The Children's Faith Formation News and Information is updated weekly! | |
|
Professional Nursery Care to begin on Sunday, May 5
The Faith Formation Ministry Group and Church Council are pleased to announce the opening of a professionally staffed Nursery in Room 10, a refurbished and sanitary space under the sanctuary. Each Sunday, from 9:45 - 11:15 am, vetted (Safe Church and First-Aid trained) and professional nursery workers will welcome your children (from infants up to and including three-year-olds) to the First Church Nursery.
If you have any questions about the program, please speak to Kelly Gilchrist or Vlad Santiago.
| |
|
Interested in Joining First Church?
For those who are considering membership, there will be a new member orientation session on Wednesday, April 24 from 7-8:30 PM in the Chapel.
At that time, you will meet with Pastor James, Pastor Alison and members of the Membership Ministry to learn what it means to become a member of our church. Then, if you so choose, you may join our church on New Member Sunday, April 28 at the 10AM service. We generally welcome new members twice a year at the end of April and October. For more information, please contact Pastor James , Pastor Alison at or Sara Buell 203-272-7785.
| |
|
Church OUTSIDE Spring Cleanup:
Saturday, April 13; 9:00 AM to Noon
Come and help make our grounds beautiful again after winter. Wear work clothes and bring your gloves, rakes, tarps, wheelbarrows, a smile, and snacks to share.
| |
|
Save the Date!
April 21 at 11:15 AM in the Chapel
Dick Eppler is offering a second hour program “What it Was Like to be a Church Member 300 Years Ago”.
This is part of the 300th Anniversary offerings.
| |
|
It’s time to get the Meals Ministry up and running again; a great way to serve others! Meal scheduling is organized through Take Them a Meal. The website provides easy recipes, tips for delivering meals, and even offers the opportunity to order a meal to be delivered. You prepare a meal when it is convenient for you whether once per month or once per year – whatever you can provide is appreciated.
Signup and information sheets are available at the Welcome Desk. You can also signup through Signup Genius.
Contact: Marianne Eagleson or by cell at (203) 710-4198.
| |
|
Prayer Book Contributions:
An Opportunity To Pay It Forward
Thanks to the support of our Caring Ministry Group, First Church plans to publish a spiral bound booklet of readings contributed by our congregation as a source of comfort and joy.
How can you help? By sending your favorite prayers, poems, meditations, quotes, lyrics, etc.—any words of wisdom which have inspired you on your spiritual journey.
Our church community is now being presented with the opportunity of supporting each other with words which have given us that extra boost of gratitude, encouragement, and hope when we needed it. Now is an ideal time to pass these words on.
Won’t you consider helping us make this a reality by sharing words of wisdom created by you or others, so that all of us may be inspired by them?
Guidelines for our booklet and sample pages will be available on a table in Parish Hall for the next few weeks to help you decide on your selection(s). Please email your favorite reading(s) by May 18 to Mary Torello.
| |
All Saints Scholarship
Each year the First Congregational Church awards a one-time scholarship. The applicant does not to be a member but needs to be an active participant of the life of the church. The All Saints Scholarship is intended for any educational endeavor, not limited to primary or secondary school, college or university, advanced education or special educational need. The All Saints Scholarship is intended for any educational endeavor, not limited to primary or secondary school, college or university, advanced education or special educational need. Applications are available online or can be picked up at the church office or at the Welcome Desk. Completed applications should be received no later than May 15. Please contact Jane Brown or Emily Massimino from Caring Ministry for more information.
| |
|
In 36 Weeks ….The 300th is Coming!
Our greatest current need is publicizing the great line-up of events we have planned.
- Please let us know you can help by signing up at the Welcome Desk, or on our website
| |
|
Sunday Volunteer Opportunities
Every Sunday there is a need for Greeters, Worship Assistants/Lay Leaders and Ushers.
If you can help with greeting and/or assisting at worship, please use the buttons below to sign up.
If you can assist with Ushering, please contact Nancy Stover (email link on tab below) for more information.
| |
|
Thank you to all the kind volunteers who helped deliver Easter Plants!!
The unselfish sharing of your time and efforts helped spread a little more Easter joy to our homebound members! Parish Care and Caring Ministry.
| |
|
Cheshire Community Food Pantry
"Sponsor-a-Shelf"
"In its March meeting, your First Church Outreach Ministry Group approved an effort to Sponsor-A-Shelf at the Cheshire Community Food Pantry. At CCFP Exec Director Dave DeFeo’s request, our charter is to keep mayo and ketchup on the shelf at the pantry that now bears our “First Congregational Church” name.
This is an ongoing project!
So please shop for and bring in “normal size” jars or squeeze bottles of your favorite mayo or ketchup brands and drop them off at church in the grocery cart in the parlor. From there, Bob Giddings will provide delivery to the Pantry on a regular basis.
Thanks as always for your support!"
| |
|
On Wednesday March 27, a few of us celebrated Easter at Christian Community Action in New Haven with an Easter egg hunt, crafts, and pizza celebration. We also congratulated CCA's Charmain Yun on her promotion to Executive Director taking over the reins for Rev Bonita Grubbs.
Special thanks to our CCA Action Team Members who helped serve, share, laugh, and deliver delicious pizza to our CCA friends. Marcos Martins, Jack Sellati, Helen and Jerry Wilson.
Pictures from the Event
| |
|
Chancel Choir's New Faces
Rachel Pata
Rachel Pata is a member of the Soprano section in the choir. She works as a clinical professor in the department of physical therapy at Quinnipiac University and teaches in the content areas of acute care/cardiopulmonary and anatomy. She also serves as the Simulation Director for the School of Health Sciences. She loves spending time with her children, Tim and Ellie, her fiancé, Shawn and her three dogs, Jake, Bella and Luna.
| |
|
SAVE THE DATE for April 22 at 7:30 PM
Internationally known climate expert Daniel Esty, Director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, will speak on climate and sustainability Monday, April 22, Earth Day, at First Congregational Church, Cheshire. His talk, “Busting Through Planetary Boundaries: Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Beyond,” will be at 7:30 p.m. at the church, on Route 10 in the center of Cheshire. The talk is free, and the public is cordially invited.
Professor Esty has written or edited 14 books (including the prizewinning volumes Green to Gold and A Better Planet) and dozens of articles on climate change, environmental protection, regulatory reform, and sustainability. He formerly served as Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and recently concluded two years of public leave from Yale, during which time he worked at the World Trade Organization, helping to develop a sustainability strategy for the global trading system.
He co-leads the Remaking Trade for a Sustainable Future Project and, with a network of leaders around the world, developed the Villars Framework for a Sustainable Trade System.
Professor Esty’s Earth Day talk is sponsored by the Eco Action Team of First Congregational Church. Parking is available behind the church, accessed from Cornwall Avenue.
|  | |
 |  | New, Improved Showering: If you’re old enough, you may remember when the makers of bathroom hardware introduced low-flow showerheads to comply with federal recommendations on saving water. They did this starting in 1992 by placing restricting gaskets in the heads – and the results were awful. Instead of a powerful flow, the water came out at a much reduced rate, leading some consumers to simply remove the gaskets (thus defeating the low-flow feature). Well, manufacturers have wised up. Today’s redesigned heads use new technology to provide a powerful flow while still reducing water use, prompting many people to take shorter showers. That’s good: About half of a typical house’s hot water is used for showers, so cutting water use helps in several ways, saving both energy and money. Replacing a showerhead can cost as little as $20, leading the Washington Post to declare that “It may be one of the best $20 investments you can make in your home.” The EPA says the average family could save 2,700 gallons of water per year by installing new showerheads. So for the sake of the planet and your wallet, do it!
For more information about the church's Eco Action Team, email Anne McNulty or Karen Schnitzer.
| |
April 7 - April 14 Calendar | |
|
Sunday, April 7
10:00 am Worship and Church School
11:00 am Fellowship, Parish Hall, hosted by Caring Ministry
11:15 am 300th Anniversary Committee, Chapel
5:00 pm CAFÉ Conversations Bible study, Chapel
Tuesday, April 9
2:00 pm Parish Care, Library
7:00 pm Church Council, Chapel
Wednesday, April 10
12:45 pm Caring Crafts, Parlor
3:30 pm Staff Meeting, Library
7:00 pm Chancel Choir
Thursday, April 11
9:00 am Yoga, Parish Hall
Saturday, April 13
9:00 am Spring Outdoor Cleanup
3:00 pm Ruth Gleeton Memorial Service, Sanctuary
Sunday, April 14
10:00 am Worship with Communion and Church School
11:00 am Fellowship, Parish Hall, hosted by Worship Ministry
11:15 am Sermon Talkback with Pastor James, Chapel
5:00 pm Youth Group, Parish Hall
| |
|
Other Important Information
A reminder that the Prayer Net Prayer Ministry Team stands ready to pray for any requests. Simply email prayernet@firstcheshire.org the prayer request and it will be sent on to our prayers in complete confidence unless otherwise noted. Let us support one another with the power of prayer.
| | | | |
