Welcome to the First Church newsletter. Please notice that just about everything is "clickable"! In other words, click an image, a logo, or a button to find out more details! | |
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There are grammar sticklers and grammar nerds. There’s a difference, of course. Sticklers are oppressive about other people’s syntax and sentence structure and so forth. Nerds are obsessed with words and their morphology and meaning. I’m a grammar nerd.
For example, while reading this week’s featured verse (Philippians 4:4-7): “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice”, Paul’s use of the word ‘always’ grabbed my attention. It occurred to me that he could just as easily have written ‘all ways’. There’s a difference, of course.
Always means every single time. It’s an adverb that means continually or perpetually. It’s one of the 1,000 most frequently used words, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. All ways means in every single way, by every available method.
The simple word and the short phrase are often misused; but in this instance both work equally well. I’ll say more when I see you. The sermon for the third Sunday of Advent is an ode to joy entitled: Always and All Ways.
Be blessed. Be a blessing.
Rev. Fredd
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AED Training
We will be offering a training session for anyone interested in learning how to use the AED’s you now see throughout the Church. The class will be held on Tuesday, December 17 at 5 p.m. in the Fellowship Room and will be taught by members of the West Hartford Community Emergency Response Team - there is no cost to you. We need at least 8 people to hold the class. Thank you! Click HERE to register.
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Please Join Us for the Advent Season!
Please click HERE to view all the upcoming Advent services and events at First Church.
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Parent Open House
This Sunday, December 15 following worship in the Fellowship Room
Please join us this Sunday for a Parent Open House. Come enjoy refreshments and find out what is happening in Sunday School at First Church. We welcome any questions or feedback you may have.
Contact Amanda Bethune at faith.formation@whfirstchurch.org if you have any questions.
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Celtic Lessons and Carols
Saturday, December 21 at 4 p.m. in the Chapel
Come enjoy some calm before the rush of the holiday season! Our Lessons and Carols service takes place on the Winter Solstice this year. Many cultures see this time as a period of rebirth. In Celtic tradition it is seen as the return of the light as the days begin to lengthen. Invite light and renewal into this hectic time with meditation and music, featuring members of the Jolly Beggars.
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Christmas Angelicus Concert
Sunday, December 22 at 4 p.m. in the Meeting House
Join Chorus Angelicus and Gaudeamus in welcoming the holiday season across Connecticut! A New England tradition, hear a diverse assortment of Christmas classics, seasonal music, works from the past, and works by contemporary composers. Order tickets HERE.
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Ring in the New Year with Colossal Mary and Joseph!
The Colossal Puppets of St. Michaels Church (Litchfield) are returning to First Church Sunday, December 29 for the 10 a.m. service! Come see this collection of massive shepherds, angels, kings, and the Holy Family as they march throughout the Meeting House. Want to get involved?
Volunteers are needed for the following:
- Assembling/preparing the puppets Fri., Dec. 27 from 2 - 4 p.m.
- Puppeteers for the Dec. 29 worship service. This involves rehearsing on Sat., Dec. 28 from 10 - 11:30 a.m.
- Disassembling and transporting the puppets back to St. Michaels Mon., Dec. 30 at 10 a.m.
Sign up for any of these spots HERE, or speak to Jim Boratko.
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Share A Gift Tree for Our Covenant to Care Children
Thank you to everyone who took a tag from the gift tree! Please bring the unwrapped gift to the church by December 15. Thank you for helping our Covenant to Care children have a Merry Christmas!
For any questions, please contact Diane Bohman at dmbohman@comcast.net or Molly Bohman at jpwebsterlib@whfirstchurch.org.
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Wreath, Poinsettia and Organ & Carillon Donations
Wreaths will adorn the doors of First Church during the season of Advent. Poinsettias can be used to brighten the holiday for another or taken home after worship on December 22. Donations can also be made to the Organ & Carillon Reserve Fund. Online orders and donations can be made HERE or you can print a form HERE to mail in with your payment. All donations must be received in the office by Monday, December 16.
The Inreach Team is looking for volunteers to deliver poinsettias to church members after worship on Sunday, December 22. Please join us in the Meeting House following worship or contact Nancy Ball if you are able to help with this meaningful opportunity. (860-232-5036 or mailto:shoedog1961@gmail.com).
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Are you glad that First Church is part of GHIAA?
Then please help us fulfill our commitment to contribute $5000 each calendar year to pay for the staff that keeps GHIAA functioning and the materials and events that make it possible to get the work for justice done. Every year the First Church Outreach Team contributes $2500, and the other $2500 needs to come from individual donations. Through the end of October 2024, donations came to $850. If you can help -- whether it's $5 or $500 -- please make your donation ASAP. If you give online or by text, you will find GHIAA is one of the categories you can designate your gift for. If you donate by check, please write "GHIAA" in the memo line. Thank you for your support, financial and otherwise!
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Light The Steeple in honor of a Loved One
For a $25 donation, you are invited to "Light the Steeple" for one week in honor of a loved one. We ask that you pick a date at least one week in advance of the desired week, and all donors will be acknowledged in our weekly Happenings. Please note more than one donor can fall on any given week. Donations will be added to the Save the Steeple fund. Click "Light The Steeple for a loved one" found on the “Save the First Church Steeple” web page or click here.
~ Our steeple is lit this week by Lisa Carl in loving memory of her parents, Maryett and Howard Carl. ~
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Live-Streamed Worship in the Church Library!
First Church’s worship services are live streamed every Sunday in our bright, comfortable John P. Webster Library. Come watch while your toddler plays in our children’s area or if you need a separate place to worship for any other reason. The JPW Library is also open Monday -Thursday from 9 - 5. Everyone is welcome -- church membership is not required! Come in and find your next read!
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In the JPWL Gallery
We are delighted to present the work of three women artists: Dolores Howard, Michelle Peterson, and Michele Quinn. “Reveries and Reflections: Three Local Artists” will be on display from December 1 through January 12 in the JPW Gallery and in the Alcove to the right of the Rotunda Entrance. Many of the pieces are for sale -- these would make unique Christmas gifts! A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to First Church Outreach Ministries.
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A Great Green Gift
Here’s your opportunity for local, “green” gift buying! The JPWL is selling bags that were sewn from old church banners. These upcycled, one-of-a-kind First Church-branded totes and clutches will be for sale during Hospitality Hour. Totes are $20 each; clutches are $10 each, or 3 for $25. All proceeds will be used by the Outreach Team to support nearby environmental charities.
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Faithful Fitness Classes Continue
The JPWL invites you to attend, or continue attending, a free Faithful Fitness class! Each class provides an opportunity for meditation as well as movement. Perfect attendance is not required. More information is available on each class’s registration page.
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Qi Gong with Cynthia Hoag -Thursdays from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the Chapel (no class 12/26). More info and registration HERE.
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FitMix with Kathi Boratko will resume Tuesday, January 7 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. This is a well-rounded class including resistance training, cardio, and balance using multiple fitness modalities. Chairs will be used for seated and standing support. Please bring a mat, light weights, and a small ball. No tools? No worries! Some tools can be provided. Register here to join the class!
- Janice Olson’s Chair Yoga will no longer meet in person, but will continue online:
Yoga for Every Body - Balance, Flexibility, and Mobility - On Friday mornings from 9-10 a.m. you can join Janice for an uplifting and invigorating Chair Yoga class from the comfort of your own home! This all-levels class is being offered online via ZOOM. To receive the ZOOM login details, please email Janice at janiceolson756@gmail.com. Class is offered on a donation basis but there is no financial requirement. Grab a chair and see you there!
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G.O.A.T.* Bible Study!
Every Sunday from 9-9:45 a.m. in the Friendship Room (305)
-- Please note: No class 12/15 or 12/29
Join Rev. Tom Carr for a deep dive into the book of Isaiah. Explore historical contexts, find out who was duped (and by whom), and see how and where the Gospels echo the ancient Hebrew Bible. “Tom’s engaging style and knowledge of scripture have really helped me understand the Bible’s ongoing story and meaning in our own lives” (participant). Bibles provided; register here. *Greatest Of All Time!
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Book Group News
The church’s John P. Webster Library coordinates and sponsors three book groups that meet regularly in the library. Copies of the books are provided for participants. New members are always welcome to either group! For more information, please contact Jennifer or Molly at 860-232-3893 or at jpwlibrary@whfirstchurch.org.
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Awakening the Spirit --
Meets every Monday from 12 -1:30 p.m. - Rev. Tom Carr, facilitator
Join us to discuss The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness by Gregory Boyle. In this follow-up to Tattoos on the Heart and Barking to the Choir, Boyle is “incandescent, always hope-filled, and often hilarious, sprinkling his narratives with theological and spiritual reflections from a variety of theologians, poets, and other writers” (Christian Century). Don’t miss reading this encouraging and uplifting book!
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Food for Thought --
Meets on the first Tuesday of the month from 5 - 6:30 p.m.
- JPW Library Staff, facilitators
Next Meeting: January 7
This month we will be reading First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. A novel about the extraordinary partnership between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. This unlikely friendship between two different, yet equally formidable and committed, women helped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement.
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Believe in YourSHELF Tween Book Group
Sunday, December 15 at 10:15 a.m.
- Facilitated by Molly Bohman, JPWL Assistant Librarian
For students in Grades 6-8: We meet (with snacks!) on the third Sunday of the month in the Library. Our next book is Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, illustrated by Gabriela Epstein. Questions? See Molly at the Book Mobile or in the JPW Library
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Family News
Gather around the table at Brenda and Ralph Worth’s home November 2024. Pictured: Ginny and Bob Vocelli, Judy Labadia, Mark Swanson and Ralph.
For more Family News, click HERE.
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Our 2024 Stewardship Campaign is underway, and pledge cards have been mailed out. You can make your pledge online by filling out the online pledge card HERE or mail it to the church office. Thank you! | |
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December Reach Out: The Village for Children and Families
For more than 200 years, The Village has been dedicated to building a community of strong, healthy families who protect and nurture children. Established in 1809 by a committed group of women, the Hartford Female Beneficent Society, The Village’s name and services have changed but the desire to assist children and families has remained constant.
To learn more: https://thevillage.org/programs-services/.
Programs and services include:
- Addiction and recovery support
- Adult mental health and wellness
- Children and teen mental health and wellness
- Early childhood care and development
- Financial and career support
- Foster care and child welfare
- Integrated care
- Parent education and family strengthening
- School based support
- Support for justice-involved youth
To donate online: https://thevillage.org/give/.
Or to donate online through the church, click HERE.
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Taking Photos in Church and Sharing Policy
Taking photos and documenting life events is commonplace now and more and more common in church settings. Lots of members are asking about taking photos at church events and wondering how to share them and to avoid confusion, we came up with some guidelines. Most important: be sure phone is in silent mode and skip solo selfies when tagging church events! Laminated copies of guidelines are at each entrance to the Sanctuary and at auditorium entrance, or view policy here or go to website>Photo Gallery page. Thank you, Amy and Joy.
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Please use the links below to find us all over the internet, and you can also email the office by clicking the envelope. | |
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The church office hours are Monday thru Thursday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Main number is 860-233-9605 | Email: Office.Manager@whfirstchurch.org
Copyright © 2024 First Church West Hartford, All rights reserved.
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