidelines for our booklet and sample pages will be available on a table in Parish Hall for the next few weeks to help you decide on your selection(s). Please email your favorite reading(s) by May 18 to Mary Torello.
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Save the date! First Church’s annual Yard Goats game will be Sunday, June 30 at 1:10 PM
More information regarding tickets coming soon.
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All Saints Scholarship: Applications are due May 5
Each year the First Congregational Church awards a one-time scholarship. The applicant does not to be a member but needs to be an active participant of the life of the church. The All Saints Scholarship is intended for any educational endeavor, not limited to primary or secondary school, college or university, advanced education or special educational need. The All Saints Scholarship is intended for any educational endeavor, not limited to primary or secondary school, college or university, advanced education or special educational need. Applications are available online or can be picked up at the church office or at the Welcome Desk. Completed applications should be received no later than May 5. Please contact Jane Brown or Emily Massimino from Caring Ministry for more information.
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In 33 Weeks ….The 300th is Coming!
Our greatest current need is publicizing the great line-up of events we have planned.
- Please let us know you can help by signing up at the Welcome Desk, or on our website
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Help Ring in the Sundays to Our 300th Anniversary
Beginning May 19, each worship service will begin with the ringing of the steeple bells 10 times, each bell toll representing one year of our church's history. And each Sunday, we invite someone to ring the bells; it can be any one of any age. Please sign up for a Sunday at the Welcome Desk or be in touch with Pastor Alison. She will give you a quick lesson on the best bell ringing technique.
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Faces of the Chancel Choir
Marty Swartz is a long-time church member and sings alto with the Chancel Choir. A professor (looking forward to retirement) at the Yale School of Nursing, music and choral singing have been an avocation for Marty for most of her life, including during her student years at the Oberlin College and Conservatory and at the University of Michigan. She also enjoys singing with the Yale Camerata (part of Yale's Institute of Sacred Music) and appreciates the opportunity to be a part of the music ministry at FCC.
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Sunday Volunteer Opportunities
Every Sunday there is a need for Greeters, Worship Assistants/Lay Leaders and Ushers.
If you can help with greeting and/or assisting at worship, please use the buttons below to sign up.
If you can assist with Ushering, please contact Nancy Stover (email link on tab below) for more information.
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2024 Pledge Statements
Pledge statements from January 1 – April 30 will be emailed or mailed out on May 2. If you have updated your email or want to add an email, please call the main office at (203)272-5323x8. If there is any discrepancy in your statement, please call the main office.
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Save the Date for Saturday, May 11 at 9 AM
The Eco Action Team is sponsoring a guided nature walk led by expert naturalist, Laurie Sanders, on Saturday, May 11 at 9 a.m. at the DeDominicis Property. Spring bird migration will be at its peak and the plants sprouted. Come and learn about the fascinating natural wonders of Creation here in Cheshire.
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 |  | Climate and Allergies: For many, allergy season is here – a fact confirmed by the number of advertisements for anti-allergy products that have popped up in recent weeks. And scientists say climate change is making allergies worse. According to William Anderegg, an associate professor at the University of Utah who has studied the impact of climate change on pollen seasons in North America, “worsening allergies are a really clear example of how climate change is impacting us now, every spring, in every breath that we take.” Quoted in Yale Climate Connections, Anderegg explains: “This is climate change in our own backyards, in our own towns and cities. It’s not future generations or other countries or future decades.” As the planet warms, scientists see two main changes: the allergy season length is longer and pollen levels are increasing. Prof. Anderegg says that besides making adults miserable, a longer, more intense allergy season has a huge impact on productivity and school performance: “There are studies where kids do less well on tests and can’t learn as much during the high pollen periods.” The solution is the same one advocated for years: Urge people, corporations, and governments to stop consuming fossil fuels and switch to cleaner renewable energy.
For more information about the church's Eco Action Team, email Anne McNulty or Karen Schnitzer.
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Click on Picture to purchase tickets for event | |
April 28 - May 5 Calendar | |
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Sunday, April 28 – New Member Sunday
10:00 am Worship and Church School
11:00 am Fellowship, Parish Hall, hosted by Membership Ministry
Tuesday, April 30
2:00 pm Parish Care, Library
7:00 pm Nominating Action Team, Whiting House
Wednesday, May 1
12:45 pm Caring Crafts, Parlor
3:30 pm Staff Meeting, Library
7:00 pm Chancel Choir
Thursday, May 2
7:00 pm President’s Meeting, Whiting House
Sunday, May 5
10:00 am Worship with Communion and Church School
11:00 am Fellowship, Parish Hall, hosted by Strawberry Festival
11:15 am 300th Anniversary Committee, Chapel
5:00 pm CAFÉ Conversations Bible Study, Chapel
5:00 pm Youth Group (Middle and High School) Top Chef, Parish Hall
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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 prayernet@firstcheshire.org the prayer request and it will be sent on to our prayers in complete confidence unless otherwise noted. Let us support one another with the power of prayer.
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