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! | | |
“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8
Last fall when Confirmation 2025 finally felt like a real possibility, I decided that we’d organize an expedition rather than offer “classes”. The idea was to take a six-week sightseeing tour in stages – to give our young people glimpses of the vast landscape of Christian ideology. Our excursion included brief stops at subjects such as Bible basics, God the Creator, Jesus the Christ, baptism, communion, prayer, spirituality, sacred music, death, eternal life, and world religions.
And now that we’ve completed our tour, the adventure begins! This Sunday is Confirmation Sunday – a sacred celebration of the sixteen travelers who have demonstrated both willingness to walk by faith and preparedness to keep asking, searching, and knocking. I’ll say more when I see you.
Be a blessing. Be the church.
Rev. Fredd
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Altar Flowers
Our Altar Flowers this week are donated by Harold Steever in loving memory of Bonnie Steever, his mother.
Light the Steeple
Our steeple is lit by Rayda Bouma and Eleanor Wight in memory of their brother-in-law Rev. Arthur Schoonveld.
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Open Chapel
The Spirit Team is pleased to once again offer Open Chapel during Lent. This is an opportunity to rest and quietly reflect in the sacred space of the First Church Chapel. You are welcome to drop by for any part of the hour. We hope that you will find peace.
Sunday, April 6, 5-6 pm
Friday, April 18, 12-1 pm
| Try something new for Lent! Instead of giving something up for Lent, why not try adding a spiritual element to your Lenten journey by singing with the choir through Easter or learning to play with the Handbell Choir. No experience is necessary! We will teach you everything you need to know. See Jim Boratko or Jessica Berube-Sengupta for more information. | |
The Spiritual Practice of Self-Care
a retreat for women
Led by Janice Olson, Yogi and Spiritual Guide
The Guest House Retreat Center, Chester CT
3 p.m. Friday, May 2 – 3 p.m. Saturday, May 3
$100 per person
Please register here by April 13:
The Spiritual Practice of Self Care.
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JPWL Seed Library Opens!
WeHa Grows is back with a variety of flower, herb, and veggie seeds for your garden. Stop by the JPW Library during the week, or visit the Bookmobile during Coffee Hour and “seed” for yourself! Four seed packets per family, please. Thank you for your support!
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Please drop off donations in the marked blue bins outside the auditorium and around the building. Specific needs include: baked beans, canned fruit/applesauce, pasta and sauce, cold cereal, canned chicken and tuna, 1 lb. packages of rice, 16-18 oz sized peanut butter, soup, macaroni and cheese.
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New Art Exhibit:
Don Bonner,
American Artist
JPWL Gallery
Through April 29
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Good Friday Worship Service Friday, April 18 at 7:00pm in the Chapel
The Service of Shadows --
or Tenebrae – is an immersive, commemorative experience featuring scripture readings, sacred music, and the gradual extinguishing of candles. After the pageantry of Palm Sunday and before the joy of Easter Sunday, there is the passion
of Holy Friday.
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New Member Info Session - Sunday, April 13th 11:15am Following Worship
We expect to receive new members into the life of the church during the 10am worship service on Sunday, April 27th. Contact Rev Fredd:
(860) 233-9605 x101
fredd.ward@whfirstchurch.org
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Coffee and Conversation!
Join Rev Fredd and friends at Nero Kitchen at 13 South Main Street in West Hartford Center on Wednesdays at 10am for coffee and conversation!
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Easter Donations
This is a wonderful opportunity to make a donation in honor of, or in memory of, a loved one! Easter Lily and Organ & Carillon donations can be made online HERE. Click HERE for a printable form and return it to the church office with your payment. If you wish to have your donation listed in the Sunday Bulletin, please make your donation by Sunday, April 13.
Contact Bethany office.manager@whfirstchurch.org 860-233-9605.
| Thank you to everyone who took an Easter basket to fill for Covenant to Care. Thanks to your generosity, Easter will be a little more special for 46 children! As a reminder, please return the baskets by Sunday, April 13th. - Diane & Molly | |
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.
All Dates in April are open!
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Altar Flower Donations
Donating altar flowers is a meaningful way to honor loved ones and is part of our Inreach ministry. Each week the altar flowers are broken down into smaller arrangements and delivered to members of the congregation. We have many weeks available in the new year. If you would like to donate, CLICK HERE or reach out to Bethany in the church office at 860-233-9605 office.manager@whfirstchurch.org
These dates are open:
May 18, July 6, 13, 20, and Aug 31, 2025.
| Nancy Ball needs empty coffee cans for flower arrangements! | |
Faithful FitnessClasses
FitMix
with Kathi Boratko
Tuesdays, 5:30 – 6:30pm
in the Auditorium.
Click here to sign up.
Qi Gong
with Cynthia Hoag
Thursdays, 10:30-11:30am
in the Chapel. Register here.
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Yoga in the Chapel
Wednesdays from 9:30-10:45am
(3/26 9:00-10:15am)
in the First Church Chapel
Join Cynthia Wolcott for drop-in, in-person Yoga. Bring a mat and a blanket (Cynthia has extras you may borrow). Attend as you wish; payment is accepted at the start of each class: $20 per class - cash, Venmo, or check to Cynthia Wolcott. Contact Cynthia at cjwolcott@gmail.com.
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Family News
Bodhi Cave, son of Todd & Lisa Cave of Sturbridge, Mass, is two months old here on the lap of his great grandmother Jane Cave.
For more Family News, click HERE.
| Family News! We now have a family news page on our website: click here. Family news will be shared when it is submitted to Amy Melvin or Joy Taylor. Send your photo(s) with caption(s) any time! We may edit content to fit. Please keep in mind that this is a public page. | | | |
April Reach Out: South Park Inn
Established in 1982, South Park Inn provides a range of programs and services to assist people experiencing homelessness as they transition back to permanency. The agency’s goal is to provide a safe, temporary place to stay as individuals identify the supports and opportunities that will yield long-term housing solutions.
South Park Inn’s emergency shelter, opened in 1984, operates 24/7/365 and provides 55 beds to men and women.
South Park Inn has 15 Transitional Housing beds for Veterans, ten of which are dedicated for high–barrier Veterans exhibiting acute and/or active substance use and mental illness.
South Park Inn also operates 17 respite beds to provide people recovering from recent medical or behavioral health hospitalizations with a safe place to stay that includes staffing to monitor for complications/side effects, follow-up care, treatment compliance, and/or medication errors; case management, and rehousing support.
To learn more and donate please use the links provided or donate in church (note South Park Inn on your envelope) or online thru the church: https://whfirstchurch.ccbchurch.com/goto/giving
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GHIAA joins movement to protect CT's immigrants | In response to the federal government's increased efforts to deport immigrants -- often without any due process protections -- GHIAA is joining CT immigrant advocates in efforts to strengthen CT's 2019 Trust Act, and to raise awareness of the constitutional rights that all persons here have. | | | | |
Watch 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 9-5. Everyone is welcome -- church membership is not required! Come in and find your next game, puzzle, or book!
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The 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.
Awakening the Spirit
Mondays from 12-1:30pm Starting 4/7: The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
We have the capacity to hate and the capacity to love. Which one we reach for is up to us. – Edith Eger
Eger’s “mind-blowing memoir of surviving Auschwitz doesn’t begin with the terrifying night when she is 16 years old and armed soldiers herd her Hungarian family into a wagon full of other Jews. Instead, we meet Dr. Eger in an El Paso therapy room in 1980, where she is treating a catatonic young man plagued by … well, she’s not sure what. Trauma, yes. But she has yet to discover its source. And when she does, it will bring her closer to her own” (New York Times).
Food for Thought
First Tuesday of the month from 5-6:30 p.m.
Next Meeting: May 6
Food for Thought also is reading The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger (description above). This incredible story of hope, courage, and grace is a must-read, and we are sharing it with both of our discussion groups!
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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.
| | Please use the links below to find us all over the internet, and you can also email the office by clicking the envelope. | | |
The church office hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 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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