The church will hold its annual meeting on Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 11:45 am. Church teams are reminded to create a report on their respective team’s activities and a budget for the coming year. Please submit via email, if possible, to Terri Conti by January 17, 2024. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your budget or report, please contact Terri. (tsconti87@gmail.com) | |
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Facilities Team--Reminder that the exit driveway will be closed during the installation of the access ramp.
Plans to install a new vinyl interlock floor in the fellowship hall have been developing and the project could start as early as the beginning of February; however, we should still be able to use the hall for coffee hour during installation.
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Mission Team--We are happy to announce our success in providing 10 children with gifts for Christmas! We very much appreciate your generous donations. Melia, the Sharon Social Services Director, and the Amenia Social Services Director were grateful for the help in easing the financial burden on their clients during this season. Thank you everyone especially the co-ordinators, Laura and Terri, for your love and commitment to this project.
The next mission meeting will be Sunday, January 21 following the service. Everyone is welcome.
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Worship Team—It was a lovely traditional Christmas Eve Service celebrating the gift of Jesus by hearing scripture and singing carols by candlelight. Thank you all for your help to create a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. We are grateful to Michael and Julie Grey for all the work you do to provide the music. We are delighted to report the collection for the Hope for Haiti mission was $1,037.
If you enjoy sharing the Gospel by reading scripture on Sunday mornings, please sign up on the board in the fellowship hall or tell Pastor Jody direct; she would love to talk to you about it.
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Fellowship Team—Coffee hour continues after the church service, with coffee, tea, or a cold beverage available along with cheese and crackers and often some sort of sweets. (Cookies, cakes or other yummy baked goods.) This is a wonderful time to enjoy a light snack and to connect with others in the church. There is also a group of people who occasionally go to lunch together after the service, frequenting local restaurants. There is no set schedule for these lunches, as it is often an impromptu decision during
fellowship time, but the group is always eager to invite others to join them.
A jigsaw puzzle group has also formed, gathering after the fellowship time to work on a puzzle together, and anyone who enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles is invited to join them.
Volunteers to host coffee hour are always appreciated—a signup sheet is in the fellowship hall. Kathy Amiet – Fellowship Team Leader - 860-836-4294 or butterflydoglady@yahoo.com
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Prayer Team--We invite all to take part in prayer time each Sunday before worship in the fellowship hall as we continue to pray for the service, preaching and the congregation in attendance.
If you have a specific prayer request, let Pastor Jody know or drop a note in the prayer box located at the back of the church next to the offering plate. An email will then be sent to our list of faithful pray-ers. If you prefer, your request can be anonymous—God knows your needs! jodyquiltz@gmail.com
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Teaching Team--Bible study lessons will focus on Life and Ministry of the Messiah. Judy Baldwin has graciously offered to lead this session of the study beginning January 3 and then continuing on Thursday’s until February 1. The evening begins at 6 pm with a light supper of soup, salad, bread, and dessert. Dessert donations are always appreciated and anticipated! Everyone is welcome! No prior knowledge of the Bible or Christianity is required. Contact: Pastor Jody Guerrera, jodyquiltz@gmail.com, 860-364-5002
By popular request we have kept Anatomy of a Revived Church: Seven Findings about How Congregations Avoided Death by Thom S. Rainer as our book selection for a second month. There are copies in our lending library in the fellowship hall. Today, three out of four churches are declining in our nation, and twenty percent of churches are close to death. In this book, Thom Rainer reveals seven findings of revived churches. Through new research, he figuratively dissects hundreds of churches that were on the path toward death but they turned around and revitalized. They did so in the face of facts and naysayers who told them it could not be done. He will cover everything from “expanding the scorecard” to “dealing with toxins” to “choosing meaningful membership.” When you finish reading this book, you will have the tools to strengthen, restore, and energize your church. You can choose life for your church. There is hope. God can save your church.
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CONGREGATIONAL INVITATION | |
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There is a new book group at Hotchkiss Library of Sharon:
“Reading with Deeper Eyes”
The Love of Literature and the Life of Faith
This is a book group exploring the intersection of literature and spirituality. Led by Anne Cameron, retired psychologist and Presbyterian minister, we will read excellent literature (fiction and nonfiction; classic and current) to explore spiritual themes through the words of gifted writers. We will consider literature which touches on various traditions, as well as no formal tradition at all. The group will meet monthly on the last Monday of the month. First meeting will be Monday January 29, 6 pm at the library at 10 Upper Main Street, Sharon, CT. For more information contact Anne at acameron@hotchkisslibrary.org The library is an accessible facility.
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MOVING FORWARD
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The next Executive Council meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, February 18 at 6 pm.
- Check out the calendar on our website—updated when we receive new information about an event.
ON-GOING BUSINESS
- Communion will be served during our service on the first Sunday of each month, except during the Lenten season, and there will be a time dedicated each Sunday to the blessing of gifts.
- A Bible-based, 12-step program for people in recovery meets in the fellowship hall on Friday evenings from 6–7 pm. JoAnn Carman is the contact person.
- Grief Support Group meets on Sundays at 5 pm in the fellowship hall. For further details, please speak with JoAnn Carman.
- Child care is offered during worship time. Speak with a greeter if you have need of this service.
- Our Sunday worship service and weekly Bible studies are offered on our website: sharoncongregationalchurch.org. If you would like to receive an email notification of either of these events, please let us know.
- Our newsletters are available in the narthex, sent to our email list and posted to our website.
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