This Week At First Church

A JOYFUL COMMUNITY - DIVERSE IN SPIRITUAL BACKGROUNDS & BELIEFS

THIS WEEK AT FIRST CHURCH

IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION

Senior Pastor's Message
Acolytes Ministry
Sunday Lenten Study Group
Easter Flowers And Brass Donations
Annual Quilt Raffle
Welcoming Committee Events
Maundy Thursday Dinner And Worship
Temple Sholom Seder Meal Invitation
Holy Week And Easter Schedule
Church School
Rise Against Hunger May 4
Community Corner
Regular Weekly Happenings

Click on the image above to see our Sunday Bulletin

SENIOR PASTOR'S MESSAGE

Greetings Friends,

We don’t often talk about the modern concept of hell much at First Church—and for good reason. Jesus mentioned it only a few times in Matthew, and our reading this week from Luke includes a reference to Hades. However, the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus wasn’t unique to Jesus; it was a retelling of an ancient Jewish fable. Yet, it still speaks volumes about how we are called to treat one another.

I hope you’ll join us this Sunday for a thought-provoking conversation on life after death.

Grace & Peace,

Patrick

ACOLYTE SIGN UP

Would you like to be a person who helps signal the start of worship? We are looking to pull a group of young people together to light the candles on the altar each Sunday.

It can be a single child or youth, or it can be a pair. (they need to be old enough and strong enough to carry five pounds down the aisle, step on to the altar, light one or both candles, and exit by the PrayGround).

A walk-through is available at any time! See Elmer Segura, Taira Atesman, or Craig Symons (or email Craig at craigs@fccog.org) for more information - or scan the QR code below to sign up now.

SUNDAY LENTEN STUDY GROUP FOLLOWING WORSHIP

EASTER FLOWER AND BRASS FUND DONATIONS

It's that time of year where we ask for support for flowers and brass to beautify our Meetinghouse for Easter. Please click on THIS LINK to download the PDF form and mail it or drop it off to the church office. Deadline is Monday, April 14 at 12 noon. Thank you for your generosity!

ANNUAL QUILT RAFFLE FOR THE WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP

It’s nearly April and that means the annual quilt raffle to benefit The Women’s Fellowship is just around the corner. Tickets will be sold at community hour, the church front office, and The Rummage Room. Tickets are $5 and the drawing will be held on May 3rd at The Women’s Fellowship brunch. Get your tickets soon!

WELCOMING COMMITTEE EVENTS

The Friendsgiving gatherings were such a hit that members of the Welcoming Committee have been asked to continue the fun year-round! It's such a great way to get to know each other and build community. The idea is to have gatherings that are easy to execute; co-hosting and pot-luck parties are encouraged. Hosts choose what they want to do, the date & the number of guests they can handle.

A couple of FCCOG members have already offered to host spring events: a "s'mores-'round-a-firepit-party" and an outing to Storm King Art Center. Details to follow in the upcoming weeks.

Here are some additional ideas but feel free to suggest others:

· Build your own ice-cream sundae party

· Build your own taco (on a Tuesday of course!) party

· Potluck BBQ

· Movie and pizza (maybe even use FCCOG auditorium)

· Outing to a ball game

· Potluck dinner at the Susie Baker pavilion at Tod's Point

· Wine tasting

· A red party (everyone wears red)

Call/text Betsy (203) 832-8113 or Cynthia (203 918-1523) if you have any questions or would like to host.

MAUNDY THURSDAY DINNER AND WORSHIP

SEDER MEAL INVITATION TO TEMPLE SHOLOM

Saturday, April 12 at 6:30 pm,

Temple Sholom, 300 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830

Our friends at Temple Sholom have invited anyone from First Church to join Rabbi Mitch and artist-in-residence Sheldon Low for a musical, traditional Passover seder.

The cost to participate is $60 per person for Temple Members, $90 per person for Non-Members and $20 per child ages 12 and under (regardless of membership).

To register: https://www.templesholom.com/form/passover-seder-2025

EASTER AND HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

CHURCH SCHOOL

CHURCH SCHOOL THIS SUNDAY

Church School - March 30

2nd Grade - Communion Class

3rd Grade - Bible Class

(taught by Pastor Patrick and Pastor Cydney)

ALL AGES WORSHIP (AAW)

AAW is a Sunday morning experience for the whole family of faith

to sing, pray, hear stories and partake in communion together!

April 13– Palm Sunday

May 20 – Music Sunday

RISE AGAINST HUNGER SUNDAY MAY 4 AT 10 A.M.

RISE AGAINST HUNGER MEAL PACKING EVENT

SUNDAY MAY 4 AT 10 A.M.

During our morning worship time, we will pack 20,000 meals to support Rise Against Hunger’s vision of a world without hunger, which distributes meals in 38 countries to schools, health clinics and communities hit by disaster. The meals help keep children in school and aid communities in the short term as they develop long term food security.

The cost of underwriting The Rise Against Hunger meal packing and the meal packing event will be our 2025 Lenten Offering and Lenten Project. More details will follow soon. Please join us for a fun, energized, music-filled morning when we will experience the joy of working together to help the least among us! Bring friends to show them First Church in action!

COMMUNITY CORNER -

HAPPENINGS IN OUR FIRST CHURCH BUILDING

STICK YOGA: Saturday mornings, from 10.30 - 11.30am

FREE TRIAL CLASS for members of First Church and after that $20 per class.

Bamboo stick yoga is a captivating fun way to explore stretching, balancing, conscious breathing and coordination, using a long light (bamboo) stick. It improves spatial awareness, posture, mobility and a mind-body connection, releasing stress. Supporting flexibility, stability and ease in our bodies, appropriate for any age. Some movements come from a Qigong method.

Please bring a yoga mat, and a yoga stick. You can purchase one online (e.g. the Karma Heart Yoga Stick), or make one, or use a broomstick. The stick should be approximately as tall as you. It could also be helpful to have a blanket if you like support for your head or knees. Email teacher Herma Hale for more information: hermahale@hotmail.com

TAI CHI: We meet at the First Congregational Church of Old Greenwich 9:30am Monday or Thursday (with advance sign up). All monies go straight to First Church. Please sign-in before class. Contact Will Morrison for more information: wdmorrison@gmail.com

This week’s classes

Monday, 9:30 - Drop-in / Fundamentals Form
Thursday, 8:30 - Drop-in / Fundamentals Form Pls confirm your attendance in advance

Next week’s classes

Monday, 9:30 - Drop-in / Fundamentals Form
Thursday, 8:30 - Drop-in / Fundamentals Form Pls confirm your attendance in advance

New joiners:

Where: 108 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. Enter the church’s parking lot from Forest Avenue and park anywhere. Please give the parents dropping off their children lots of room.
Which entrance: Enter through the door labelled Church Offices noted by the arrow. Once inside, go up the stairs immediately to your left which lead directly to the Auditorium, where we will be playing.

REGULAR WEEKLY HAPPENINGS

Bring your little ones to church -

we completely EMBRACE them.

At First Church, we believe the way we welcome children in worship directly affects the way they respond to God, to the church, and to one another.

To welcome children as they are in worship, we have our PrayGround, located in the Chapel (front right side of the Meetinghouse), where children and others of all ages can engage in worship through movement, sensory materials, and prayerful play.

The presence of all God’s children is a gift to the church, which offers hope for all.

Scan the QR code to access PrayGround FAQs and Helpful Tips.

FCCOG VOLUNTEER SIGNUP CENTER - One location for all volunteer sign ups!

We have consolidated all volunteer signups for all Committees and events at FCCOG. This will help Committees fill volunteer needs and will help volunteers easily signup for projects and events of interest.

There is a link on the FCCOG website homepage titled

FCCOG VOLUNTEER SIGN UP CENTER

This link will also be publicized in every Friday e-blast and the Sunday Bulletin. You can also access the Volunteer Signup Center by scanning this QR Code.

Thank you so much for the time you give volunteering for First Church!

Sue Asselin, Parish Nurse, is available for blood pressure screenings and health

consultations following worship this Sunday March 30. She will be in her office, just to the right of the Auditorium stage. During the week she is available by appointment by calling 203-637-1791 ext. 821.

GET YOUR FAMILY WEEKLY CHURCH SCHOOL &

RYM (REGIONAL YOUTH MINISTRY) NEWSLETTER

Using your smartphone camera, scan the QR code here to sign up for our weekly Family Ministry newsletter. You can read about Church School, Regional Youth Ministry, and more!

FIRST CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

The Church Offices are open regular hours, M to F, 9 am to 4:30 pm. Please remember to make an appointment with any member of staff you wish to meet with. Find staff contact details here.

THE RUMMAGE ROOM

The Rummage Room is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,

11 am to 3 p.m., for shopping and to receive donations. Come and see us!

NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR DONATIONS

Every donation directly helps those in need.

This basket is in the Meetinghouse near the front door, and donations can be dropped to the Church Office. Most needed items include canned meat, cereal, canned fruit, canned vegetables, and shelf-stable milk.

CALL TO OFFERING, OR USHER

We have a sign-up-page to read scripture, usher, or read a call to offering. All of the previous individual pages are now combined in one, with tabs at the top of the page to flip between each signup.

Simply click on each to navigate to the appropriate signup. To access that signup, click here