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The bi-weekly newsletter of Barrington Congregational Church, United Church of Christ. |
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If your email platform lets you see only part of this email, then click on the following link to View as Webpage We don't want you to miss anything! You'll know you've reached the end when you see 'THE END!' in green.
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Office Hours: Mon - Fri, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
Closed on Federal and State Holidays or where otherwise noted
For those unable to attend worship in person, our Sunday service is also
The Sunday worship bulletin is also posted to our website
to make it easier to follow the service when watching online.
Thurs, Mar 17
8:30 - 9:30 am Coffee Chat, Thrive Tribe Café
1:30 - 3 pm Women of Faith Reading Group, Library
7 pm Mission and Justice Team meeting
Sat, Mar 18
4:30 - 6:30 pm Barrington Farm School 'Soup-port Local Wildlife', Fellowship Hall
Sun, Mar 19 One Great Hour of Sharing offering
10 am Worship Service (in-person and online), Church School
11:20 am Sing and Celebrate Choir rehearsal, Room 6
Mon, Mar 20
10 am Governance/Ministry Task Force (GMTF) meeting, Library
11 am Lay Visitation meeting, Room 6
6 - 7 pm Youth Group, Fellowship Hall and Room 9
Tues, Mar 21
10 am Staff meeting, Dale's office
10:30 am Book Group, Library
7 pm Deacons meeting, Library
Wed, Mar 22
4 pm Pack bags for LFRI Backpack program, Fellowship Hall
7 pm Prayers of Jesus: a Lenten Bible Study, Library and via Zoom
7:30 pm Choir rehearsal, Vestry
Thurs, Mar 23
8:30 - 9:30 am Coffee Chat, Thrive Tribe Café
Sat, Mar 25
Outside use of Fellowship Hall
Sun, Mar 26
9:30 am Sing and Celebrate Choir rehearsal, Vestry
10 am Worship Service with Sing & Celebrate Choir (in-person and online), Church School
Mon, Mar 27
Deadline for Chancel Fund donations
6 - 7 pm Youth Group, Fellowship Hall and Room 9
Tues, Mar 28
10 am Staff meeting, Dale's office
Wed, Mar 29
Noon Deadline for eBridge
7 pm Prayers of Jesus: Lenten Bible Study, Library and via Zoom
7:30 pm Choir rehearsal, Vestry
Thurs, Mar 30
8:30 - 9:30 am Coffee Chat, Thrive Tribe Café
Sun, Apr 2 Palm Sunday
8:45 am Faith Formation and Youth Ministry (FFAYM) meeting, Library
10 am Worship Service with Communion (in-person and online), Lenten Lollapalooza during Church School time
11:20 am Sing and Celebrate Choir rehearsal, Room 6
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Barrington Farm School's Soup Supper and Local Wildlife |
Barrington Farm School's annual Cabin Fever Series begins with "SOUP-PORT LOCAL WILDLIFE".
Please join them for some delicious soups, a short movie and speaker on the fascinating critters and creatures who are part of the ecosystem here in Barrington. It's happening on Saturday, March 18 from 4:30-6:30 pm in our Fellowship Hall and it’s FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Come learn about the wildlife that surrounds us. All are welcome and they hope to see you there!!
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One Great Hour of Sharing offering |
One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is one of the four special mission offerings that UCC churches nationwide are asked to take each year. This year's theme is 'It’s Time to Share' and there is particular emphasis on addressing hunger. When you give to One Great Hour of Sharing you deploy resources to people in need all around the world, and in our own communities. The UCC joins forces with domestic and international partners, as part of the Church’s Wider Mission, to provide sources of clean water, food, education, and health care. OGHS also provides short-term and long-term support to refugees and displaced persons and victims of man-made and natural disasters. Learn more at www.ucc.org/oghs.
OGHS donation envelopes will be included in the bulletin this Sunday, March 19 – the date the UCC has set for taking this Lenten offering. Checks may be made out to ‘BCCUCC’ with ‘OGHS’ in the memo line and can be either put in the offering plate or mailed into the church office at 461 County Rd, Barrington RI 02806. Online donations may be made from our church website at www.bccucc.org/donation/. Click on the Tithe.ly ‘Donate Now’ link and choose ‘One Great Hour of Sharing’ in the dropdown menu. Thank you to everyone who makes a donation.
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Lent Sermon Series continues |
During Lent Dale and Racquel are preaching on the 'Five Types of Prayer'. If you miss any or want to watch them again, videos of the services can be found on the livestream page of our church website. |
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Leaving the back pew empty |
At their February meeting, the deacons discussed the challenge of people sitting in the last pew of the center sections in the sanctuary. We have a relatively unique, very old sanctuary that poses many challenges for leading worship at times. Several years ago, members of the church went ahead and cut out the divider between the center sections in the last pew of the sanctuary. This was done to provide access from one side of the sanctuary to the other without walking across the front or having to leave the sanctuary and traverse the stairs. Since the end of the pandemic, there have been a number of times that worship leaders have needed to make this trek but have been unable to utilize the last pew because there are numerous people sitting in it. It was decided by the deacons and the ministers that we would begin to request that people not sit in the last pew of the center section. Since that decision was made there has been some confusion as to the policy and why it was enacted. We apologize for any misunderstandings that have arisen as we have begun to implement this decision. Thank you for understanding. |
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Announcements with deadlines! |
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This year, Andrea and Racquel invite the congregation to join the Easter Egg Hunt Team. Anyone who would like to plan and hide the eggs please reach out to Racquel by Friday, March 17 at racquel@bccucc.org or 246-0111 x104. New ideas and new participation are most welcome!
The Easter Egg Hunt takes place after the 10 am Easter Sunday service.
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Food donations needed for Backpack Program |
This month's deadline for donations of food for the 25 bags of food that go to students at the DelSesto Middle School in Providence is this Sunday, March 19. We partner with We Share Hope (https://wesharehope.org) to provide food to those in need & also with Books are Wings who donate free books for the students. (https://www.booksarewings.org)
BCCUCC supplements the donations to fill the bags. We collect the following items in the box in the narthex as you go up the stairs to church: peanut butter, bread, jelly, oatmeal, canned tuna, rice and beans, pasta and sauce, fruit cups, granola bars and shelf stable pudding. Please use this sign-up genius link to mark which items you plan to bring or call the church office to sign up. Please be sure to indicate the number of items you are signing up to donate.
Packing of the bags will take place on Wednesday, March 22 at 4pm in Fellowship Hall for anyone interested in helping put the bags together. Contact Jay Buckley pbuckley6@cox.net or 578-6533 if you can help or with any questions
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Chancel Fund donations requested |
As we look ahead to Easter, we invite you to make a donation to our Chancel Fund at this time. Money donated will be used to help beautify the Sanctuary, including the purchase of Spring plants to decorate the church this Easter. Some of the donations will also be used to purchase plants that will be delivered by the deacons before Easter to our homebound, sick, or recently bereaved. Donations may be made in any amount, large or small, and can be made in memory of a loved one, or in thanksgiving for, or celebration of, someone or something (a person, birthday, anniversary, etc). All dedications will be listed in the Easter Sunday worship service bulletin.
There are two ways to make a donation to the Chancel Fund:
EITHER: Complete a donation form then return it to the church office (in person or mail to 461 County Rd, Barrington RI 02806) with your donation. Alternatively, the completed form and donation can be put in the offering plate on a Sunday.
OR: Donate online from our church website www.bccucc.org/donation/ Use the Tithe.ly link on our donation page, designate your donation for ‘Chancel Fund (Easter flowers)’ and then add your dedication in the memo box. Be sure to include who is making the donation as well as if it’s given in memory, celebration, or in honor of someone or something.
Deadline for donations is Monday, March 27. Thank you for your donation.
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Camp registration is open - with discounts through 3/31 |
Funds are available for camp scholarships and Silver Lake summer camp registration is open with discounts through the end of March!
Silver Lake Camp and Retreat Center is an outdoor ministries site of the Southern New England Conference, UCC that strives to create an intentional, welcoming, Christian community accessible to all. The camp provides a traditional outdoor camp experience for those entering grades 4-12 within the open and affirming setting. The staff and SNEUCC believe that exposure to diverse expressions of humanity is beneficial to all God’s children. Silver Lake welcomes and affirms campers, staff, volunteers, and guests of all races, ethnicities, gender identities and expressions, and sexual orientations.
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The Prayers of Jesus: A Lenten Bible Study |
It’s not too late to join Rev. Dale Azevedo in the church library or online on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm each week thru Wed, March 29 for a Lenten Bible study of the Prayers of Jesus. (You are welcome to come just for the weeks you are able.)
We are told time and again that Jesus prays all throughout the Gospels. He goes up on a mountain. He takes a few disciples away with him. He bows his head. He looks up to heaven. However, for as often as we are told Jesus DID pray, we have very few examples of what he ACTUALLY said. In this five week study, we will read ALL the prayers that are attributed to Jesus and discuss what they may have meant to him, to his listeners, and to us today.
This is a hybrid class (in person and online) using our new video conferencing equipment! Each class lasts roughly an hour and is comprised of some short readings, a long discussion, and time for prayer.
RSVP to Dale (dale@bccucc.org) or the church office (246-0111) if you want to participate so you can get materials ahead of time and the zoom invite if needed.
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Looking ahead to Holy Week and Easter |
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Lenten Lollapalooza for our church school children |
On Palm Sunday, April 2 our Faith Formation Director and the FFaYM team will be hosting a Lenten Lollapalooza for the children during church school time in Fellowship Hall. There will be a special craft that the children will be sharing with the congregation on Easter Sunday as well as palm cross making and treats! All children are welcome! We hope that families are able to come to church that Sunday so that the children can participate in this fun event.
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Holy Week Morning Meditations |
Once again, Rev. Dale Azevedo will be hosting weekday morning meditations during holy week. These meditations will take place in the church library from Monday, April 3 through Friday, April 7, beginning at 7 am. Each morning will consist of a few brief prayers, a Bible reading, some silence, and perhaps a short reflection. They will last approximately 20-25 minutes. If you are looking for a special meaningful way to begin each day during Holy Week, consider joining Dale and others in this Lenten practice.
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On Maundy Thursday, April 6 all are invited to join the clergy and deacons at 7 pm in the Sanctuary for this service in which they celebrate communion, then read the story of the Passion with the extinguishing of candles in the traditional Service of Tenebrae. This is a particularly meaningful way to prepare for Good Friday and Easter. All are welcome.
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Ecumenical Easter Sunrise Service |
All are invited to this outdoor Ecumenical Easter Sunrise service with Communion, held jointly with St. James Lutheran Church. The service will be at 6 am on Easter Sunday, April 9 at Osamequin Point which is located 1.1 miles north of the church on the Wampanoag Trail (Route 114). |
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Easter Sunday Service in the Sanctuary |
All are invited to our 10 am service on Easter Sunday, April 9. The sanctuary will be decorated with spring flowers and the service will include preaching by the Rev. Dale Azevedo, a children's message, and music from the organ and choir. Come celebrate Christ's resurrection with us! Following the service there will be a Coffee Hour and an Easter Egg Hunt (see below). |
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Our annual Easter Egg Hunt for children in the lower elementary grades will take place after the 10 am Easter Service. Children are asked to gather in Fellowship Hall following the service from where they will be sent out by age (youngest first) to hunt for eggs outside. Bring a basket! All are welcome. There will also be coffee hour in Fellowship Hall following the service. |
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Your generosity at work in the community |
Through your generous donations to the monthly Deacons’ Fund Offering, we were able to make a $500 donation to Tap-In in January. Tap-In sent us a ‘Thank You’ letter with details about their work in today’s world. They are now serving over 1,100 families, who are spending about 20% more on food now than they were before the pandemic. Our church is making a difference in the local and larger community, thanks to all of you. Read the complete letter.
Deacons Fund envelopes are included in the bulletin on communion Sundays, the first Sunday of the month, although donations may be made at any time by mailing in a check payable to 'BCCUCC' with 'Deacons Fund' in the memo line. Online donations may be made from the church website's donation page using Tithe.ly, and choosing 'Deacons Fund' from the drop down menu. Thanks to all who support this fund that extends a "helping hand" to those in our church and immediate community.
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From the BCCUCC Green Team |
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'Braiding Sweetgrass' online book study - presented by SNEUCC |
An online book study of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer will be offered on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm, April 11 to May 9, led by Environmental Justice Intern Lillian Steinmayer. Each week a different section of this book will be discussed in the context of environment, gratitude, and our role as Earth's children.
For the first meeting, participants will talk about the first section of the book - "Planting Sweetgrass " - focusing on the chapters titled "Skywoman Falling" and "An Offering." Sign up here
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Learn more about Barrington Community Electricity |
At last Sunday's discussion after church with Hans Scholl, the new Barrington Community Electricity program was mentioned. You can learn more about this at the following sites:
From the Town of Barrington:
The Town of Barrington and energy consultant, Good Energy, will hold a public informational meeting on Barrington’s new Community Electricity Program from 7 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, March 23. Interested in attending? There are several options:
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From our Church Historian |
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While some of our members may be familiar with the history of our church building, thinking back to earlier times can be a humbling experience for us today.
Can we just imagine what keeping the Sabbath meant to our forebearers? Here at this Church, it meant long days which kept members at the Meeting House from morning til late afternoon or evening. Families often had to travel long distances on dirt roads, as the first main road through town wasn’t built until 1772. Others had to cross the river by boat to get there, so members would bring along food and provisions for the entire day. For many however, long days at church also provided much appreciated time to get news and to visit with other family and friends.
Winters in New England can be cold, very cold. Stories tell us for example that in the year 1740, the entire Narragansett Bay from Providence to Newport was frozen over at one point. Hence legend has come down to us that our first Congregational Meeting House of 1711, located in the southern part of town on Jennys Lane, was drawn up the frozen river to its present site closer to what became known as ‘Old Barrington Village’. Whether or not that part is actually true, it has been said that at least some of the original wooden timbers from the first church were salvaged and a new simple wooden frame structure was begun during the years 1737-1740. By 1772 however, this structure was in need of repair, and subsequently a hurricane in 1804 necessitated the construction of our present building in the year 1806.
For protection of the buggies, carriages and horses which brought members to services, prominent families reserved many of the carriage sheds we see today, although several were saved for those who did not need to pay for their use. Originally the sheds were built on three sides of the Church building; on the north, west and southern sides. Given the long days of Sunday worship, and originally no indoor plumbing, many may not be aware that one section of the riverside shed actually held an ‘outhouse’ (labeled a WC) which still can be seen there today!
Originally, a building such as ours might have had a pot belly stove for any warmth during the winter months, and congregants would close the small doors to their pews which, though nailed open, also can still be seen today. Shutters could be closed over windows, but that would of course affect the light inside the building. We do have records of a coal furnace which was located in a deep hole along the north wall of the vestry, which much later was converted to oil. The first mention we have of electric lighting in the Sanctuary wasn’t until 1893.
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Ongoing groups / activities
listed alphabetically
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This support group is open to anyone (not just church members) who has lost a loved one at any time and new members are always welcome. The group meets once a month from 10 - 11 am in the church library. They next meet on Monday, April 17. For more information contact either of the facilitators, Betsy Brenner at betsybrenner3@gmail.com or 245-8031, or Aubrey Atwater at aubreyfolk@aol.com or (401) 392-1909. |
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The Book Group next meets on Tuesday, March 21 at 10:30 am in the church library. They will d iscuss Travels with George by Nathaniel Philbrick. Book Review
For more information about the group contact Helen Schall at helenschall@hotmail.com or 401 245-4724. All are welcome.
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Why not join the BCCUCC church choir? No audition is needed and all voice parts are welcome. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings at 7:30 pm for an hour or so, in the vestry (the room below the sanctuary). To learn more speak with our music director Matthew Marion on a Sunday or contact him at mmarion1811@gmail.com. You're also very welcome to speak with any of our current choir members - or just come along to a Wednesday evening rehearsal. They'd love to have you join them!
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Coffee Chats with Racquel |
Rev. Racquel invites you to join her at Thrive Tribe Café, 60 Maple Avenue, Barrington from 8:30 am – 9:30 am on Thursday Mornings for Coffee Chats. She will be there every Thursday morning unless otherwise noted, and hopes to see you there any time you can make it! All are welcome.
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Knitting for Others Group meets in person and online |
These knitters get together on the first Tuesday to knit items to be donated - prayer shawls, baby hats, etc. They next meet on Tuesday, April 4 from 6:30 – 9 pm and participants have the option to either meet in person in the church library or meet over zoom. Feel free to stop by the library or join the call at any time and stay as long as you like. They will use the church's new video conferencing equipment at their gathering which makes it easier to have conversations between those participating online and those in the room. All knitters and crocheters are invited to participate and new faces are very welcome. For more information on the group, contact Nancy Arena at (401) 246-0212 or nancy.arena@outlook.com.
Zoom information isn't included here for security reasons. It was in the email sent to the congregation.
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Prayer Service on hiatus during Lent |
There will be no 10 am Wednesday morning prayer service during Lent. They will resume on Wed, April 19. |
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Women of Faith Reading Group |
The group meets for discussions on books, faith and life on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month from 1:30 - 3 pm in the church library. They welcome women of all ages from BCCUCC as well as other churches and faith traditions. Upcoming meetings are on Thursdays, April 6 and 20. For more information contact Jane Tonn at 289-2349 or jtonn2@cox.net
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The Youth Group is led by Rev. Racquel and welcomes all in Grades 5 - 8. They gather most weeks throughout the year on Mondays from 6 - 7 pm for fun and fellowship, a simple dinner (usually pizza) and a closing prayer service.
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The latest blog was written by Racquel and titled What does God say about disabilities? If you missed it earlier, you can read it here.
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UCC Appeal for Turkey and Syria Earthquake Relief |
The news continues to unfold about the devastating earthquake on the border of Turkey and Syria. The death toll continues to rise and is over 41,000 at the time of writing. This is shattering news and adds to the challenges of the war in this area for over a decade. Immediately after the earthquake, the UCC issued an appeal to assist those affected in the region. “While the earthquake was on the border, the tremors were felt as far away as Lebanon and Cyprus. We have issued an appeal to help recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria. It is hard to tell what other areas are affected or the extent of the damage from this seismic event. Amid this current uncertainty, you can be certain that with your financial support the United Church of Christ will be there helping those in need. All donations will be deposited into the International Emergency fund designated for ‘Turkey and Syria Earthquake Response’. Your generous financial support will be used by our partners in the areas of greatest need, for relief and long-term recovery.”
You may donate in one of several ways:
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online at the national UCC website https://support.ucc.org/ and designate your gift for ‘Turkey and Syria Earthquake Relief’ in the drop-down box;
- by texting UCCDISASTER to 41444;
- by sending a check made payable to the United Church of Christ, PO BOX 71957 Cleveland, OH 44194. Please be sure to note “Turkey and Syria” on your check in the memo section.
Thank you.
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Keep up to date with our Conference - SNEUCC |
The Southern New England Conference, UCC (SNEUCC), publishes several newsletters - one of which comes out weekly and is titled '5 Things to Know and Share'. Read the latest edition at this link and sign up to subscribe and get it sent to your inbox.
Click on this link to see the archive of all of the different SNEUCC newsletters - and subscribe to any that are of interest to you.
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This spring, the Barrington Lions Club is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a Barrington High School student. The primary criteria is a commitment to volunteer community service. More information is available on their website: Barrington LionsClubs.org.
The scholarship deadline is Monday, March 20.
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Sunday mornings at BCCUCC |
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Services livestreamed to Facebook, website and YouTube |
All are invited to join us for our multi-platform worship service at 10 am. Masks are optional but we do ask that if you're feeling unwell or have symptoms, that you please stay home and watch online. We continue to run large HEPA air filters in the sanctuary and also have HEPA air filters in most spaces in our Education building.
For those unable to join us in person, the services are livestreamed so they can be watched online - either live or later - in three different places*:
*Occasionally, Facebook doesn't allow us to stream to their platform, and on those occasions it's not possible to watch the service on Facebook. However, you should still be able to find the service on YouTube and on our church website at the links above.
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The Nursery is open every Sunday morning to provide loving care for infants and children aged 0 - 3 years old. Parents/guardians are welcome to drop off their child/children in the nursery located in the Education building before going to the worship service.
The Nursery Nook, located directly below the sanctuary, is another option for parents with wiggly children of any age to retreat to and still hear the service on the loud speaker down there.
We love the sound of children in worship so parents are welcome to keep their infants and children with them in the sanctuary if they wish. For those who would prefer to worship without distraction, we provide these other options.
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Children from PreK through grade 8 attend the first part of worship service in the sanctuary with their families, then after the children's message (or communion on the first Sunday) they leave to go to their Church School classes in the Education building. Their teachers will accompany them. More information about the different church school classes are on pages 9 & 10 of the 2022-2023 Guide to Faith Formation
On All Ages Worship Sundays, the children remain in the sanctuary for the entire time and the service is more child friendly.
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Deadlines for Announcements and eBridge |
The deadline for receiving information for inclusion in the eBridge and the Sunday Announcements is Noon on the Wednesday prior to publication.
Deadline for next eBridge is Wed, March 29. Send information to Christine at office@bccucc.org.
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We encourage the congregation to wear nametags to help get to know each other. If you would like a nametag please contact the church office at office@bccucc.org or call (401) 246-0111 and let us know what name you’d like on the nametag and your preference for a clip, pin or string holder. Nametags are stored on the rack in the vestry hallway, or you can keep it in your car or purse where you can easily find it on a Sunday morning.
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Online donations to the church through our website |
Our church website ( www.bccucc.org) is capable of accepting online donations. Watch a brief video (30 secs) on how to do this, or read the following instructions: There’s a red ‘DONATE’ button on the right side of the black menu bar near the top of each page of the website. Clicking on it will take you to the ‘Giving to BCCUCC’ page. In the middle is a link to Tithe.ly through which you can make a donation to the church either using a credit card or directly from your bank. (No need to set up an account). You are also able to designate where you would like your donation to go (pledge, gift, memorial gift, Deacons’ Fund, etc). |
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Questions? Contact Pat Stoddard, Financial Secretary at pat@bccucc.org or (401) 246-0111 x 102.
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Racquel racquel@bccucc.org (401) 246-0111 x 104 Associate Minister for Congregational Life
Christine office@bccucc.org (401) 246-0111 x 101 (or just stay on the line) Office Administrator
Church Office Hours: Open Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm.
Closed on Federal and State holidays.
Building Security: The Education building will remain locked at all times, even when the office is open. Please ring the bell for entry and we'll be happy to let you in - or use the code on the keypad if you have it.
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