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Weekly Newsletter
Friday, October 8, 2021
*Our Church office will be closed Monday, October 11th*
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Important Message From the Leadership Team | |
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Final Request for Nominations to the Pastor Search Team
First Church will soon be starting the search for a new Settled Pastor. We are looking for a dedicated group of volunteers to undertake this process. It is important that we include longtime members, new members, and young members in this group so that the whole church is represented. Please prayerfully consider volunteering or recommending someone to be part of this team. Respond by contacting the church office at [email protected].
The following is the job description:
PASTOR SEARCH TEAM
JOB DESCRIPTION
- Be a "team player" by listening and being willing to change your mind.
- Pray together for guidance.
- Enjoy the opportunity to work closely with church members with whom you will develop a closer relationship.
- Attend all meetings as you are able (most likely once a week).
- Review and update the Pastor profile.
- Consult with the conference minister for guidance along the way.
- Develop the ad for the position.
- Develop a uniform numerical rating scale team members will use for evaluating candidate profiles as they are received.
- Thoughtfully and prayerfully read and consider each candidate.
- Narrow down the candidates to 3-5 and interview on zoom or skype working within the group to reach consensus on which candidates should receive further consideration.
- When there are 2-3 top candidates selected, invite them to visit Longmeadow for a tour of the church and town and a potluck dinner with the team.
- Finalize choice with the team and invite the top candidate to preach on "Call Sunday".
- Help to plan a celebration of welcome for the new Pastor
Thank You,
First Church Leadership Team
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Sunday Worship:
Sun., Oct. 10th @ 10 AM
Church School (K-5):
Sun., Oct. 10th @ 10:00 AM
The Stolen Beam Series:
Sun., Oct. 10th @ 7:00 PM
Interfaith Coffee:
Tues., Oct. 12th @ 9:30 AM
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PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Diana and Family
- Debbie DeBiasio
- Faye
- Helene H.
- Sharon
If you would like to add a prayer request to our eblast, please send it to: [email protected]
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Altar Flowers
October 10, 2021
The Flowers on the Altar Were Given in Honor of
Marieke and Doug Burt
For Their 60th Wedding Anniversary (at First Church)!
By First Church Friends
The flowers were arranged by Marieke and Doug Burt!!
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Sunday Worship
October 10th @ 10:00 AM
Pre-registration is no longer required for in-person worship. We ask that you sign in upon arrival.
Masks are required.
Scripture Reading: 4:9-17
Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another, speaks evil against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.” Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.
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Live Stream Worship Online & LCTV Worship Recordings
We continue to offer online live stream worship services through our Facebook and YouTube pages. Please click one of the links below to join our online worship service on Sundays at 10:00 AM. You can also view our Sunday Worship Service recordings on Longmeadow Cable Access Television (LCTV) Sundays @ 8 AM and 12 noon. (previous Sunday's worship)
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Music and Order of Worship
We heard your feedback and are now offering the hymn information in the eblast, as well as in the chat on Facebook and YouTube for those of you who like to sing along with us! We also continue to offer a standard order of worship instead of a bulletin. Click the buttons below to download the order of worship and the hymns for Sunday Worship Online (hymns will be available for download in the Friday eblast)
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Social Justice Team and Adult Ed
co-sponsor a 6-session series:
The Stolen Beam Series (Zoom)
Oct. 10, 17, 24, Nov. 7, 14 & 21
Sundays @ 7:00 PM
The Social Justice Team and Adult Education Team of First Church are partnering with the Jewish Community of Amherst to offer “The Stolen Beam Series” this fall on the controversial topic of reparations.
The first five sessions will be facilitated by the JCA of Amherst and the final session will be a recap facilitated by the S.J. and Adult Ed Teams.
This course requires reading, viewing, active participation, and a commitment to show up for each session. If you are able to make that commitment, please click the link below for more detailed information, and to sign up. (You may also sign up by calling Jill in the office, 413-567-6287)
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100 Articles of Clothing Drive
St. Andrew's and First Church Youth Service Project
To Benefit Lydia's Closet
We will be collecting children's clothing and shoes throughout the month of October to benefit Lydia's Closet. Our goal is to reach 100 items collected! Will you help us?
Lydia's Closet offers clothing and supplies for children placed in foster care under the age of 18 years old. When arriving in a new home, foster parents and children may not always have ample socks, shoes or clothes with them. Lydia's closet hopes to meet the immediate needs of foster care children freshly placed in new environments and hopes to provide items and a supportive space for them and those who care for them.
Donation boxes can be found in the narthex,
and in the hallway outside the double doors and Rev. Dallas‘ office.
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Interfaith Coffee and Conversations (Zoom)
October 12th @ 9:30 AM
Interfaith Coffee & Conversations has resumed and is still on Zoom due to COVID precautions.
Each week we’re hosted by a leader from diverse faith traditions inviting us to reflect and share on a topic through the lens of our faith. You are welcome!
We gather with curiosity and mutual respect, to learn from each other and find common ground. Won’t you join us? (The zoom link will be available in the Monday eblast)
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CROP Hunger Walk
**We are 2/3 of the way to our goal!**
Our Team: Stew Creelman, Rev. Marisa, Marilyn Paul-Lewis, Ute Schmidt, Rev. Dallas, Anne Landry, Richard Brazeau, and Susan Kennedy. There is still time to join us, if you'd like!
Our October Family Ministries and Youth event will be the 2021 CROP Walk. This year once again it will be a virtual event to be held on Sunday, October 17 at 1:45 PM. We plan to walk as a First Church physically distanced group, which will begin and end at First Church. Proceeds from the Walk help to fight hunger and food insecurity worldwide, and a portion goes locally to three organizations--Open Pantry, The Food Bank of Western MA, and Lorraine's Soup Kitchen.
Please visit First Church's CROP Walk page and sign up to walk or make a donation to support a walker: https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2021/team/first-church-of-christ-longmeadow-ucc
Last year Team First Church raised the second most money in the Greater Springfield walk, and we won the Gold Sneaker! Let's show Greater Springfield how to do it again this year.
Questions? Want to donate to a walker or sign up to walk? Please contact Marilyn at [email protected].
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Youth Ministries
Fall 2021 Schedule of Events is here!
As our state, town and church follows ever-changing guidelines, know that this calendar may change. This fall, we'll meet both singularly and with St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. We are meeting in-person, outside, inside and on zoom (if need be!)
Weekly texts, updates and more will come from Remind 101. Click the button below to learn how to sign up for Remind, and for more information about our activities. Please reach out to Khaleigh with any questions: [email protected].
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Online Giving
Current COVID restrictions prevent us from passing the offering plate during in-person worship (it is available the Narthex), and many of you are still worshiping online with us. We hope you will consider giving to our online offering plate, so we can continue to do God's work and support our community. We are still accepting mailed pledges. Click the titles to connect to our Text to Give Instructions, secure Online Giving page through Breeze, or use our Paypal option. Thank you!
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