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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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Church Office remains CLOSED until further notice.
There will be no in-person worship services at church until further notice
Sun, Jun 6 Baccalaureate Sunday
10 am Live-streamed Worship Service with Communion and Celebration of our High School Graduates (No in-person worship). Watch at www.facebook.com/bccucc or on our website at this link
11:30 am In-person coffee hour at a member's home, location tba
Tues, Jun 8
8 am Peaceful Pause and Prayer, Livestreamed
11:30 am Staff meeting via Zoom
2 pm Worship Tech Team meet via Zoom
7 pm Church Council meets via Zoom
Thurs, Jun 10
8 am Peaceful Pause and Prayer, Livestreamed
3 pm Moving Forward Team meet via Zoom
Sun, Jun 13 Music and Choir Celebration Sunday
8:30 am CEYM meeting via Zoom
After Worship - Annual Meeting via Zoom
Mon, Jun 14
3 pm Barrington Interfaith Partners meet via Zoom
Tues, Jun 15
9:30 am Book Group meet at Cafe Water St, Warren
11 am Staff meeting via Zoom
Wed, Jun 16
11 am Lay Visitation meeting via Zoom
Noon - Deadline for next eBridge
7 pm Mission and Justice Team meeting via Zoom
Sat, Jun 19
1 pm Virtual Installation of SNEUCC Conference Minister via Zoom
Sun, Jun 20 Father's Day
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This weekend (June 4th - 6th) |
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National Gun Violence Awareness - Wear Orange |
In recognition and support, the front of our church will once again be lit up in orange from Friday, June 4th thru Sunday, June 6th. One of the many hard facts of this challenging year is that gun violence is one of the few aspects of American life that the pandemic did not slow down, so the work at Everytown to end gun violence has only intensified.
Supporters are encouraged to wear orange to remind everyone of the need for legislation on gun safety, background checks, and the banning of assault weapons. Learn more about 7th National Gun Violence Awareness Day (June 4th), and Wear Orange Weekend (June 5th & 6th) at https://everytownsupportfund.org/how-to-participate-in-wear-orange including ways you can show your support, and virtual events being held.
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In-person outdoor coffee hour |
Church members invite you to get together at another in-person, outdoor gathering after the on-line church service on Sunday, June 6th (at approx 11:30 am). Sign up by contacting Helen Schall (401-245-4724 or helenschall@hotmail.com) before 3 pm on Saturday, June 5th. She will let you know where to meet. Bring your own chair and a beverage. Hosts are Trinki Brueckner, Helen Schall and Laura Ward. |
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Tile Workshops cancelled - but you have a last chance! |
Due to a lack of signups, the tile workshops scheduled for this weekend and next have been cancelled.
We are hoping to wrap up the BCCUCC COVID commemoration Tile project by the end of June.
If you want to decorate a tile and have not yet had the opportunity, please contact Elizabeth Azevedo (860-301-2915, eazevedo17@gmail.com) a.s.a.p. to get a packet.
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Baccalaureate Sunday, June 6th |
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Celebrating our High School Graduates, and Communion. |
We hope you will join us for our virtual worship service at 10 am this Sunday, June 6th for Baccalaureate Sunday. We will be honoring two of our high school graduates during the service as well as announcing the winners of the Kathleen Lynne Fodor scholarships.
The service also includes communion so we invite everyone who wishes to participate to have elements prepared ahead of time for you to join in this celebration. These need not to bread and juice/wine but can be whatever you have on hand.
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Congratulations to our 2021 Graduates |
Reed Bullard – son of Andrea and Rob Bullard – graduates from St. Andrew’s School and will be attending Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts.
Douglas Dubel – son of Laurie and Greg Dubel – graduates from Barrington High School and will be attending Leeds School of Business in Boulder, Colorado.
Colin Stabach – son of Ginger and Jonathan Stabach – graduates from Barrington High School. He is taking a Bridge Year at Landmark College in Vermont and plans to study Industrial Design in the future.
Seth Azevedo – son of Dale and Elizabeth Azevedo – graduated from Northeastern University with a BS in Chemistry and is currently interviewing for positions in synthetic medicinal chemistry and hoping to stay in the Boston area.
If you would like your graduate to appear in our newsletter but missed the deadline, please send it to office@bccucc.org by 6/14/21 for inclusion in the next eBridge.
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On Sunday, June 6th:
One arrangement is given by Ray and Beth Zarlengo in celebration of their 30th wedding anniversary.
The other arrangement is paid for from the Chancel Fund in celebration of our graduates.
On Sunday, June 13th:
One arrangement is given by Trinki and Tom Brueckner in loving memory of their mothers, Kathleen Walbridge McCully Anderson and Helen Mangan Brueckner.
The other arrangement is given by Trinki Brueckner in celebration of Tom’s and her 49th wedding anniversary.
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Birthdays being celebrated |
The week of June 6th: Harper Loehning, Owen Voigt, and Todd Williams.
The week of June 13th: Mary Jacobs, John Block, Jordyn Forman,
Lauren Kiley, Priscilla DiMarco, and Ben Sylvester.
If your name doesn't appear and you'd like it to, please contact the church office so we can add your date of birth to our data base. Thank you.
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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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Music and Choir Celebration Sunday |
On Sunday, June 13th our 10 am virtual worship service will be filled with music created by the Quarantine Choir and also by individual musicians. We hope you will join us for this special worship service celebrating the role of music in worship.
The Church's Annual Meeting will follow the service (see below).
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BCCUCC Annual Meeting is June 13th |
Our church's Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, June 13th following the 10 am worship service (at approx. 11 am). Please note that there will be an approx. 5 minute break between the end of the livestream worship service and the opening up of a new Zoom meeting for the Annual Meeting.
All church members are encouraged to attend (virtually) as we need a quorum. The warrant with the agenda is below, together with the Zoom information needed.
The church’s annual report is currently being compiled and will be emailed to the congregation next week, ahead of the meeting.
Warrant for the ANNUAL Meeting of Barrington Congregational Church, Barrington, Rhode Island
The annual meeting of the Barrington Congregational Church, UCC, Barrington RI, is hereby called to take place virtually via Zoom* on SUNDAY, JUNE 13th, 2021 following worship. The business to be transacted is as follows:
- ARTICLE I: To call the meeting to order.
- ARTICLE II: To receive and vote on the slate of nominees for officers, ministry teams, and delegates.
- ARTICLE III: To receive and vote on the slate of nominees for the vacancies on the Search Committee to fill the position of Associate Minister for Congregational Life.
- ARTICLE IV: To consider any other business that may properly come before the meeting.
- ARTICLE V: To adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully submitted: Greg Voigt Clerk
For security reasons the zoom information is not included here. It was included in the email sent to the congregation.
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Exciting change in worship coming soon! |
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Online Sunday worship only continues on June 6th, 13th & 20th |
Our online only worship service will be continue on the following Sundays at 10 am: June 6, 13 & 20. Y ou 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 at this link https://bccucc.org/live-stream-2/. 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.
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Multi-platform / Hybrid Worship to start June 27th |
June 27th is the start of our summer schedule when the service begins at 9:30 am. That date also marks the beginning of a return to in-person worship in the sanctuary. For those who aren't yet ready to attend in-person, the service will also be simultaneously livestreamed so it can be watched online at home on our usual links.
People may choose to either attend in-person or watch the service online. More details including health guidelines for those attending, will be available later.
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Rev. Linda Hartley will be on vacation from June 7 - 13, and Rev. Dale Azevedo will be on vacation from June 14 -21. Please be sure to send any Sunday morning prayer requests (see above) to the minister who is not on vacation. |
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'Peaceful Pause and Prayer' is ongoing - except when Dale is away |
Dale continues to lead these morning meditations at 8 am on Tuesday & Thursday mornings. However, they will not take place on June 15 & 17 when Dale is on vacation.
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Update on the the Carriage Shed Fund |
We are moving toward our goal of raising the additional $13,000 needed to repair the carriage sheds thanks to donations from the congregation and the 1:1 match from a generous donor. We just need an additional $4,355 from the congregation which after the matching donation will get us to our final goal of $26,000. Many thanks to the two generous donors who donated the first $13,000 that got us started.
If you can make a donation please write a check to BCCUCC with “carriage sheds” in the memo line and send to Barrington Congregational Church UCC, 461 County Road, Barrington RI 02806 OR you can make an online donation at our church website www.bccucc.org, (or directly at https://bccucc.org/donation/) designating it to the Carriage Shed Fund. Thank you to all who have already donated.
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Book Group to meet in person (weather permitting!) |
The Book Group will next meet on Tuesday, June 15th at 9:30 am. at the Cafe Water Street, 279 Water Street, Warren if the weather is pleasant. If it is a rainy day, we will meet at the same time via Zoom. They will be discussing Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu. For more information about the group, contact Helen Schall at helenschall@hotmail.com or 401 245-4724. All are welcome to participate. The zoom information is not included here but was in the email sent to the congregation.
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Would you like to join the church's softball team? |
The Barrington Houses of Worship Softball League is in the process of resuming this summer. There are several protocols that need to be met and those are changing all the time. As of this writing, the teams feel they can meet the protocols (masking if not vaccinated, no use of the benches, wiping off shared equipment to name of few) and that the league will be a go. So, any interested men aged 30+ or women aged 16+ who would enjoy playing for BCCUCC are invited to contact Tom Strolla at ostrolla@cox.net or (401) 533 - 7081. Games are usually played Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays starting late June beginning at 6 pm at Bicknell Field, located at the end of Walnut Road off Lincoln. It’s fun and new players are always most welcome.
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New from the Mission & Justice Team |
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Honoring Juneteenth with Senator Jack Reed |
On Friday, June 4th at 2:00 PM, U.S. Senator Jack Reed and the Juneteenth RI Committee are joining with the Smithsonian Institute for a special virtual presentation by The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).
We are excited to welcome NMAAHC’s Senior Curator of History, Dr. William Pretzer, who will lead a virtual tour of the museum’s history galleries, and lead a talk on the historical significance of Juneteenth, past to present-day.
You will also hear details about Rhode Island’s upcoming Juneteenth celebration, and learn about the ways that you can engage with NMAAHC, both virtually and in person.
We hope that you can join us on June 4th.
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Throughout its history, the United Church of Christ has long witnessed to the importance of voting rights as a foundational civil rights issue and the way by which we honor the dignity and worth of every human being. Voting is often described as the heart of the democratic process. The people we elect shape the future of our local, regional, national and global collective life. Democracy works best when we put in place protections that ensure every American has an equal opportunity to make their voice heard and be fairly represented.
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Update on Community Choice Aggregation from EcoRI |
Barrington is one of four RI cities that recently received approval from the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to expand access to renewable energy electricity at competitive rates.
Community-choice aggregation (CCA), also known as municipal-energy aggregation and community-electricity aggregation, allows a municipality to procure electricity in bulk for residents and businesses, with the goal of increasing the renewable content of the electricity used by the entire community while keeping the supply rate stable and affordable. Learn more at this link
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Installation Service of Rev. Darrell Goodwin as SNEUCC Conference Minister |
All are invited to the virtual installation of Rev. Darrell Goodwin as the first Executive Conference Minister of the Southern New England Conference UCC. His service of installation will take place online on Saturday, June 19th at 1 pm. The Rev. Traci Blackmon, Associate General Minister for Justice and Local Church Ministries for the UCC, will preach at this service. Rev. Goodwin has his ministerial standing in RI, with Newman Congregational Church as his home church. He would love to have a strong Rhode Island presence at his installation. Register at https://www.sneucc.org/eventdetail/rev-darrell-goodwin-virtual-installation-15220830
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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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The latest blog was written by Linda and titled 'New Beginnings'. If you missed it earlier, you can read it here
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Online donations to the church are possible - watch video on how |
One of the features of our new church website (www.bccucc.org) is the capability of accepting online donations. Watch a brief video (30 secs) on how to do this, or read the instructions below.
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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Building Safety - masks still required |
A reminder that the church buildings are still 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, but if you must enter masks are still required - regardless of whether or not you're fully vaccinated. Thank you. |
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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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