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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! You'll know you've reached the end when you see 'THE END!' in green.
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New Church Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm. |
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Sat, Sept 25
CANCELLED - Church School Family Event
11:30 am Memorial Service for Lois McCartney, Reception following
Sun, Sept 26
10 am Worship and Healing Service (in-person & online), Church School
11:30 am Outdoor in-person coffee hour at a location tba
Mon, Sept 27
11 am Bereavement Group meets, Terrace or Fellowship Hall
Tues, Sept 28
8 am Peaceful Pause and Prayer, Livestreamed
11 am Staff meeting, Dale's office
Wed, Sept 29
7 pm Membership Team meeting
7:30 - 9 pm Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary
Thurs, Sept 30
8 am A Peaceful Pause and Prayer, Livestreamed
7 pm Search Committee Meeting, Room 6
Sat, Oct 2
9 - 3:30 pm SNEUCC Super Saturday - online
Sun, Oct 3 World Communion Sunday
Neighbors in Need offering
10 am Worship Service with Communion (in-person & online), Church School.
11:30 am Outdoor in-person coffee hour at a location tba
Tues, Oct 5
8 am Peaceful Pause and Prayer, Livestreamed
11 am Staff Meeting
7 pm Knitting for Others Group meet via Zoom
Wed, Oct 6
Noon Deadline for eBridge
7:30 - 9 pm Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary
Thurs, Oct 7
8 am Peaceful Pause and Prayer, Livestreamed
1:30 - 3 pm Women's Faith Group meet, Library
Sat, Oct 9
9 am - Noon Boy Scout Troop 2 Car Wash, Parking lot
Sun, Oct 10
10 am All Ages Worship Service (in-person & online)
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This weekend - Sept 25th & 26th |
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Church School family event cancelled |
The Church School family event scheduled for this Saturday, September 25th has been cancelled. Please keep an eye out for the next event planned for Saturday, October 23rd.
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Memorial Service for Lois McCartney |
A memorial service for Lois McCartney will be held this Saturday, September 25th at 11:30 am at Barrington Congregational Church, UCC. A reception will follow in Fellowship Hall.
Cards may be sent to her husband, Jim McCartney at Tockwotton, 500 Waterfront Drive, Apt 410, East Providence RI 02914. Obituary
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We welcome Racquel Ray as our new acting Associate Minister. If you missed the email sent yesterday introducing her to the congregation read it here. Racquel's position is half-time and she'll be in the office on Mondays and Tuesdays. Along with traditional pastoral duties she will be focusing on youth ministry and visitation. Racquel will be also be helping Dale lead Sunday worship, beginning this Sunday, September 26th.
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Are any among you suffering? |
This Sunday we are excited to host a Service of Healing. Due to the pandemic and virtual worship we have not been able to hold a healing service for some time, but we are finding ways to keep it safe this Sunday, September 26th. Healing takes on many forms: physical, emotional, spiritual. As a part of this Sunday’s 10 AM worship service, Dale will preach on the power of Christian healing and then he and Racquel will offer up individual prayers for those who wish to come forward to receive them. Everyone is invited to come and participate in this celebration of God’s special presence in our lives.
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Multi-platform Worship - Sundays 10 am |
All are invited to join us for our multi-platform worship service at 10 a.m. every Sunday.
For those attending in person, we require masks be worn in worship (with exemptions for those under 2 or for medical reasons). We continue to take precautions to provide the safest conditions possible for everyone, and have new updated guidelines in place. If you plan to worship with us in person in the sanctuary we ask that you read them ahead of time.
For those who are not yet ready to return to our sanctuary, or are not able to, the services are livestreamed so they can be watched online at the same links as before: www.facebook.com/bccucc or https://bccucc.org/live-stream-2/. If you miss the service live, you can watch it later at the same links.
We invite you to join us for worship - in person or online.
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In-person outdoor gatherings after worship |
Church members invite you to get together at in-person, outdoor gatherings after the church services on Sundays, September 26th and October 3rd. Sign up by contacting Helen Schall (401-245-4724 or helenschall@hotmail.com) before 3 pm on Saturdays, Sept. 25th and Oct. 2nd and she will let you know where to meet.
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There will be Youth Gathering! |
Pajama Church? BYOC (Bring Your Own Cake Mix), BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin), Yoga, MEMEs and Chill, Netflix and Chill, Chill?
Are you an introvert, extravert, artist, athlete, academic, or adventurer? Do you like to be active or still?
What do YOU need right now? It’s been a challenging few years for Youth! Let’s de-stress together.
What are YOUR ideas? Dreams? Thoughts?
Email Pastor Racquel racquel@bccucc.org (also available to support any team and knows the ‘Eagles Rumble’!) |
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Registration of children and youth |
We require that all children and youth be registered in order to participate in church school and other youth activities. If you haven't yet registered your child(ren), you can complete the registration forms (one for each child) ahead of time and bring them with you to church. Alternatively, see our Christian Education Coordinate, Andrea Bullard on a Sunday morning and she'll provide you with the necessary forms. This year there are new registration forms which include a check box on the bottom that parents must mark if they want their child to attend church school.
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Church School's COVID screening protocol / parent sign in |
In order to keep our children as safe as possible, parents are asked to sign in their child(ren) each week to say that they are following the COVID precautions. The parent sign-in station is located as you go up the stairs to the sanctuary. There is ONE master COVID question form posted and parents each week need to sign in their child(ren) to say their child can answer 'Yes' to all of the screening questions. |
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Bereavement Group to meet |
The group is meeting again on Monday, September 27th at 11 a.m. outside on the terrace, weather permitting - or in Fellowship Hall if not. The group is open to anyone (not just church members) who has lost a loved one at any time. New members are welcome. For more information, contact the facilitator, Betsy Brenner at jsbeeb@aol.com or 245-8031. |
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'Peaceful Pause and Prayer' |
Dale leads these online meditations at 8 am on Tuesday & Thursday mornings. Each meditation provides moments for reflection, music, scripture, and silence. They can be watched on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bccucc or on the livestream page of our website at https://bccucc.org/live-stream-2/ and will remain available for later viewing on both platforms if you can't watch live.
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Knitting for Others Group |
The Knitting Group will meet again on Tuesday, October 5th at 7 pm over 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.
Zoom info needed is not included here for security reasons. It was in the email sent to the congregation.
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Women of Faith Reading Group to start meeting again |
The group is going to start meeting again on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month from 1:30 – 3 pm in the church library, beginning Thursday, October 7th and again on Oct 21st. The group welcomes women of all ages from BCCUCC as well as other churches and faith traditions. They will be reading & discussing ' Only Woman in the Room' a biography of Hedy Lamar. For more information contact Jane Tonn at 289-2349 or jtonn2@cox.net. |
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The Book Group will next meet Tuesday, October 19th at 9:30 am. at the Cafe Water Street, 279 Water Street, Warren if the weather is pleasant. If it is a rainy day, they will meet at the same time via Zoom. They will be discussing Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan. For more information about the group, contact Helen Schall at helenschall@hotmail.com or 401 245-4724. All are welcome to participate.
Zoom info if needed is not included here for security reasons. It was in the email sent to the congregation.
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Attention leaders of ministry teams and church groups! |
Are you meeting in person or via Zoom? During the height of the pandemic many of our ministry teams and church groups continued to meet but did so virtually over Zoom. Now that more people are vaccinated and it is becoming safer to meet in person, some are now choosing to meet at the church. We continue to offer the option to meet over Zoom but leaders need to let us know what their plans are – meeting in person or via zoom – so that we can make sure that there are no conflicts with either the Zoom meetings or room space for in person meetings:
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Zoom meetings: We need to redo our Zoom meeting schedule for the Fall. If you wish to continue to meet over Zoom – or schedule a single zoom meeting – you need to contact Christine in the church office to do so at office@bccucc.org or (401) 246-0111.
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Room reservations needed: If you want to hold a meeting at church, contact Christine (see above) to reserve a room. She will need to check the availability including the requisite 20 hours between uses (current guidelines) and reserve the room for your use or let you know what other space may be available.
Thank you for your help with all of this.
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The BCCUCC co-ed softball team ended their season when they lost their playoff game against St. Luke's. It was a great season, with a few wins, and lots of laughs and fellowship. After being away for the whole of 2020 the team really enjoyed being on the field again. Congratulations to all who played for the BCCUCC softball team and special thanks to Tom Strolla for coaching the team and running the league.
The team would like to thank the spectators who came out to support them and in particular thank Peter Weldy who helped found the Barrington Houses of Worship Softball League many years ago, and who attended most of their games this year.
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Thank you, Tom - from the BCCUCC softball team |
"The BCCUCC softball team would like to extend our gratitude to Tom Strolla for his many years serving as coach of our team. Tom has been leading the team with the famous “Why not us” cheer through a few championships but more importantly great fellowship throughout his tenure. We appreciate his infectious positive attitude and with his recent retirement from coaching, will miss hearing “BCCUCC on three” at the start of every game. Thank you Tom, we hope to still see you on the field when you are able next year!"
Editor's note: In addition to coaching the BCCUCC team, Tom was also the league organizer for many years. Thank you Tom from the whole congregation for all that you've done to keep the league running and provide this great opportunity for fellowship and fun both among the BCCUCC team players and also with the other Barrington houses of worship.
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Altar flower donors needed |
There are currently openings on October 31st for donors to pay for one or both vases of the altar flowers. Cost is $30 per vase. Altar flowers can be given in memory, celebration or honor of a person or special event and your dedication will be included in the worship bulletin and read during the service. If interested, please contact Jen Melker at jkmelker@gmail.com or (617) 877-1278. Thank you. |
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Chancel Team looking for additional members |
The Chancel Team is looking for two additional people to join their ministry team. Having six members instead of their current four would make their task a little easier. To learn more about what they do or to volunteer, please contact the chair of Chancel, Beth Buckley at elizabethbuckley21@msn.com or (401) 247-0324; or speak with any of the other team members: Liz Rosenholm, Bethia Rosner, or Jen Melker.
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Volunteers needed for 'Barrington Day of Caring' |
Monday, October 11th 2021 ~ Noon - 4 pm
Registration from 11 am
Barrington Day of Caring is a one-day service event held yearly in Barrington on Indigenous Peoples Day in October, that brings neighbors together to create a positive impact on our community.
This year's event will be helping local residents with a variety of outdoor projects. Examples of Day of Caring projects include repairing a fence, gate, shed, railings, steps, porches, cutting back overgrown bushes or hedges, yard clean-ups.
Volunteers are needed! Get the registration form HERE. No special skill sets are needed to volunteer. However, your expertise is welcomed. Please inform us if special accommodations are needed. (Those under 14 years of age must be accompanied by and adult/guardian with written consent from guardian).
Volunteers will be assigned to projects, pre-planned and organized, to assist residents with home projects they need extra help with. Due to pandemic precautions, projects will be limited to outdoor projects and have smaller groups of volunteers.
More information including how to apply to have a project included in the Day of Caring. Deadline for project applications is Noon on Friday, September 24th.
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From the Mission and Justice Team |
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Neighbors in Need offering |
Neighbors in Need (NIN) is one of five special mission offerings collected by the United Church of Christ. This year the NIN "Unfailing Love" offering is focused on supporting organizations and projects that are serving homeless and immigrant neighbors or communities. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds of this offering is used by the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to provide funding grants to UCC churches and organizations leading justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects in their communities.
BCCUCC will be collecting this special offering on Sunday, October 3, which is World Communion Sunday. Donations may be made by check payable to "BCCUCC" with "NIN" in the memo line; or by using the online tool Tithe.ly on the BCCUCC website and choosing 'Neighbors in Need' in the drop down menu.
The Mission and Justice Team thanks you in advance for your contributions.
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Midterm Election Ahead: The Fight for Voting Rights |
In states across the country, efforts are underway to significantly erode voting rights. Watch this webinar from the UCC to learn more about these threats, and what steps are being taken at the federal level to address them. You’ll leave with a better understanding of the state of democracy in the U.S. and, more importantly, some concrete actions you can take to protect your and your neighbor’s vote.
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Barrington Climate Committee Focuses on Solar to Address Crisis |
Learn what the town of Barrington is doing to confront climate change in this article from EcoRI.
The next meeting of the Resilience and Energy Commission is September 28th at 7:00 – check out the Town’s website: https://www.barrington.ri.gov.
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Masks are required in both the education and church buildings |
Masks are required for all participants in worship - with the following exclusions:
- anyone with a medical reason why they can't wear a mask
- children under the age of 2
- while leading worship
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Education building is open with some important requirements |
The education building re-opened on Sept 1st for church and public use with the following requirements:
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All visitors attending meetings or events shall wear appropriate masks at all times (Note: Visitors includes both church people and outside groups)
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Hand sanitizer shall be made readily available for all attendees (this is the responsibility of the organization/individual holding the event)
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An accurate copy of attendees and contact information shall be kept (this is the responsibility of the organization/individual holding the event)
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Weather permitting, doors and windows are to be propped open
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Any room or venue utilized by a group shall remain vacant for at least 20 hours before being utilized by a separate group.
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SNEUCC Virtual Super Saturday |
This Southern New England Conference of the UCC event is being held online on Saturday, October 2nd from 9 am – 3:30 pm. Registration is open The main presenter is Monica A. Coleman, Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Delaware. There will also be some 1 Hour workshops and a few 1 Hour Midday workshops in addition to the standard 1.5 hours and extended workshops for those who want to be busy all day. Sign up for as many or as few as you like. Please register by Sept 28th.
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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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Open Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Closed on Federal and State holidays.
Masks are required in the education building at all times for all activities and meetings. Thank you for your cooperation.
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Building security increased - but all are still welcome |
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. It is now common practice for churches to keep their buildings locked at all times, especially if they have a preschool in the building which we do. At this time it also helps reduce concerns about the spread of COVID.
Please remember to wear your mask at all times in either of the church buildings.
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2021-2022 Church Calendar |
The church calendar for the 2021-2022 program year is available for viewing at http://bccucc.view-events.com If you have any additions, updates or corrections at any time please let Christine know by emailing her at office@bccucc.org. We can only keep the online calendar current with your input and it's especially important that we do so with our new COVID safety requirements (see earlier). |
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Online donations to the church |
There’s a red ‘DONATE’ button on the right side of the black menu bar near the top of each page. 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). Questions? Contact Pat Stoddard, Financial Secretary at pat@bccucc.org or (401) 246-0111 x 102. Visit the 'Giving to BCCUCC' page.
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