STAYING CONNECTED TO YOUR CHURCH COMMUNITY
Thursday, February 3, 2022
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“As people of faith and followers of Jesus, filled with love, we seek a just world for all.”
Racial Justice Working Group Mission Statement
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*TONIGHT* Traces of the Trade: A Second Viewing of the Film
If you missed viewing TRACES OF THE TRADE, a story about an American family discovering slave traders among their New England ancestors, please join us TONIGHT, Thursday, February 3. As we did previously we will view the documentary from 7pm - 8pm and then discuss it between 8pm and 9pm. If you saw it previously and wish to see it again, please join us. Whether you are viewing it for the first, second or third time, please join us for the discussion. Once again, we ask that you register for this Zoom gathering in advance. Registering on Zoom simply means that you click the address below. You will be taken to a site where you will give your name and your email address. Then you will be sent a link to use for entry into this viewing and conversation. Thank you and hope to see you on February 3 at 7pm. To register, please click HERE.
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Community Book Read Event
Thursday, March 10, 2022, 6:15-7:30pm
The Hills Church Racial Justice Working Group would like to invite our church to participate in the Community Book Read event supported by the World of Wellesley (WOW). WOW is inviting Wellesley residents to read Isabel Wilkerson's book, Caste: The Origins of Discontents.
On Thursday, March 10, 2022, from 6:15 to 7:30pm, author Isabel Wilkerson will speak to the community via webinar about her book (find the sign up link HERE). On hand to facilitate will be Dr. Regine Michelle Jean-Charles, Director of Northeastern University’s Department of Africana Studies, and Dean’s Professor of Culture and Social Justice, and Professor of Africana Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Leading up to March 10th, the Hills Church Racial Justice Working Group would like to invite our community to join in this town wide reading of Caste and will offer weekly reflection questions and discussion group zooms throughout the weeks leading up to Isabel Wilkerson's talk. If you would like to receive a copy of the book Caste, a reading guide and a schedule of zoom discussion groups please email Rev. Anne Marie
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Worship in the Sanctuary Returns! |
Holy! Holy! Holy!
Worship with us IN PERSON this Sunday -- at 10:00am! We will be celebrating Communion, the ordination of new Deacons, a blessing of our support boards and ministry teams, families are welcomed to worship in the sanctuary together with their children, nursery care will be offered (in-person church school begins next week). We look forward to seeing you for our service of worship, praise, sacrament, song and prayer!
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Join us NEXT weekend for TWO DAYS of SERVICE!
Be sure not to miss the pre-game (Saturday 2/12) and the kick off (Sunday 2/13)!
This is an "All Ages" Souper Service Weekend! Please sign up to participate!
Family Ministries is inviting all of our church family to love God and love neighbor through acts of kindness and service!
Learn more and sign up to participate HERE!
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Believing that one transformation leads to another, your pastors would like to invite you-who-are-willing to share a story of transformation at a worship service during Lent. Our thought is to have three-minutes designated at each Sunday worship beginning March 6 and leading up to Easter for someone to share a story of transformation: a God-sighting, a time when the presence of God was made manifest, an experience of “a way being made from no way,” a movement from “mourning to dancing,” or finding “light in darkness.” We would love to talk with you in advance so we may pair your story with a Sunday scripture lesson. If we have more stories than Sundays, we’ll be creative! If you would be willing to share or know someone whom we should ask, please speak with one of your pastors. Anne Marie Holloway; Judy Swahnberg; Jill Edens; Richard Edens
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Lent 2022: STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION
begins March 6th
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A Cup of Morning Prayer
From Rev. Anne Marie Holloway
Every Monday at 7 am, join Rev. Anne Marie Holloway for a cup of morning prayer - in the quiet presence of God - focus on prayer. Most sessions are held in the sanctuary of nature, where church friends and families are invited to participate via FACEBOOK LIVE. Find your special outdoor space, and practice an ancient form of prayer known as breath prayer. If you cannot make it, you may request to have the recordings sent to you by email. Please share prayer requests in advance HERE. Your personal prayers of celebration and concern will be lifted up and held in gentle care by our small, private group.
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Morning Meditation
From Rev. Judy Swahnberg & Mary Hill Canavan
We gather via Zoom every Tuesday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Whether you are new to meditation or practice it daily . . . please join us and be restored during this time together. Questions? Email Mary Hill Canavan or Rev. Judy Swahnberg.
Noonday Prayers
Tune into the church's Facebook page at twelve noon on Thursdays for a brief time (5-15 mins.) of reflection and prayer. Click here to participate via FACEBOOK LIVE.
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CLICK HERE FOR YOUTH MINISTRY NEWSLETTER
From Rev. Anne Marie Holloway, Associate Minister of Youth & Families
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Find the Youth Group Schedule HERE
Find the Confirmation Class of 2022 Schedule HERE. |
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CLICK HERE FOR CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWSLETTER
From Sally Tomasetti, Director of Children's Ministries
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Children's Book Collection
Hills Church is collecting gently used children’s books throughout the month of March for the benefit of The Grow Clinic at Boston Medical Center. Books are given to children while receiving treatments or when waiting for a sibling, to occupy the child’s mind during a bad situation, offering them a glimmer of hope. Collection bins will be on the porch of Donna & Gary McCabe’s home at 124 Washington Street, Wellesley. Their house is just east of the church with a circular driveway and a large covered porch. Questions? Contact Donna McCabe or Martha Stowell.
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Blankets for Baptisms
Knitters needed! When a baby is baptized at the Hills Church, he or she is given a hand knit blanket as a symbol of the love and care of the entire congregation. Despite not being able to worship together in person, baptisms have continued as needed, and we are down to our last few baptismal blankets. This is a wonderful problem to have! Women's Ministry will provide the yarn and instructions for you to make one (or more!) of these precious gifts. Please contact Laurie Otten if you are interested. Thank You!
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The Christian Service Support Board (CSSB) promotes and facilitates opportunities to serve our neighbors and to share our gifts as we care for others.
Throughout this month, the CSSB will highlight these opportunities here in this "Did You Know" section of the Events Newsletter.
This week the CSSB is highlighting the ministry of the Hills Church Annual Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser! The CSSB and the Church's Youth Program together dedicated the proceeds of the 2021 "pumpkin patch" sales to help in recovery efforts after the devastating earthquake in Haiti last year. We sold all of our pumpkins and we were able to donate almost $8750 to support the people of Haiti through the UCC’s Global H.O.P.E. outreach program. The CSSB celebrates the ways in which the Hills Church has served and continues to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus in today's world!
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Family Promise Metrowest is grateful for the incredibly generous donation from Wellesley Hills Congregational Church as our organization relies on the support of congregations like yours to help vulnerable families throughout the region. Through our LIFE Program families facing eviction are diverted from entering shelter and put on a path to secure housing. The amount donated by your congregation is the equivalent of keeping SIX families in the LIFE Program from ever having to experience the trauma of homelessness. Families who already are experiencing homelessness receive services through our Shelter Program. In the past, your congregation opened its doors and turned your classrooms into bedrooms, where our families would stay overnight for several weeks throughout the year. That model is changing, however, and in a few months renovations to our Day Center in Natick will be completed allowing families to stay in one place until they secure permanent housing. It’s a big change for us. But one thing will remain the same: the support from congregations like yours that help us keep pace with the increasing demand for our services. We are so very grateful.
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VIRTUAL CONCERT ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 at 7:45 pm to benefit the Resettlement of Afghan Families
Please join Temple Beth Elohim and the wider Wellesley community for what promises to be a fabulous CONCERT - REGISTER HERE! Tickets to the concert are FREE on the Eventbrite site although a donation is suggested.
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The beautiful classical and contemporary music features professional musicians on flute, violin, cello and piano, as well as Temple Beth Elohim (TBE) Cantor Shanna Zell and Cantor Josh Rosenberg. Several of the musicians are very involved volunteers with our newly arrived Afghan family. Our expectation is to welcome our second Afghan refugee family between late January and mid-February. With donations from this concert, we hope to sponsor the resettlement of a third family. Contact michaelgilman315@gmail.com should you require additional information.
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Hills Church Weekly Calendar |
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February 3
10:30 am
12:00 pm
5:30 pm
February 4
3:30 pm
7:30 pm
February 5
12:00 pm
February 6
10:00 am
11:30 am
1:15 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
6:30 pm
6:30 pm
7:00 pm
7:30 pm
February 7
7:00 am
2:00 pm
3:30 pm
6:45 pm
February 8
9:30 am
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
7:00 pm
February 9
1:00 pm
6:00 pm
7:00 pm
7:30 pm
8:00 pm
February 10
10:00 am
12:00 pm
5:30 pm
TBD
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THURSDAY
Staff Meeting (Reception Room)
Noonday Prayers (Facebook Live)
New Beginnings (AR, K, RR, L)
FRIDAY
Exercise Class (Upper Room)
AA (Board Room)
SATURDAY
Cookie Baking (Kitchen)
SUNDAY
Worship (Livestream)
Baptism (Sanctuary)
Outdoor Church (Cambridge)
Wellesley Choral Society (Sanctuary)
Handbells (Bell Room)
Boy Scouts (Assembly Room)
Youth Cafe (Upper Room)
HSYG (Upper Room)
AA Meeting (Board Room)
MONDAY
Cup of Morning Prayer (Facebook Live)
Food Pantry (onsite)
Suzuki Violin (Chapel/Assembly Room)
Deacons Meeting (Zoom)
TUESDAY
Morning Meditation (Facebook Live)
Food Pantry (Pantry)
ARCH meeting (virtual)
Church Council (Zoom)
WEDNESDAY
Food Pantry (pantry)
Evening Prayers (Facebook Live)
Confirmation Class (Wallace Chapel)
Trivia Night (Upper Room)
Chancel Choir (Sanctuary)
THURSDAY
Staff Meeting (Reception Room)
Noonday Prayers (Facebook Live)
New Beginnings (AR, K, RR, L)
CSSB Meeting
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ARTICLES DUE MONDAY BY 5:00 PM
"Events at the Hills" Newsletter Publications
e-newsletter to spread the word about activities/events
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