Weekly news & updates
May 26, 2022
GIANT TAG SALE, COMING UP!
June 18th, 2022 from 9AM-3:00 PM.
Any willing members, please sign up to help out!
Save the Date:
Our Second FCCB Children's Summer Festival planned for Aug. 6, 2022, 11 AM - 2PM.  
Ice cream truck, hotdogs and children's crafts and more!
Special Request:
Does anyone in the congregation have nurse/assistant experience or know of someone that can help someone in need of assistance in their home while their significant other leaves on vacation? We are looking to help someone out our church family in the community. If so, please contact the church office at 203-743-1877 or email the church at secretary@firstchurchbethel.org

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please click below to send prayer requests. If you would like to add a name to this list or if you have a confidential prayer concern, please indicate in the email.




Watch previous sermons on YouTube.
Subscribe to FCCB channel. Click the link below, click on the Subscribe button on the FCCB Channel page. Watch archived sermons anytime.




May Parent Newsletter
Click on and read our Monthly Newsletter for our Congregation and their Families! Find fun and useful tips and more
Local Retreats, Summer Programs and Events:
Coalition 50th Anniversary National Gathering in August!
 
Dear Open and Affirming family!
 
Fifty years ago, in 1972, a courageous and visionary band of queer leaders in the United Church of their Christ (with their straight allies) founded the "UCC Gay Caucus," the forerunner of the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ.

Earlier that year, the Golden Gate Association in California ordained Bill Johnson—the first openly gay man to be authorized for ministry in an historic Protestant denomination. 
 
This year's National ONA Gathering will celebrate this milestone in our beloved church. We'll celebrate the past 50 years and the extraordinary growth in our movement from small beginnings, honor our elders, and learn from each other the ways our movement needs to expand its vision at the beginning of our second half-century. 
 
Join us on Zoom August 5, 6, 7 for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Events will be scheduled in the evenings, enabling Hawai'i and western time zones to participate. We'll announce registration in the spring, but in the meantime please mark these dates on your calendar!
 
As with National Gatherings in the past, there will be soul-expanding worship and mind-expanding keynotes. I'm looking forward to seeing each of you!
 
With every blessing,
Andy Lang
Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition
United Church of Christ
We're excited to see 2022 retreat offerings at Mercy by the Sea!

MERCY BY THE SEA
167 Neck Road
Madison, CT 06443-0191
Tel: (203) 245-0401
Fax: (203) 245-8718


Join singer, songwriter and spiritual practitioner, Carmel Boyle, for a three-day retreat from June 8-10 at Mercy by the Sea. Participants will explore Celtic themes and perennial spiritual wisdom to help build a deeper awareness of the reality of the "I Am" presence. Read more and register.


6/19-26: Poetry As Prayer Retreat
Rev. Dr. Mark S. Burrows is offering a weeklong retreat from June 19-26 at Mercy by the Sea that centers on the intersection of poetry and prayer. Through teaching, individual and group prayer times and guided reflection on the works of modern poets, Mark will help participants discover how the language and silence of poems can draw us into a deeper prayerfulness. Register.



From July 12-14, John Philip Newell is facilitating The School of Earth & Soul at Mercy by the Sea. The school follows a three-year cycle of teaching and spiritual practice. Participants may join at any stage and attend any venue. We are offering "Celtic Wisdom 2: Sacred Earth," the second stage of the school. John Philip will teach from the wisdom of Celtic prophets and incorporate various spiritual practices and meditative prayer, all with the goal of applying ancient wisdom to the most critical challenges of today. Read more and register.


Join us for this much-anticipated retreat and book signing from August 26-28 with Mark Nepo. The program will explore how a life of meaning and love unfolds through adversity, how love awakens everything and how care erases the walls we keep building between us. Overnight rooms are sold out. Register as a commuter.
…there are no wrong turns, only unexpected paths.”

— Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening


Retreats at Mercy by the Sea

Later this month, our summer retreat season begins and we look forward to welcoming retreat leaders and retreatants! While most are fully booked, there are still a few openings—see below. For those that are already filled, you may contact Sister Ann McGovern to be added to the waiting list. See all retreats on our website.

September 6-10 ($400) Register with Tren Meyers or Mary MacGillivray or Laura Fitzpatrick-Nager

October 2-6 ($400) with Carol Villaggio.

December 4-11 ($675) Register with Sue LaVoie or Sue Wieczynski, RSM

Tai Chi by the Sea
Tai Chi by the Sea with Dennis McCann will resume on Saturdays on the west lawn at Mercy by the Sea beginning May 21. The sessions will be from 10-11 a.m., weather permitting. Learn more.

Save the Date for an Eco-Spirituality Retreat

Save the date for an eco-spirituality weekend with co-facilitators Claire Rusowicz and Anne Simpkinson from October 14-16, 2022. "Harvesting Grace: A Silent Contemplative Retreat" will include eco divina and centering prayer practices, as well as ample time to reflect and pray amid the simplicity and beauty of Mercy by the Sea, home to diverse ecosystems and wildlife. More details to follow soon.
Return of the Julian Circle in the Fall

At the request of program participants, The Julian Circle will resume this fall with the Rev. Dr. Mark S. Burrows. This growing Circle of previous and new participants will meet on October 19, November 16 and December 14 from 7-8:30 p.m. EST. Registration to open this summer.

Singer & Songwriter, Carmel Boyle, June 8-10
Living Into The Presence: An Invitation Into the Great "I Am"

Theologian & Poet, Rev. Dr. Mark S. Burrows, June 19-26
Poetry As Prayer: A Weeklong Retreat

Celtic Teacher & Author, John Philip Newell, July 12-14
The School of Earth & Soul: Celtic Wisdom 2, Sacred Earth

Bestselling Author, Mark Nepo, August 26-28
Reclaiming Our Humanity: Being Fierce and Tender in Our Call to Love


A New Way to Register

This year, they are implementing a new online registration process. Here are some helpful hints so you know exactly what to expect and what you need on Thursday.

  • Registrations will open on Thursday, January 20 at 9 a.m.
  • Go to the retreats page on their website and choose your retreat date.
  • Click on the name of your requested retreat director. Each name is its own link and will take you to that director's specific page.
  • If the retreat director is full, a waitlist form will appear. Fill in your name and contact info to be added to the waitlist. If there are openings for the director, a "register" button will appear in the lower right corner. Click and follow the instructions.
  • Have your credit card available to process your $250.00 deposit or full payment.
  • Mercy For All funds provide financial assistance for those who cannot afford the full fee, thanks to contributions from generous donors and the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. To inquire about assistance, we invite you to contact Sister Ann McGovern.
  • If you are unable to register online, please call (203) 245 0401 where staff will assist you. Or email Sister Ann McGovern. Note: these requests will be processed after all the online registrations are fully processed.








3rd Annual Meeting
of the
Southern New England Conference, UCC
June 18, 2022
9:00 am - 2:30 pm (virtual)
A Sure Foundation: Built Upon 400 Years of Service ~ Matthew 7:24-27

Register by June 3rd and you will receive a gift of a Worship Care Package. Even though we are in a virtual format and physically separated, we can be connected in spirit. Please use the items in this box to create your own sacred space for worship. Items were packed with care by friends from Central Congregational Church, Attleboro Falls, MA and Newman Congregational Church, Rumford, RI; and the worship clothes were graciously donated by Magnificat Liturgical Artwork.  
Curious about Rev. Dr. Duggan's Keynote?  The Rev. Dr. Duggan will be speaking on "entrepreneurial ministry," and how churches can reimagine their building usage in creative ways to connect with their communities.  Read more HERE.

Hearings
We are offering hearings on the 2022 Budget and Developing the Resolutions Process. To attend, please click below or visit the 2022 Annual Meeting page of our website.
2022 Budget Hearing - Tuesday, May 31st, 7pm - 8:30pm
 
 
2022 Resolutions Hearing - Tuesday, June 7th, 7-8:30pm 
 
Materials
Advance Materials and Delegate Materials (updated regularly) are posted in the annual meeting New & Info section. 
Agenda 
The annual meeting agenda can be found HERE.
Registration Deadline: June 13, 2022
  Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ
Toll Free: 866-367-2822
Fax: 866-367-0860
Registration for Silver Lake summer camp is now open!

Learn more about summer camp at Silver Lake, view the 2022 summer brochure, and look through the upcoming sessions at https://www.silverlakect.org/summercamp

223 Low Road | Sharon, CT 06069 | 860.364.5526 | Fax: 860.364.1000