TRUSTEES MEETING
MONDAY April 11th, 2022
at 7:30PM on Zoom
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Drive-by Palm Pick up
Saturday, April 9 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM we will be handing out palms for Palm Sunday in front of the church.
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EARTH DAY 2022
Clean up from 9-11AM
and festivities on the Municipal Hall Green from 10AM-1PM.
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Please remember to pick up your Pledge Envelopes in the Church Office
(as they are no longer in the sanctuary!)
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Symbols on the Lenten Banner |
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Symbols on the Lenten Banner in the Sanctuary and what they represent. References to them can be found in the stories of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, one Gospel was sighted.
Palm Branch: Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Matthew 21:8
Rooster: The rooster crows three times and Peter betrays Jesus: Mark 14:72, Matthew 26: 34 and 75
Cup: The Last Supper. Matthew 26:26-28
Basin and Towel: Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. John 13:5
Gavel: represents the trial where Jesus is condemned to die. Mark 14:64
Nails: represent the crucifixion. Matthew 27:35
Crown of thrones: Crown made by the soldiers for the King of the Jews. Matthew 27:29
Dice: Soldiers play a game for Jesus’s clothes Matthew 27:35
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TONIGHT!!!
The Town of Bethel Energy Committeee and local nonprofit, PACE, have partnered to bring you HeatSmart Bethel. The program helps Bethel residents learn how to improve their home’s energy efficiency. We connect you with Energize CT-certified technicians who will do a comprehensive energy analysis of your home and seal up air leaks ($50 or, for income-eligible participants, at no-cost ), we provide information about heating and cooling systems, and help you take advantage of the many rebates and incentives currently available. Taking advantage of this program could save individuals hundreds of dollars annually on their energy bills. HeatSmart Bethel participants who complete the assessment will be automatically enrolled for a November drawing for a $250 Amazon gift card and also receive a $25 Bethel Chamber of Commerce E-gift card.
For More information, Click HERE
ATTENTION:
On April 7th at 7PM, we will be having a zoom presentation about HeatSmart. Feel free to join us and learn about the program.
The link is below:
Topic: HeatSmart with Bethel First Congregational
Time: Apr 7, 2022 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 885 1532 2812
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Meeting ID: 885 1532 2812
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PRAYER REQUESTS
Please click below to send prayer requests. If you would like to add a name to this list or if you have a confidential prayer concern, please indicate in the email.
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Watch previous sermons on YouTube.
Subscribe to FCCB channel. Click the link below, click on the Subscribe button on the FCCB Channel page. Watch archived sermons anytime.
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Click on and read our Monthly Newsletter for our Congregation and their Families! Find fun and useful tips and more |
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Christian Outreach Ministries, Inc. is launching an exciting new opportunity for you to participate in that will bring our family in Christ and our community together for approximately 2.5 hours on Saturday April 30th from 10AM- 12:30PM walking from City Hall Danbury to Rogers Park. All participants should wear light blue T-shirts for the march.
The event is a march entitles, "Pick up your Cross and follow Jesus." The march will be the precursor to multiple ongoing outreach events, in which we can actively demonstrate Matthew 16:24-26. Missionary teams, families, outreach teams, youth groups, small groups, and Pastors can participate in ways that we can accomplish the great commission of going out into the highways and byways to reach souls for Christ.
For further information, please feel free to contact Rev. Wanda Payton or Diana Netto at 203-748-2266 or at info@ccominc.org.
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Local Retreats, Summer Programs and Events: |
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Messiah April 10, 2022 (for PSAs and outreach)
The Valley Music Series presents MESSIAH SING on Palm Sunday, April 10, 2022 at3 pm. All are invited to a community sing-along of Parts II & III of this great masterwork by G. F. Handel. Bring a score or borrow one at the door.
A true community event with professional soloists and organ featuring: soprano Kristen Plumley, mezzo-soprano Jessica Ann Best, tenor Nicholas Simpson, bass-baritone Andrew Dwan, organist Linda Sweetman-Waters and conductor Eric Dale Knapp.
Come to sing or come to listen to Handel’s glorious masterpiece.
VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
21 West Whisconier Road Brookfield, CT 06804
203.775.2624
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Coalition 50th Anniversary National Gathering in August!
Dear Open and Affirming family!
Fifty years ago, in 1972, a courageous and visionary band of queer leaders in the United Church of their Christ (with their straight allies) founded the "UCC Gay Caucus," the forerunner of the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ.
Earlier that year, the Golden Gate Association in California ordained Bill Johnson—the first openly gay man to be authorized for ministry in an historic Protestant denomination.
This year's National ONA Gathering will celebrate this milestone in our beloved church. We'll celebrate the past 50 years and the extraordinary growth in our movement from small beginnings, honor our elders, and learn from each other the ways our movement needs to expand its vision at the beginning of our second half-century.
Join us on Zoom August 5, 6, 7 for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Events will be scheduled in the evenings, enabling Hawai'i and western time zones to participate. We'll announce registration in the spring, but in the meantime please mark these dates on your calendar!
As with National Gatherings in the past, there will be soul-expanding worship and mind-expanding keynotes. I'm looking forward to seeing each of you!
With every blessing,
Andy Lang
Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition
United Church of Christ
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Dear Delegates, Clergy & Friends,
We are pleased to officially announce the Third Annual Meeting of the Southern New England Conference, UCC on June 18, 2022.
Registration is now open!
Annual Meeting will be held on June 18, 2022, 9am – 2:30pm using the virtual platform Hopin. Advance materials, Delegate materials and other information about the meeting can be found here: 2022 Annual Meeting.
We hope to see you on June 18th!
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We're excited to see 2022 retreat offerings at Mercy by the Sea!
MERCY BY THE SEA
167 Neck Road
Madison, CT 06443-0191
Tel: (203) 245-0401
Fax: (203) 245-8718
A New Way to Register
This year, they are implementing a new online registration process. Here are some helpful hints so you know exactly what to expect and what you need on Thursday.
- Registrations will open on Thursday, January 20 at 9 a.m.
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Go to the retreats page on their website and choose your retreat date.
- Click on the name of your requested retreat director. Each name is its own link and will take you to that director's specific page.
- If the retreat director is full, a waitlist form will appear. Fill in your name and contact info to be added to the waitlist. If there are openings for the director, a "register" button will appear in the lower right corner. Click and follow the instructions.
- Have your credit card available to process your $250.00 deposit or full payment.
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Mercy For All funds provide financial assistance for those who cannot afford the full fee, thanks to contributions from generous donors and the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. To inquire about assistance, we invite you to contact Sister Ann McGovern.
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If you are unable to register online, please call (203) 245 0401 where staff will assist you. Or email Sister Ann McGovern. Note: these requests will be processed after all the online registrations are fully processed.
Upcoming Programs and Retreats
Easter Triduum Retreat at Mercy by the Sea
Holy Thursday, April 14 – Easter Sunday, April 17
Register now for this year’s Triduum with Father Ed Dempsey and Mercy by the Sea Staff. In times that often feel hopeless, it is our faith and the strength of community that enables us to hold the pandemic, the suffering, the violence, and the darkness of our world and which invites us to embrace a hope that arises in and amongst us. In these holiest of days, hearts are transformed and thawed and our hopelessness evolves into a knowing that our time is now to be the living presence of Christ in the world. View more details and register here
2022 Directed Retreats
Registration is ongoing for our 2022 silent, directed retreats. View all our offerings here and email Karen Rossignol to register. Thank you for entrusting us with your precious
retreat time!
Summer Sabbath
Each summer, Mercy offers two sabbath weeks for anyone who needs to renew their connection with life’s animating Spirit. Facilitated by seasoned retreat leaders, Andrea Minelli and Carol Villaggio, these times can be as unplanned as you like, although there will be opportunities to gather for reflection and prayer. Spiritual direction is also available by request. Join us from July 31-August 7 or August 7-12. To register, email Karen Rossignol.
4/21: Contemplating with Creation:
An Earth Day Mini Retreat
On the eve of Earth Day, join others in community and contemplative practice to honor our love for creation. This live, virtual program led by Christina Leaño is in collaboration with the Laudato Si' Movement. It will include ritual, guided meditation and personal and small group reflection. During this mini-retreat, participants will experience three moments inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home. Register.
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Join chaplain and spiritual director, Lisa Irish, at Mercy by the Sea on Monday, April 25 from 9:30 to 3:30 p.m. as she facilitates a program focused on exploring grief and cultivating hope. Those from all faith traditions with all kinds of losses are welcome, including those wounded from COVID-19. We will share a contemplative space where each person’s experience of loss is honored and each person’s heart is acknowledged as precious. Together we will seek nourishment and strength in compassion and explore the connective braids of love between us. Register.
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4/26: Presence, Prayer and Writing from the Heart
Award-winning journalist, editor and writing coach, Anne Simpkinson, is offering a one-day writing program on April 26 at Mercy by the Sea. Her three-day retreat earlier in the month quickly sold out, so we're thrilled to offer another opportunity for anyone interested in a shorter writing retreat. Spend time in beautiful surroundings playing with words. The time will include Centering Prayer, silent reflection and time to write, walk, think and converse. Register.
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5/7: Living Into the Mystery of One: Re-Mapping Your Life With
Julian of Norwich
Registration is now open for a new virtual program with Professor Mark S. Burrows, Ph.D. Held on the eve of the Feast Day of Julian of Norwich, it will explore how Julian's understanding of the “mystery of one” can teach us to re-map our inner lives in order to live and love more faithfully. Register. Mark Burrows is a much sought-after retreat leader and speaker on spirituality, poetry and the arts and has led a series of programs for Mercy by the Sea over the last several years. ------------------------------------------------------------------
5/18: Plein Air Painting by the Sea
Join us for a plein air painting workshop at Mercy by the Sea with artist Jill Nichols. All media and levels of experience are welcome. Learn more and register. Jill's exhibit, The Divine Cosmos, will be on view in the Mary C. Daly RSM Art Gallery from April 9 to June 5. Sharing the beauty of the cosmos and divine feminine, it will include prints of two paintings featured in the Vatican Observatory Museum.
Image: Outbound by Jill Nichols. View more of Jill's seascape paintings here.
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Registration for Silver Lake summer camp is now open!
223 Low Road | Sharon, CT 06069 | 860.364.5526 | Fax: 860.364.1000
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