Inspired, encouraging, serving and seeking… Together in life’s joys and challenges… Making a difference! 

Upcoming Church Schedule:

Good Friday - March 29, 7pm | Sanctuary

Easter Sunrise Service - March 31, 6:30am | Front Lawn

Easter Festival Service - March 31, 10am | Sanctuary

New Sunday Morning Parking Signage

First Church is experiencing a number of churchgoers being dropped off in the front driveway, and the church council has been asked to address the difficulty they experience negotiating along the lawn and accessing the sidewalk between the parked cars. 

As we welcome those who are older or less agile, we are setting aside an area in the front drive limited to “Drop Off/Pick Up Only.”  There will still be a few handicap and other open slots along the curved drive, but the space between the new signs will be a “No Parking" area.  These signs will be placed outside on Sunday mornings only, unless other groups request use of them for their events.

Thank you for your understanding as we continue to work to welcome one and all.

Sunday School Team Meeting April 7th right after church in Clarke Hall. Are you interested in becoming part of our Sunday School Team? Come see what we're all about!

Blood Drive Recap 

Thank-you to everyone for supporting our Red Cross Blood Drive on March 22nd. We collected twenty units! (Lauren Demelo, Dale Orzali, Kelly Bourgeois are church friends who came!)

Not so Fun Fact: Sickle cell disease affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the U.S. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients can require blood transfusions throughout their lives.

Special thanks to Lauren deMelo, Dale Orzalli, Dario Puerto, and Kelley Bourgeois for signing up to donate. Thanks to Sharon Scofield and Sue Burgess, who helped check people in to their appointments, set up, and clean up. And to First Church for generously sharing the church building to help the community in this way!  

Sunday School News

This Sunday we celebrate the Joy of Easter!   There will be lots of sounds; songs, trumpet, organ, and piano, and lots of kids and wee ones! We have no Sunday School on Easter but we are providing activity bags for the children to use during the service. Please join us and know that those sounds of kids, of babies, of toddlers...that is noise that we welcome!

“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16)

We were all touched by the outpouring of love on Palm Sunday. Thank-you parents for encouraging your kids to participate! We had readers, picture holders, palm wavers. Thank-you church family for supporting our children and teaching team. 

By the way, those amazing images of Jesus' life come from Peruvian artist Marco Gomez. The Rev. Dr. Ian Montgomery is Dean of the Anglican Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in Lima, Peru lives there (about 8 months of the year) along with his wife Molly, (who teaches Godly Play). She connected with Marco Gomez to make those paintings for her teaching and now they are one of the sets used in churches around the world!

Here are some pictures from the service:

Spiritual Conversations with Coffee in January

Group led conversations before church, about scripture and the life of faith, and the journey we are on with God and each other. The January meetings will take place on January 21/28 at 9:10 AM in the Library.

====================================================================

Al-Anon is an organization that offers experience, strength and hope to families who are

struggling with alcoholism and addiction. It is a very safe place to share the challenges of

difficult family situations. We at Al-Anon are very grateful to the First Church of Swampscott which has offered us space to hold our meetings, as below:

Tuesday nights at 7:30

Tuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in the library

Thursdays at noon in the library

Please join us! For more information, please email Jodie or Laurie. Thanks.

The First Church Swampscott

40 Monument Avenue

Swampscott, MA 01907

Senior Pastor: The Rev. Ian Holland

Director of Music Ministries: Patricia Clark

Church Council 2023-2024

Chair: Clarke Orzalli

Clerk: Sharon Thomas

Treasurer: Sharon Scofield

Members: Diana Beaupre, Betty McNeil,

Susan Hamilton, Heidi Whear, Melissa Foye