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VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020
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HILLSCHURCH.ORG
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STAYING CONNECTED TO YOUR CHURCH COMMUNITY
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LOOK!
IT'S A SOCIALLY DISTANCED ICE CREAM SOCIAL!
Join us virtually for worship at 10:00 this Sunday morning, September 13 and then between 11:30 and 12:30 (be sure to register) bring your smiles and your appetite to the Hills Church parking lot for an
"Ice Cream Social(ly distanced)" Drive-thru Extravaganza!
In the past six months, COVID-19 has presented some challenges for us as a community -- but we are hopeful to still rally as we celebrate the beginning of a new program year at the Hills Church with a special drive-thru ice cream social(ly distanced) event!
All Hills Church friends and families are invited -- but you must register in advance!
Register HERE for a time slot and let us know how many ice creams/italian ices and masks (adult and child) you would like! We will have our East and West side parking lots set up as a drive thru for your visit!
In order to ensure the safety of all participants, volunteers and staff - we ask that all visitors remain in their cars at all times! Waving to friends is welcomed! Honking horns are welcomed too! (But please take note that there are no public bathrooms for use at this time!)
So come and share your joy with the ministers, staff and volunteer leaders of the Hills Church!
Our parking lot will be set up with cones and friendly guides! You will be greeted by safely distanced waves and smiles as you drive through our parking lot to receive a yummy treat (either a Hoodsie or an Italian ice), a new mask (both adult and child) and a blessing to go along with it all!
We hope you will feel comfortable and safe reconnecting in this way! But if you're not, please do not hesitate to reach out to Rev. Anne Marie ([email protected]) or our Church School Director Sally T ([email protected]) because we would still like an ice cream or a mask and we will do our best to make sure to deliver something to you!
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 PHASE 1B RENOVATION PROJECT
We're almost there!
This summer's renovation project is approaching completion and your church still anticipates getting a Certificate of Occupancy in mid-September.
At this point, the work remaining is to finish up some details, go through the punch list, complete the painting, and do a final cleaning. In this regard, a commissioning firm has been hired. This firm is a third party which will come through to inspect and to verify that all of the systems are working as they were designed, after which this summer's work will be inspected by the Town of Wellesley.
In "related news," a Committee chaired by Jim McKinney is investigating new seating for the chapel (which looks gorgeous with its new hardwood floors!)
Some work will still need to be completed after we re-occupy the buildings - installation of UVC filtration units in the Sanctuary and replacement of the stairs and banisters at the east entrance - but none of this additional work will interfere with our ability to use the buildings.
Hooray! And many thanks to the Hills Church Construction Team: Judy Nitsch, Janeen Hansen, Betty Ule, Christopher Stowell - and KVA, Consigli Contruction, and Context Architecture - as well as a complete cast of supporting actors too numerous to mention here.
Well done. |
Re-Opening Task Force - Status Report
This summer, Church Council authorized the creation of a "Re-Opening Task Force." This Task Force was charged with responsibility for the development of a set of guidelines to govern a phased re-opening of the church to in-person worship services and other church activities.
The Task Force, which consists of Chris Stowell (chair), Matt Wooster, Anne Marie Holloway, Rob Andrews, Mimi D'Angelo, Elaine Vildzius, and Cynthia Gordan, has now developed guidelines for a phased approach to re-opening the church to in-person worship services and other church activities, including small ministry and committee meetings, use of the church by outside groups, the Nursery School, Sunday School, and other children and family ministries. In addition to information available through the CDC and SNEUCC, input was solicited from the clergy, the Ushering Committee and the Spiritual Care Support Board.
Each phase of re-opening is contingent on the achievement of certain COVID-19-related public health milestones which are available from the MA DPH COVID-19 dashboard.
Until it is possible to resume operations as they were pre-COVID-19, the Reopening Plan calls for:
- Continuation of the recorded Sunday morning worship service
- Implementation of an additional in-person worship service which would include many precautions to minimize the possible spread of COVID-19 such as limiting the number of people in the Sanctuary, distanced seating, masking, controlled entry and egress, etc.
- Limitation of attendance at in-person meetings (e.g. support boards and committees) to 5 people and restricting those meetings to the Reception Room and the Board Room
- Continuation of 'virtual' Sunday School
- Limitation of the use of the church building by outside groups to AA and the Food Pantry, which are considered essential services
- Partial re-opening of the Nursery School with smaller classes which will be segregated from one another, increased area per child, masking, distancing (insofar as is possible with small children), enhanced cleaning protocols, etc.
In addition, once we are able to resume in-person Sunday morning worship services, we will begin live streaming those services. To further this objective, we are already working to develop the technology needed to record and live stream them for the benefit of people who have difficulty coming to church, are ill, or are out of town.
Earlier this month, this Task Force also conducted a survey of the congregation to determine the level of interest and comfort with in-person, but appropriately socially-distanced, masked, etc. worship services. The results of this survey will be released next week.
Christopher Stowell, Chair
Re-Opening Task Force
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Come for (Virtual) Tea!
Tuesday afternoon, September 2
At 3:00
Getting COVID fatigue? So are we - so let's change the conversation over a cup of Zoom tea and cookies on Tuesday afternoon, September 22, at 3:00.
Our canceled April gathering was supposed to celebrate Poetry Month, but we will have a Fall Poetry Festival instead.
What are some of your favorite poems? Have you been reading (or writing) any new ones? Bring a favorite poem to read aloud and share for discussion. I will have a few to share with the group as well.
As always, if there are particular celebrations or concerns you want to lift up, we will offer support and prayers.
Hope to see you soon!
Blessings,
Rev. Judy Swahnberg
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WOMEN'S MINISTRY NEWS
Despite the closure of our building amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Women's Ministry Team continues to meet via ZOOM to connect with each other, and to support charities both at home and abroad.
This year, we have provided funding for both regular support - and for emergency relief related to the pandemic.
More specifically, funding was sent to Little Lilie's Creche, part of the Help Kids India network located in rural South India. Although school is closed, the staff is working hard to stay connected with their students and their families by providing food, masks, home visits, health care and more.
If you would like to learn more about how HKI is helping marginalized families during the pandemic, please see their newsletter here: https://www.helpkidsindia.org/.
We have also donated funds to Honduras Hope, for ongoing support of their nutrition program, and for emergency relief so that vital medicines and seeds may be bought - and we donated to Family Promise when it became evident that families would need to be housed in hotels during the pandemic, rather than in our (now closed) houses of worship.
And lastly, we have been able to donate emergency funds to the Thom Charles River Early Intervention Center, in Waltham, an agency that works with families who have children with developmental delays, disabilities, or are at risk because of their particular family circumstances (think low-income, drug use, domestic violence, food and housing insecurity, prematurity, etc). When the Commonwealth went into quarantine they transitioned to tele-health visits and have been working hard to connect families to local resources - in addition to supporting them in this challenging time and helping them meet the developmental needs of their children.
We are grateful that friends and members of the Hills Church have supported our fund raising efforts in the past, so that we may help our friends and neighbors in need in this uncertain and challenging time.
Laurie Otten, for Women's Ministry Team
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WOMEN'S MINISTRY ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF
NEXT SPRING'S RUMMAGE SALE
Women's Ministry regrets to announce that we will not hold a Rummage Sale in 2020, due to ongoing concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic. We hope to see you all in 2021, if it is safe to do so.
If you have items that you have been storing for a future sale, but would like to clear them out of your home now, please contact Laurie Otten for a comprehensive list of donation sites compiled by Monica Garfield and the WHCC Women's Ministry.
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Pumpkin Patch Team Announces
Cancellation of This Year's Patch
It is with great sadness that the Pumpkin Patch Team announces the cancellation of Pumpkin Patch 2020.
Our biggest concern is asking Church members to become "essential workers," with all of the COVID19 risks that implies, particularly during the unloading and selling processes. Many of our best sales folks are retired, so would be at greatest risk for COVID-19 complications.
We do not want folks to risk their lives for the Pumpkin Patch!
We look forward to resuming next year!
The Pumpkin Patch Team
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Attend Worship By Video
Church Council, our Board of Deacons, the Re-Opening Task Force, and Hills Church clergy continue to believe that - for our church - waiting to re-open remains the most prudent, inclusive and loving path forward.
Consistent with this decision, the church building remains closed - and church staff members are continuing to work from home.
Virtual worship is being provided every Sunday, and is continuing to feature worship leaders, including John Finney, recording their parts from different locations.
All Sunday morning worship services will be available on the church website early Sunday mornings. The services will also premiere on Facebook beginning at 10:00 every Sunday morning, so that people can worship together at the usual time.
And finally, visiting the church website will allow you to access the Order of Worship for each Sunday morning's 10:00 a.m. Worship Service.
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Come to Virtual Community Hour
Every Sunday Morning at 9:30 -
Grab a Cup of Coffee and Join In!
Every Sunday morning, you are invited to visit with our clergy and other members and friends in a "Virtual Community Hour" - from 9:30 Sunday morning until the virtual worship services begin to stream at 10:00.
Following a brief welcome, separate "breakout rooms" are randomly generated to allow for conversations in small groups. The only agenda is to connect with familiar faces and meet new friends, so feel free to bring your coffee and stop in for a quick hello or stay for the full half hour. The dress code is casual. (PJs encouraged!)
Virtual Community Hour is hosted as a Zoom conference, which can be joined using a computer, a smart phone, or a standard phone. If you're not already a Zoom veteran - don't worry. Zoom is very easy to use. To participate in this Sunday's Virtual Community Hour by computer, just click on the link you will see in the community hour notice that will be emailed to you at 6:45 on Sunday morning.
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Summer Psalms and Morning Meditation
Tuesday Mornings - from 9:30 - 10:30
Please mark your calendars for Tuesday Morning Meditation throughout this summer as we will be continuing to gather via Zoom every Tuesday morning - from 9:30 - 10:30. Each week, we will meditate using sacred readings from the Book of Psalms.
Zoom is a service that enables groups to connect either by video using your computer or by audio using your phone. To participate, just e-mail Mary Hill Canavan (see below) and she will send you an official Zoom "invite" and tell you how to CLICK and Zoom in. (And if you have been meditating via Zoom for a while now, there is no need to e-mail Mary - as she will automatically send you a Zoom invite.)
Whether you are new to meditation or practice it daily...please join us and be restored during this time together - from wherever your summer takes you.
Peace to you all,
Mary and Judy
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Cup of Morning Prayer
Monday Mornings at 7:00
Every Monday morning at 7:00 you are invited to join Rev. Anne Marie Holloway for a cup of morning prayer - on Facebook LIVE.
Begin each week in the quiet presence of God in the early morning hours and focus on prayer.
Each session will be held in the sanctuary of nature in varied outdoor locations (weather permitting). Hills Church friends and families are invited to participate via Facebook LIVE on a handheld device while finding an outdoor space to practice an ancient form of prayer known as breath prayer.
Please share your prayer requests in advance via email to Rev. Anne Marie ( [email protected]) - and your personal prayers of celebration and concern will be lifted up each Monday morning and held in gentle care by our virtual small and private Facebook Live group. |
Noon Prayers from the Hills
You can also tune into the church Facebook page at noon on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for a brief time (5-15 minutes) of reflection and prayer with one of the ministers. These prayers will be accessible for viewing later as well.
Tuesdays: Rev. Anne Marie Holloway
Wednesdays: Rev. Matt Wooster
Thursdays: Rev. Judy Swahnberg
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Contact Your Ministers
Although we are not regularly in our offices at the church these days, you can still reach your ministers by phone and email. Please use the contact information below to be in touch with any of your ministers - and know that they will be there for you if you want to:
- Share a prayer request,
- Have a conversation for pastoral care,
- Simply share updates and receive a prayerful blessing by phone, or
- Just hear their friendly and comforting voices.
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Looking for Way to Help????
The New Life Furniture Bank of MA is Looking for Volunteers!
The New Life Furniture Bank is seeking volunteers to help with drop-off, repair, or sorting household goods at their Walpole center. "With the demand for our services and the amount of furniture donations increasing, the need for volunteers is greater than ever. We have opportunities almost every day for volunteers ages fourteen and older. We have implemented precautions to minimize the risk for volunteers, clients, and staff: social distancing, required face covering, and sanitizer is readily available. For contact tracing purposes, no one is permitted to enter their building without being scheduled or having signed up. All volunteers must sign up in advance for their desired opportunity. (https://newlifefb.org)."
Also, beginning on Saturday, September 21, in store furniture drop-off will be accepted without reservations. For more information, contact Angie Hemmerle.
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 The Wellesley Food Pantry Has Moved to Temporary Quarters During This Summer's Construction Work at Our Church
Due to this summer's construction at our church, the Wellesley Food Pantry will be operating on a temporary basis out of the Unitarian Universalist church (309 Washington Street - across from Green's Hardware).
The Food Pantry will be returning to the Hills Church once this summer's construction work is complete.
In the meantime, it is important for all of us to continue to support the vital work being done by The Food Pantry. The Pantry's website is updated weekly to reflect items in short supply, but they can always use your help with white and brown rice (preferably 2 pound bags), vegetable oil, dishwashing liquid, paper towels, Kleenex, toilet paper, diapers in sizes 5 and 6, shelf-stable almond and soy milks, and jars of jelly/jam.
For more information about how you could help the Food Pantry at this time, you can always go to their website. Here is the URL - (http://www.wellesleyfoodpantry.org) - or
It is no longer possible to bring your Food Pantry donations to our church, but please continue to drop them in the collection bins at Roche Bros or Whole Foods. OR, you can also drop your donations off on the WEST side of the Unitarian Church on Monday mornings, between 8:30 and 10:30.
Anything you can do to help will be greatly appreciated. |
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Hills Church Calendar
THURSDAY, September 10
10:00 a.m. Clergy Worship Planning - Virtual
10:30 a.m. Church Staff Meeting - Virtual
12:00 p.m. Noon Prayers - Rev. Holloway*** - On FB
FRIDAY, September 11
7:30 p.m. AA Meeting
SATURDAY, September 12
SUNDAY, September 13
9:30 a.m. Virtual Community Hour - Virtual
10:00 a.m. Worship Service*** - On FB
11:30 a.m. Ice Cream Social(ly) Distanced
7:30 p.m. AA Meeting
MONDAY, September 14
7:00 a.m. A Cup of Morning Prayer
7:00 p.m. Board of Deacons
TUESDAY, September 15
9:30 a.m. Tuesday Morning Meditation - Virtual
12:00 p.m. Noon Prayers - Rev. Holloway*** - On FB
1:00 p.m. Clergy Pastoral Care Meeting - Virtual
WEDNESDAY, September 16
12:00 p.m. Noon Prayers - Rev. Wooster*** - On FB
THURSDAY, September 17
10:00 a.m. Clergy Worship Planning - Virtual
10:30 a.m. Church Staff Meeting - Virtual
12:00 p.m. Noon Prayers - Rev. Holloway*** - On FB
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This week's Scripture Reading is:
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In the midst of challenges and losses, remember that you are chosen by God to put on love. Like getting dressed each morning, put on love: love for yourself, love for others, and love for God.
- Rev. Dr. Matthew Wooster
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Newsletter/Events at the Hills Publication Deadlines
Need to spread the word about an activity or event? Email your notice to Cynthia Gordan, Church Administrator, at [email protected], or call the Church Office at 781-235-4424.
All submissions are due Fridays, by 5:00 p.m.
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