Notes from the Diaconate

We are excited about our new pew Bibles which have arrived! At our last meeting, we applied dedication bookplates to the Bibles. The bookplates were expertly created by Bob Slack. Thank you to all of you who have purchased a Bible. The Deacons continue to accept donations and dedications of Bibles as we have yet to reach our goal. Look for the new Bibles coming to your pew soon!

Summer alternative services on Wednesday night have been a success! There has been a call for continuing this type of service. In collaboration with the Deacons, Rev. Katherine has planned to have this type of service on the fifth Sunday in a month when there are five Sundays. Rev. Katherine has enjoyed collaborating with all of you who have helped to plan and run these services during the summer. If you would like to participate in the worship service in a small or big way, please let her or one of the Deacons know. If you have ideas for a service, we welcome them!

Reverend Katherine will be on vacation from August 17-29. If you have a pastoral emergency, please call Bob Slack (978-663-6697) or Glenda Lovegrove (978-667-3596).

September's Deacon of the Month will be Jean Button. If you have an announcement please see Jean before the service during September

Jean Button for the Diaconate

The Trustees welcome Denise Smith, who has volunteered and was voted in to finish out the term through the year 2011 vacated by Jerry Simmons. Denise will be a welcomed new and fresh voice on the Trustees.

Outreach Committee Report

Outreach Committee Members

Jenny Carmichael, Jackie Gullage, Don Lovegrove, Bonnie McLay, Nita Owin, Bob & Linda Miner, co-chairs

Pantry

Greater Boston reports a 12% increase in requests for food assistance this year and a corresponding 15% drop off in donations. Our contributions have remained steady with our August collection reaching 155 items.

Outreach Giving

The Outreach Committee met on August 11, 2009 and voted to send $500 to World Vision for its work in Darfur and $500 to the Refugee Immigration Ministry of Greater Boston (R.I.M.).

We've continued to work this summer helping an asylum seeker and pastor from Kenya by providing friendship, clothing, and housing as he works his way through the asylum process.

R.I.M. is the major agency the U.S. government turns to for help in settling legitimate, approved refugees and asylum seekers in our area. We (the Chelmsford Interfaith Cluster) have been asked to settle a refugee family of 5 from Iraq who should arrive this fall. Specifically, our church has been asked to furnish a living room so you'll be hearing a request from us when they arrive.

Stewardship

We have accepted the Stewardship Committee's challenge to make our financial commitments to our church for 2010 in advance of the annual drive. We plan to turn in our "Faith Promise Cards" at our September meeting on the 15th of the month.

Alternative Christmas Market

We voted to hold our 2nd annual Alternative Christmas Market on Sunday, November 29th. This is not an attempt to encourage people to spend more for Christmas but to spend differently. More information to follow.

Did you know that....

- Bob Miner

Religious Education

Welcome back! We hope everyone had a fun and restful summer. We are looking forward to another great year of learning and worship.

Sunday school will be starting on September 20th. Registration forms for Sunday school can be found on the church website or can be obtained from Pat Rogers in the Sunday school office.

Registration will take place at 9:15 AM on Sunday, September 20 in the church parlor

Teacher training meeting will be on September 13th at 12:00 pm in the Church Parlor for all those who have volunteered to teach in the fall. Please make every effort to attend. If you cannot make the meeting please contact Pat Rogers for further instruction and teaching materials. Thank you again to those who have made commitments to teach this year. Your dedication and commitment is appreciated.

We are still looking for help in the nursery (weekly or every other week) and individuals who are interested in teaching Sunday school on an as needed basis. The curriculum is easy to follow and will be prepared ahead of time. No planning necessary. Please contact Pat Rogers 978-663-8121 if you are interested.

We will also need volunteers for hall monitoring to maintain the safety of our children. A sign up sheet will be posted on the Sunday school bulletin. Parents, please consider signing up for one Sunday as a hall monitor.

Dates
September 13th -11:30 - Teacher training meeting and RE committee meeting. 12:00 pm in Church Parlor
September 20th 9:15 AM First day of Sunday school

Sr High Sunday School Building the Bridge to Hope This Section completed!!

The Sr High Sunday School class has returned from their Mission Trip to Terre Haute Indiana with a new understanding of homelessness, disaster and long term recovery. Thanks to all who made this learning possible for these young people, and their Sunday School teachers. Their impact on the community was welcome, appreciated and significant.

We were graciously cared for and fed both spiritually and physically by several UCC churches as well as one non-denominational church, our faith led coordinator Ron Simons, and the staff of the Dream Center - a shelter under construction. We painted, put up drywall, added insulation, mudded and sanded. We ripped apart an entire finished basement removing all the debris so that a family could finally move back into their home. We fed about 100 people and provided enough food for a second meal giving the staff a well deserved afternoon off. We even got to use the paper napkins for the dinner - more about that story later when we share our story with the congregation on Rally Day in September.

Barbara Daverin

Stewardship Notes

With the end of the summer vacation period, it's time to consider what is to follow in the next several months. Many of us have taken vacation from church and must now think about renewing our Stewardship efforts.

Of course, there is much to be done. We can always use more people in our religious education program, the choir always wants more voices, and almost every church committee is understaffed. Most importantly, we're getting ready for our annual Pledge drive. All of us have previously heard about our precarious financial condition, and we will be hearing more over the next several months.

Welcome back. Remember that the needs of the church and community have not been on hiatus even though many of us have been. - for the Stewardship Committee

For the Stewardship Committee,
Don Lovegrove

Aim Hi

NEXT MEETING: Thursday, September 17 at 12 noon.

Craft Nights - Fair Preparation: Wednesdays

Please join us on Wednesday nights to make and share ideas for the Craft Fair to be held October 17.

For those who may not be aware, Aim Hi has been sending packages to service men and women serving overseas since 2002. Some of these people had a close association with our church and others are friends of church members. We send these packages four times a year and know from the communications we have received back that our small endeavor is greatly appreciated. We have supported this endeavor with bake sales, raffles, and donations, such as our recent 'Have a Heart" Sunday. Unfortunately the cost of supplies and postage have risen dramatically over time which is causing us to, again, ask for your help.

One of our members has generously donated and decorated a miniature trunk (somewhat reminiscent of a GI footlocker) which we will leave in the sanctuary with the hope that you, the congregation, will occasionally drop in a small donation in order for us to be able to continue sending these simple messages of love and support for all their sacrifices. We thank you for any help you can give us, and we are ending this informational notice exactly as we sign off on each package we send overseas--"God bless you and those serving with you, The ladies of Aim Hi"

We encourage the congregation to use the addresses below and send a short note or greeting card to these young people while they are away from home. It means so much to them and their families.

Notes from the Music Committee

This summer in addition to Brendan and Ginny's able music leadership, we are grateful for the additional help given to cover both Wednesday and Sunday summer services. We especially want to thank Jerry Simons and April Goss Baker for leading the singing and putting in much behind the scenes work. We are also indebted to Jesse Dutton and Jon Adams for the technology support. Thank you too, to June Gibelli for accompaniment one Sunday. Liturgical dance by Susan McLay added to the worship as well.

For fall, anyone who thinks they might like to sing with choir is invited to start rehearsal September 11 at 7:30. The first full choir singing in church will be September 20. You don't have to promise to be there every week. It is a lot of fun and spiritually uplifting.

Children's choir sign up starts September 20 with the first rehearsal October 4 at 9:30. They learn to be a part of a group and offer their gifts of song as part of worship. It is another way of helping children grow in faith.
The next music committee meeting will be September 27 after church. We welcome your comments and requests regarding the music program.

Phyllis Jennings, Music Com.Sec'y

Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend

WANT TO GET CLOSER TO THE ONE YOU LOVE?

The Marriage Encounter Weekend is an opportunity to enhance your communication with your spouse and rekindle that spark that brought you together in the first place.

Registrations are now being accepted for the next scheduled weekend in our New England area, November 13-15, 2009 at the 4 Points Sheraton in Meriden, CT.

For more information or a registration form, contact Lynne and Bruce Hildreth at 978-663-4727 or Hildreth4@comcast.net. Register soon and give your spouse the greatest gift of all - yourself.

PASSAGES: Births, Baptisms, Weddings and Memorial Services

United Church of Christ News

" I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together" goes a hymn. And indeed in the United Church of Christ, we are responsible for the church including its continuation into the future.

One part of that future that we can participate in this fall is the raising up of new clergy. In the UCC, the Church and Ministry Committee mentors people who think they want to be ordained to guide them in formation and discernment . Their seminary and local church is also responsible for guidance and support. Our church has Sheila Vitali who is in this process of formation and discernment of what ministry she is being called to and whether it includes ordination.

There are two ecclesiastical councils this September for people who have completed seminary studies and have been recommended to the association. It is the role of the churches in the association through their delegates and pastors to examine these women and decide if they should be ordained once they receive a "call" to a church. Our delegates are some of our deacons who will be able to vote but anyone can attend these councils. They are Sept. 8 at 7:00 at Forest Street Union Church, Methuen and Sept.22 at 7:00 at West Parish Church, UCC, Andover.

Phyllis Jennings
MACUCC delegate

Flowers: September

September 6 - Given in loving memory of Leonard J. Brown from his wife, Barbara.
September 13 - Given in loving memory of Arthur and Gladys Barnard by Richard and Barbara George and family.
September 20 - Given by June Orne in loving memory of her husband, Laurence and in honor of the brave servicemen and women serving in the armed forces.
September 29- Given in loving memory of Bruce and Mary Bates, Minnie Altman, Kenneth Bates, and Jessica Bates by Sandy Bates and family.
On the piano, flowers are given by J. P. and Mary Anne Durand in loving memory of Paul and Madeleine Durand.
On the lectern, flowers are given in loving memory of Leonard Barrett from his loving daughter, Edna and family.


If you would like to donate flowers any Sunday, please call Jeannette at 978-663-6804.

Help Wanted

FROM ALISON

THANKS TO Audrey Schwartz, and Edna McDewell for their help in the delivery of the September issue of The Lantern!

Lantern on the Web

The Lantern is on the web each month in its entirety. To reduce our mailing costs, If you would like to read it on line at http://www.firstcongo.org instead of having the newsletter mailed, please let me know.

Thank you and love, Alison

FROM SHEILA Vitali

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, I have been studying for my Masters in Divinity at Andover Newton Theological.

This year I will continue my journey in Theological Education by entering Field Education, the practical hands on portion of my program at the United Church of Christ, Congregational at 6 Lexington Street, Burlington, MA. I look forward to the many opportunities this will bring and will begin on September 13th when I will be introduced to the members of the Congregation.

Although my Field Education will take me from this Congregation for this school year I will continue to serve and participate in the life of the church as much as my schedule will allow. I look forward to your continued support and will be sharing these experiences with you.

Faithfully yours,
Sheila Vitali

Donation from the Billerica Community Theater

The First Congregational Church has received a most gracious donation in the amount of $5,651.12 from the Billerica Community Theater. This donation is in memory of past and present members of our church choir and members of our church who were involved with the theater group. The donation is to be used only for the repair of our pipe organ.

We extend grateful thanks to these surviving members. Thanks be to God for their generous donation.

Ruth Boutilier, Treasurer
Billerica Community Theater

Next Lantern Deadline: Sunday, September 20

The newsletter written and mailed the week of September 20th will include the end of September and October news.

The next newsletter will be sent out the week of October 18th.