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The bi-weekly newsletter of Barrington Congregational Church, United Church of Christ. |
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If your email platform only lets you see part of this email, then click on the following link to View as Webpage. We don't want you to miss anything!
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Church Office is CLOSED until further notice.
There will be no in-person worship services at church thru Jan 2021
Thurs, Nov 19
7 pm Church Chat with Dale (#5) via Zoom
Sun, Nov 22 Reign of Christ Sunday and Thanksgiving Sunday
Mon, Nov 23
7 - 7:30 pm Meditative Coloring for Adults, via Zoom
Tues, Nov 24
11 am Staff meeting via Zoom
2 pm Worship Tech Team meeting via Zoom
7 pm Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service - online only
Thurs, Nov 26 Thanksgiving Day (Staff not working 11/26 & 11/27)
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Thanksgiving 2020 is going to be very different as so many families and friends won't be getting together due to the pandemic. We encourage everyone to stay safe, reach out virtually to those you love but can't be with, and give thanks to God for the blessings in your life. |
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Sat, Nov 28
10 am - Noon: Pajama drop off for Foster Forward, Outside CE building
Sun, Nov 29 First Sunday of Advent
1 - 2 pm Black Lives Matter Silent Vigil, Outside St John's Episcopal Church
Mon, Nov 30
7 - 7:30 pm Meditative Coloring for Adults, via Zoom
Tues, Dec 1
11 am Staff meeting via Zoom
2 pm Worship Technology Team meet via Zoom
7 pm Knitting for Others group meet via Zoom
Wed, Dec 2
Noon Deadline for the next eBridge
7 pm Membership Team meeting via Zoom
Thurs, Dec 3
7 - 8 pm Advent Bible Study with Linda, via Zoom
Sat, Dec 5
10 am - Noon: Drop off for Mitten and Giving Tree donations, Parking lot
Sun, Dec 6 Second Sunday of Advent
11:30 am - 12:30 pm Confirmation Class
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A couple of last minute reminders..... |
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Hurry - last chance for a Church Chat with Pastor Dale is tonight!! |
The current series of small group chats ends with the one on Thursday, November 19th (TODAY!!) at 7 pm - and there are still a few spaces left if you'd like to participate. Deadline for sign up is 6 pm on 11/19/20. Sign up at the following link on SignUpGenius AND email Dale at dale@bccucc.org so he can send you the Zoom information you need in order to participate. **How to use SignUpGenius
If you would like to participate in a future chat (dates and times tbd), there is a place on the SignUpGenius link to sign up indicating your interest. Additional chats will then be scheduled.
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Thanksgiving Donations for TAPIN - deadline is Nov 20th |
For many years BCCUCC has joined with other houses of worship to support a food drive for TAPIN. Unfortunately, this year TAPIN, along with other food pantries, is unable to accept donations of canned goods and nonperishable foods for the holidays. Instead TAPIN has requested monetary donations to support the purchase of gift cards for clients. The pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity and economic hardship for many families in the East Bay. TAPIN reports that its client numbers have increased significantly. To help alleviate some of the stress associated with food insecurity and provide some much-needed joy, the Mission and Justice Team asks the congregation to prayerfully consider a donation to TAPIN. It's too late to send in a check to the church, but there are still two ways to donate:
- Send/drop off a check directly to TAPIN at P.O. Box 252 Barrington, RI 02806. (They're open Mon - Fri, 9 am - Noon).
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Visit www.tapinri.org to make a donation electronically through PayPal.
TAPIN requests that donations be made by Friday, November 20th. Thank you to all BCCUCC members and friends who support TAPIN.
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Advent and Christmas at BCCUCC |
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You are invited to a special worship series! |
Starting Sunday, November 29th, the First Sunday of Advent, Dale and Linda along with many lay leaders in the church invite you to participate in a special holiday worship series. “I Believe Even When…” will guide us through the weeks of preparation for and celebration of Christmas. A total of six services will string together to help “Fill the Night with Music and Light!”. Our choir, Worship Tech Team, Chancel Team, and staff have been hard at work to make this season’s distanced celebration even more meaningful than usual. There is music, videos, readings, prayers, and lights to carry us through.
Please join us virtually each Sunday @ 10:00 am and again on Christmas Eve @ 7:00 pm for these special services.
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We need your help with Advent! |
As a part of our “I Believe Even When…” Advent and Christmas worship series, we need your participation. There are three main ways you can help.
1. Send us pictures of your nativity set (ie creche). These pictures can be sent to Dale or Linda and will be used each week during Advent during our prelude and postlude music.
2. Send us your litany prayers. These prayers follow a simple fill-in-the-blank formula that goes like this “I believe that _____[fill in the blank with a lament, a sorrow, a confession] AND I believe that _____[fill in the blank with a prophetic word of change or hope]. Check out Dale’s latest blog for examples!
3. Offer to read. We have lots of places for people of all ages to help lead worship during this series. Reach out to Dale dale@bccucc.org or Linda linda@bccucc.org and we will help you record something special for the services.
All of these opportunities begin before November 29th and will continue through Christmas Eve so get your responses in ASAP! Thanks!
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This Little Light of Mine! |
As a part of our Advent and Christmas Eve services this year we will be celebrating our kids as they sign “This Little Light of Mine.” Andrea is reaching out to our families but there is no need to wait. We have simple instructions that you can follow including videos that teach you the signs for this simple favorite. You can learn just one verse or all four! These videos will be used all four weeks of Advent and during both our Christmas Eve services! Reach out to Andrea ASAP for more information at andrea@bccucc.org
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Also NEW in this eBridge.... |
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Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service |
This year BCCUCC and Temple Habonim will be hosting Barrington's annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. It will be held on Tuesday, November 24th at 7 pm. As is the case with everything 2020, this service will be held on Facebook Live and our BCCUCC webpage, just like Sunday mornings. We expect the service to last approximately 30 minutes and be filled with prayer, readings, and song. Come and join our Barrington neighbors in giving thanks during this special service!
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Join us for a three-week Bible study on Thursday evenings this Advent beginning December 3rd. This time around, we will be doing something a little different. In addition to delving into Bible passages we also will be exploring archaeological findings related to the passages. Linda will be joined by frequent participant, Dick McWhirter who will be sharing some fascinating archaeological developments with us. If you're interested in the Bible, in history, in archaeology, or in all three, we hope you will join us. As always you can join for all three sessions or any of the sessions you can. We will be meeting on Zoom from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays, December 3rd, 10th and 17th.
For our first session on December 3rd, we will be talking about King David. Prepare for our discussion by reading 2 Samuel 6:1-19 and 2 Samuel 7:1-17. The zoom information needed isn't included here for security reasons, but was emailed to the congregation. If you have any questions, please email Linda at linda@bccucc.org or call (401) 246-0111, ext. 104.
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A message from the Membership Team.... |
Due to Covid restrictions, the Annual Senior Luncheon usually held in November, cannot be held this year. This was an enjoyable social event to bring Seniors together in church community. Because following socially distanced Covid practices is particularly important for Seniors, it is even more important to find other ways to experience community. The Membership Team is exploring safe alternate options and would love to hear from Seniors with any thoughts and ideas you might have. Please contact Christine in the church office (401) 246-0111 (leave a message) or office@bccucc.org and she will forward your suggestions to the Membership Team.
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Help needed with outdoor gathering set-up |
The Town of Barrington was recently awarded a 'Take it Outside' grant from the Rhode Island Commerce to help eligible entitles seeking to continue their outdoor activities. BCCUCC applied and have been awarded three heat lamps, stringed lights, and fleece blankets. The heat lamps came with three full propane tanks and the Buildings and Grounds team have put them together and they are currently locked in the storage shed. We are looking for volunteers to help with the set up and breakdown of the heat lamps and lights when there is a request for an outdoor gathering. COVID 19 compliance is required so the event cannot have more than 10 people and they must socially distance and wear masks. If anyone is interested in helping with set up and breakdown, please contact Paul Dennis at 401- 243-3493 or wrbtwks@aol.com. We thank you in advance.
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Foster Forward's 9th Annual Pajama Drive |
As mentioned in last Sunday's sermon, this program provides new pajamas for children & teens who live with foster families or in group homes. As with other programs, the need this year is great. Foster Forward is seeking donations of new pajamas in all sizes, from babies to young adults.
In order to make this opportunity as easy as possible for church folks, Pat Stoddard will set up a drop off spot in front of the church’s Education Building for you to drop off new pajamas (to the back of her car) on Saturday, November 28th from 10 am - Noon. If you are unable to make this time, please call Pat to make other arrangements (401 246-0111, ext. 102). She will drop off all donations at Foster Forward’s office in East Providence.
We invite you to join Pat in helping to spread some cheer during the coming holiday season.
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A COVID-safe alternative to the Mitten Tree and Giving Tree |
This year our Mitten Tree and Giving Tree will be looking a little different. Due to Covid-19 the Mission and Justice Team will be holding drive through drop-offs at the church on two Saturdays in December. On both days members of M&J will be on hand to collect your donations of mittens, gloves, hats and scarves for various organizations; and for the Women's Resource Center new winter coats and toiletries (body cloths/loofahs, shaving cream, hair brushes, hair ties, Q-tips, baby powder, baby oil, and nail clippers).
On Saturday, December 5th we will be collecting between 10 am and Noon, and on Saturday, December 12th between 1 and 3 pm. We know that your donations will be greatly appreciated by those who receive them. Thank you for your generosity.
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Chancel Fund donations sought |
Even though we are not able to gather in the sanctuary to worship this Advent and Christmas, we will still be decorating the altar area in preparation for and celebration of Christ’s birth. It's going to be a little different this year and you'll get the opportunity to see it each week by watching the virtual worship services beginning Nov 29th. The Deacons will also be delivering holiday plants to our homebound, sick and recently bereaved. We are therefore inviting the congregation to make a donation to the Chancel Fund this holiday season to cover the costs. For more information or to make a donation, download the Chancel Fund Donation Form.
Deadline for donations is Friday, December 11th. Thank you.
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Reminders, updates, and worth repeating... |
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An Update from Your Stewardship Team |
The 2021 Stewardship Campaign continues, and thanks to our generous faith community 79 Giving Cards have been returned so far. We are hopeful that more Giving Cards will be received as we navigate holding this Campaign during a pandemic.
It is more important than ever for our church to financially support local aid organizations, as the community need is great. Your contributions will allow us to continue to connect with our community in this way. There are many important financial decisions to be made for 2021 as the church budget is prepared. We also recognize that financial challenges may prevent some households from submitting a Giving Card.
You can make a financial commitment by returning a completed Giving Card**, or emailing Financial Secretary Pat Stoddard pat@bccucc.org or calling the Church Office (401) 246-0111 ext 102 and leaving a message for her (you will receive a return call to verify your commitment). Thank you in advance for your continued support.
**Giving Cards can be mailed in, or can be dropped off in the white Church Mailbox located on the wall at the top of the steps near the office entrance.
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BCCUCC COVID Commemoration Tile Project |
A memorial for this time apart.
Help fill the wall with messages and ART.
Create your personalized tile to hang at church on the wall along the walkway by the children’s playground.
How has COVID affected you? How has time away from church affected you? What would you want someone 20 years from now to see/learn about this time?
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COMING soon… someone from the project group will be reaching out to you to arrange your participation. We are planning on using contactless drop-off/pick-up methods arranged personally with each family.
It is our sincere hope to have EVERYONE in the congregation participate. As we expect this project to take several months, if you do not receive a phone call soon, no worries. If you are really excited about participating and have not received a phone call yet, feel free to reach out sooner to one of us listed below.
We will share pictures of the tiles as the project moves forward.
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The Latest COVID19 Recommendations |
This week we received an email from the RI State Council of Churches outlining the governor’s latest requests to faith communities. The governor noted once again that new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are on the rise in Rhode Island. She further noted that over the past weeks, religious gatherings account for between 13-30 of the state’s new cases each week!
As a result, the Council of Churches “STRONGLY encourage[s]” churches to only hold virtual worship services for the near future. This is not a change for us as it has been our practice all along. However, this is part of the reason the Church Council made its decision to hold off on in-person worship in the sanctuary through the fall and holiday season.
In addition to recommending virtual worship the Council of Churches, and the governor, have the following recommendations:
- Make a list of 10 people you NEED to see and only be around them
- Wear a mask with anyone who does NOT live in your household
- Wear a mask for 1-on-1 meetings when in person
- Stand and sit distant from one another
- Go Straight Home – avoid standing together talking before and after events
Although it is hard on us all, with God’s presence we WILL get through this time together.
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Daniel Kidder-McQuown to celebrate 20 yrs of ordination! |
We recently received the following email from Rev. Dan McQuown (as we knew him) who served for a short time back in 2000-2001 as a part-time interim minister at BCCUCC. He was also working as a chaplain at a local nursing home, and his ordination took place at BCCUCC. If you remember Dan please consider sending a note for his celebration. Dan writes.....
"We will be celebrating 20 years of my ordained ministry (United Church of Christ) during regular worship on Sunday, December 6th, at Salem UCC in Albion, Michigan. If you’d like to send a note to be shared, please do so to Pastor Loree Grinnell (our pastor) at lorrainegrinnell@gmail.com. No pressure! But if you are inspired to share, your words would be meaningful to me and those gathered.
If anyone wants an update on my ministry, they can go here:
Peace,
Daniel Kidder-McQuown"
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Our online worship service is at 10 am every Sunday morning and you can watch it live either on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/bccucc (click on the 'posts' or 'videos' link to find it) or on our website www.bccucc.org/live-stream-page/ If you miss it live, a recording can be watched later at the same links.
We include on the screen all of the information needed for participating in worship each week. Please note that there will be no in-person worship through January 2021 - all of our worship services will be online only.
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Deadline for submitting prayers to be included in worship is 8 am Sunday morning. You can either leave a message on the church’s answering machine (401) 246-0111, or email Dale dale@bccucc.org or Linda linda@bccucc.org. Please be sure that the person you are lifting up is comfortable with them reading your prayer to the whole community, and consider using first names only.
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Amy Barkat (chair), Nancy Arena, Steve Fodor, Lory McCoy, Pat Stoddard, Carol Strakosch, Jeff Stumpff, and Jane Tonn. In a pastoral emergency if you cannot reach either of our ministers, please reach out to one of our deacons. |
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On Sunday, November 22nd: One arrangement is given by Larry Ashley in memory of his mother, Diane Ashley.
The other arrangement is given by Bill and Paula Rooks in memory of Belle and Fred Rooks.
On Sunday, November 29th: One arrangement is given by Betsy Brenner in memory of her mom, Alice Denonn Epstein.
The other arrangement is given by Bethia Rosner in loving memory of her husband, Andy, on what would have been his 94th birthday.
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Birthdays being celebrated |
The week of November 22nd: Kim Zeleznik, Tom Brueckner, Stephanie Drury, Dwight McMillan, Louise House, Adam Marszalek, and Kristen Murray.
The week of November 29th: George Bolton, Kate Colby, Ryan Marszalek, Ray Parker, Greg Dubel, Jonah Amundson, and Michael Forzano.
If your name doesn't appear and you'd like it to, please contact the church office so we can add your birthdate to our data base. Thank you.
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Ongoing ways to participate |
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Weekly Meditative Coloring for Adults |
We all are stressed out from the long pandemic. Come, relax together, and color an uplifting message each week. Elizabeth Azevedo is offering an online (Zoom) weekly meditative adult coloring small group on Monday evenings at 7 pm via Zoom for about 30 minutes. Each week, participants can pick up the coloring page ahead of time at the church in a designated spot outside (or be mailed/emailed one if unable to pick one up). They meet via Zoom to color and discuss the “page” for the week. Please email Elizabeth if interested – eazevedo17@gmail.com. The next sessions are on Mondays, November 23rd and 30th.
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Black Lives Matter Silent Vigil |
The next monthly Black Lives Matter Silent Vigil will be held on Sunday, November 29th from 1:00 - 2:00 pm in front of St John's Episcopal Church, 191 County Road, Barrington. Bring signs, wear masks, and stay six feet apart. All are welcome.
The Vigils are held on the last Sunday of each month at different locations, and are sponsored by BCCUCC; Barrington Interfaith Partners; Barrington Presbyterian Church; St. John's Episcopal Church; Sts. Matthew and Mark Episcopal Church, and Temple Habonim.
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Knitting for Others Group |
The group meets virtually each month and will next meet on Tuesday, December 1st at 7 pm via Zoom. All knitters and crocheters are invited to attend and new faces are very welcome. For more information on the group, contact Nancy Arena at 401 246-0212 or nancy.arena@outlook.com. For security reasons the Zoom information needed to participate isn't included in this version that appears on the internet, but was in the eBridge emailed to the congregation.
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The Book Group will next meet virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, December 15th at 9:30 am. They will discuss Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott. For more information about the group, contact Helen Schall at helenschall@hotmail.com or 401 245-4724. All are welcome to participate. For security reasons the Zoom information needed to participate isn't included in this version that appears on the internet, but was in the eBridge emailed to the congregation.
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From your Mission and Justice Team |
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Conference-wide Effort Abolishes $26.2 Million in Medical Debt |
A collaborative effort by 122 United Church of Christ congregations,(including Barrington Congregational Church, UCC) four Associations, and more than 100 households in the Southern New England Conference has abolished $26.2 million in medical debt. Two separate buys benefited families in seven states and first responders around the country. All will soon be receiving letters telling them that their medical debt has been forgiven. Read more.
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National American Indian Heritage Month |
In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”) have been issued each year since 1994. Here are some links to learn more:
The November/December 2020 edition of National Geographic History magazine has published an article that describes the role that the Massasoit Osamequin played in assuring the survival of the English settlers at Plymouth in 1620. It features Sowams and you can read the article at this link.
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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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From the River's Edge: Pastors' Blog |
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Make money for the church while shopping on Amazon |
If you do your holiday shopping on Amazon, please log in through smile.amazon.com/ch/05-0304531. AmazonSmile will then donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice - Barrington Congregational Church - at no cost to you.
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Keep yourself and others safe |
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A reminder that the church buildings remain closed until further notice. If you need to drop something off, or have asked to pick something up, the items can be deposited or retrieved from the white wooden “Church Mailbox” that’s located at the top of the stairs by the office entrance, next to the boiler room door. We ask that people not enter the building. Thank you. |
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Stay connected with each other - and call the ministers if needed |
During this time of separation, we are all encouraged to keep in touch with each other. If there’s someone in the church you’d like to reach out to - maybe someone living alone - but you don’t have their contact information, please call the church office and leave a message (401 246-0111 x 101) or email office@bccucc.org Christine will then get their contact information to you.
If you’re in the hospital, a nursing home or rehab, or you’re simply staying home, but would like a visit with a minister, please don’t hesitate to call them and they’ll be happy to visit with you over the phone. Their numbers are Dale (401) 246-0111 x 103; Linda (401) 246-0111 x 104. Leave a message and they'll get back to you.
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Ways to watch our live-streams |
We are doing our live-streams using Zoom and 'Facebook Live' and there are two places to watch it online:
- On the church’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/bccucc
- On the church's webpage www.bccucc.org at the 'BCCUCC live-stream' link from the home page, where the feed will be embedded.
For Facebook live, simply go to www.facebook.com/bccucc to watch. You don't need a Facebook account to see it. If you do have an account, search for the church's Facebook Page which is 'Barrington Congregational Church UCC'. If you 'Like' our page you should then get our news feeds, and also be able to comment on our posts and the live feeds. Once on the church's Facebook page, you will need to click on 'posts' or 'videos' to find the live feed, or watch the recording later.
If you're not able to watch live, you can watch a recording later, on the live-stream page of our website.
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The office is closed but you can still reach us |
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Until further notice, the church office will remain closed. However you can still be in touch with the ministers and staff. You can either send an email or leave a message on the answering machine at the person's extension. Both emails and voice mail messages are checked regularly. Our contact information is:
Clergy Days off each week: Linda is off on Mondays and Dale is off on Fridays.
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